I’m not a teacher but......

[Comefromaway]

I think it’s time you went on strike.

The government clearly don’t give a toss about you, our kids & subsequently our families.

My daughter is so stressed about the school/college environment. Everywhere she’s being told that she can’t do this that and the other because people are dying. But she’s expected to go into college and have her normal classes with overcrowding and no effective mitigation.

Medical officer woman has clearly not been into a school. The teachers & students are dropping like flies.

In France the parents strike and refuse to bring their children.

@piggyinblankets the graph basically shows that cases in schools were on the up from Sep until half term, went down a bit after schools closed for a week (secondaries for 2 weeks) but then increased rapidly once they opened up again. Since schools have closed for Christmas they are dropping again.

It also shows that there are more cases in primary schools in lots of areas than in secondary schools.

The other argument is that we go totally for online learning, like a civilized country.

And by extension, if it can all be done by AI, there is no need for teachers anymore.

Solves the health issue and the teaching issue fairly simply.

*Hearwego "Er yes...I get paid if I have to isolate. "

Yes but what are you going to do when your DC has to self isolate, was the question. As in due to being a contact. That does not count as you self isolating and siblings still have to attend school.*

If I had to isolate or my children had to because of covid then, fair enough.
The issue is, teachers striking, which would only add to more people being off work. Including key workers.

Thanks hugh. There does seem to be a level of denial about primaries, repeated in the press briefing today.

@kowari

Keyworker provision is far more likely to stay reliably in place if schools aren't fully open. I don't make that decision though. If DS is allowed to attend then he will be there. If there is part time provision then we will take whatever we can get.

But you can write to your MP and support teachers who are calling for safe/sustainable opening of schools.

What would you do if your DS was told to self isolate?

If it wasn't that it would take focus off the Government's failings, I would work to rule.

I would work ONLY in a school where where all children are properly distanced from one another and wear masks except when outside or eating / drinking. I would also require all children in the bubble to be tested should anyone test positive. I would require all teachers and TAs to be given proper see-through masks, with microphones linked up to a loop in the way provided for severely hearing-impaired children. Should anyone in my class be isolating, I would expect work to be set for them by a further member of staff - one of my ECV colleagues - rather than me 'doubling up' and short-changing everyone.

I would require toilet blocks to be used only by a single bubble, and I would require daily cleaning of all surfaces by someone other than myself. I would expect ventilation and heating to be monitored such that the exchange of air was sufficient but the temperature maintained at a level regarded as reasonable for sedentary workers.

I would expect regular testing of all school staff, and all equipment needed for adequate hand and mask hygiene to be provided.

Then I would absolutely happily teach full time for as long as required.

I won't do that, of course - I care too much about the children I work with - but I would far rather do that than strike

@Hearwego

*Hearwego "Er yes...I get paid if I have to isolate. "

Yes but what are you going to do when your DC has to self isolate, was the question. As in due to being a contact. That does not count as you self isolating and siblings still have to attend school.*

If I had to isolate or my children had to because of covid then, fair enough.
The issue is, teachers striking, which would only add to more people being off work. Including key workers.

But long term, teachers striking could cause less children to have to self isolate....

Believe it or not, we wouldn't strike for the fun of it.

Hull had real issues in their hospitals caused by isolating kids. It would have been better for everyone if their schools had been allowed to close or move to a rota.

Parents don’t care about teachers. They care about having free childcare. Nothing can be allowed to interfere with that.

[quote HughGrantsHair]@piggyinblankets the graph basically shows that cases in schools were on the up from Sep until half term, went down a bit after schools closed for a week (secondaries for 2 weeks) but then increased rapidly once they opened up again. Since schools have closed for Christmas they are dropping again.

It also shows that there are more cases in primary schools in lots of areas than in secondary schools.[/quote]
This is certainly true of my area. The two secondary schools have had less than half the cases of the feeder primaries combined.

I'm hesitant to say that our procedures contributed to this, but we have insisted on mask wearing in corridors since the start.

But you can write to your MP and support teachers who are calling for safe/sustainable opening of schools.
I wouldn't have a clue how to write to my MP or what to say, I'm very happy with how our school has handled everything.

What would you do if your DS was told to self isolate? Then he would self isolate, he is 14. He would hand in the minimum work required and spend the remaining waking hours reading.

**The other argument is that we go totally for online learning, like a civilized country.

And by extension, if it can all be done by AI, there is no need for teachers anymore.

Solves the health issue and the teaching issue fairly simply.

What a ridiculous idea!! How exactly would you expect every parent to work from home? We would turn into a civilisation of hermits. People wouldn’t make friends or socialise with other people.

Pupils from Year 6 upwards should be made to wear masks.

Just cant understand why teachers are been treated as a protected profession and ppl thinking they should strike. As a nurse I just do not understand the logic of it?

"The other argument is that we go totally for online learning, like a civilized country.

And by extension, if it can all be done by AI, there is no need for teachers anymore.

Solves the health issue and the teaching issue fairly simply."

What about those poor children who get no support from their parents in home learning? Do we just dump them?

**Parents don’t care about teachers. They care about having free childcare. Nothing can be allowed to interfere with that.

I’d imagine most parents care about being able to make a living and being able to go to work.

I don’t think striking will help here.

Emailing your head and saying you refuse consent for unreliable lateral flow for your child testing to happen at school is the best thing, I am increasingly thinking.

Then head teachers can say they won’t be doing it in their schools as the parents aren’t on board.

@kowari

But you can write to your MP and support teachers who are calling for safe/sustainable opening of schools. I wouldn't have a clue how to write to my MP or what to say, I'm very happy with how our school has handled everything.

What would you do if your DS was told to self isolate? Then he would self isolate, he is 14. He would hand in the minimum work required and spend the remaining waking hours reading.

Very easy to do here: www.writetothem.com/

If you think your school is an example of best practice, perhaps you could suggest other schools copy their model?

If your school is handling things well (and I do think there are schools that have gone above and beyond to make things safer), then perhaps suggest their procedures be rolled out to all schools?

Also, I'm aware of 14yos who've had to self isolate three times last term- presumably you think that would be detrimental to your DS as you want him in school?

@Christmasfairy2020

Just cant understand why teachers are been treated as a protected profession and ppl thinking they should strike. As a nurse I just do not understand the logic of it?

If lots of kids are off self isolating, nurses can't work, as seen in Hull.

Schools being safer is about society, not teachers, really.

**Just cant understand why teachers are been treated as a protected profession and ppl thinking they should strike. As a nurse I just do not understand the logic of it?

This exactly. Imagine if all other key workers would strike now.

Unfortunately letseat DS's headteacher seems very excited by the testing.

He won't be able to have it done , anyway, as I am supposed to get him to schol twice in the first week back when I will be working...in a different school! Also probably enthusiastically administering the tests.

I think many people believe that health care workers are protected by having adequate PPE and sanitation measures. Unfortunately, most teachers and TAs are not. Many secondary school staff teach up to 180 individuals each day, with some teaching different classes every day or every two days. This is an enormous amount of individuals with which to come into contact. Most pupils don’t wear masks in lessons. It’s dangerous.

As many of us have said, if nurses and other keyworkers want to strike, we would support you. Things have to have got bad if sectors even consider a strike. The government could avoid the whole conversation.

@Piggyinblankets

Unfortunately letseat DS's headteacher seems very excited by the testing.

He won't be able to have it done , anyway, as I am supposed to get him to schol twice in the first week back when I will be working...in a different school! Also probably enthusiastically administering the tests.

The webinar says if you struggle to get them to school for testing times, you can send them in for the whole days, so problem solved

Right - o. But if he tested positive then what happens?? Did the webinar deal with that??

I ahve seen some limited highlights on Twitter..