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.

They aren't even beginning roll out of the vaccine to 80+ in my (tier 4) area until mid January...

And while most teachers won’t be seriously ill if they catch Covid, the potential for widespread disruption to our children’s education is a real threat if schools are closed due to lack of staff.

Absolutely, and that’s absolutely not ideal but balanced against people dying? That’s a very tough call to make.

Schools should be definitely be safer and not allowing them to go to online learning or a rota system which allows for more effective social distancing was a big mistake in my view. Those sorts of plans are better than reprioritising the vaccine rollout list are better courses of action.

It looks like there’s early scientific advice that a November style lockdown with schools and universities open won’t get the R number below 1 so I’d be surprised if we don’t get a new plan for schools very shortly.

London school of medicine and hygiene:

cmmid.github.io/topics/covid19/uk-novel-variant.html

"Nevertheless, the increase in transmissibility is likely to lead to a large increase in incidence, with COVID-19 hospitalisations and deaths projected to reach higher levels in 2021 than were observed in 2020, even if regional tiered restrictions implemented before 19 December are maintained. Our estimates suggest that control measures of a similar stringency to the national lockdown implemented in England in November 2020 are unlikely to reduce the effective reproduction number Rt to less than 1, unless primary schools, secondary schools, and universities are also closed. We project that large resurgences of the virus are likely to occur following easing of control measures. It may be necessary to greatly accelerate vaccine roll-out to have an appreciable impact in suppressing the resulting disease burden.

I think if teachers strike they will be blamed, I think all we can do is write to our mp's in vast numbers etc
Schools are trying so hard in such crap circumstances
And I have the same with my kids why can't i go out with my mates , i have been sat in a room with them all week ? Even as an adult if schools go back as normal then from now on I will make my own risk assessments about which rules I will follow going forward

It was an early victory against blended learning proposals in Scotland (led by vocal parents' groups) that seems to have put the kibosh on any sensible discussions.

The gov have also stopped looking at what other countries do (other than to recently list some countries still doing exams).

@winechateauxjoy def been more than one strike in 30 years remember my kids both off on different days

"likely to lead to a large increase in incidence, with COVID-19 hospitalisations and deaths projected to reach higher levels in 2021 than were observed in 2020, even if regional tiered restrictions implemented before 19 December are maintained. Our estimates suggest that control measures of a similar stringency to the national lockdown implemented in England in November 2020 are unlikely to reduce the effective reproduction number Rt to less than 1, unless primary schools, secondary schools, and universities are also closed"

Higher levels of transmissions lead to higher hospital admissions and then deaths - they project higher than 2020 UNLESS schools are closed.

It does concern me if cAses go down ( which will be great and what we want ) that the goverment will think tiers are working and just send schools back as before then a few weeks later saying oh our numbers are rising again we will introduce tier 5 and up everyone else , we all know education js important but we can't ignore the fact it is spreading in schools and your asking teachers and kids to be in positions where spread is likely
Kids may not always get it bad , but some do and then they also may spread it to vulnerable family they live with
They have couple weeks to get some plans in action if what they can do until vaccinations are rolled out more. Really hoping good news on oxford vaccine soon as hopefully we can ramp up vaccinations then

Two different unions there re strikes. I have been teaching nearly 30 years and had two one day strikes iirc . There was also one strike by the union I am not in.

Please don't blame the kids who mix in the park and don't sd as such , there kids . This has been tough on them as well
I have 2 teenage ds they have missed out on loads this year social wise , mine are sensible and do sd and follow rules but they are also human and sometimes forget and get upset that there fun times in life have gone , my 15 year is much happier being back in school but he isn't stupid he knows its a risk everyday , my elder ds in college and much easier for colleges he does a lot online learning , only in for 2 days with just same small group , if he was still at school he would be struggling as he is a much more anxious child
I so hope they make changed to make school a little safer going back

@poptartpoptart yes issue now is not enough vaccine , plenty on order but you don't get it all at once and we are not the only country wanting it
Will be better supplies if another is approved , you have to remember the whole world is waiting on a vaccine not just us
Also current vaccination storage etc makes it a little trickier logistically than some other vacs

I teach a number of clinically vulnerable kids

Who’s parents have been advised their kids’ schooling is a choice.

This is a crap situation for teachers, but I wish we would stop pretending they are the only ones in this situation and that they’d deserve some kind of special status/treatment here.

There are a whole lot of people being out in really shitty positions by their employers or due to their job. Teachers can do what they rest of us have done. Assess their situation and make a choice.

@donewithitalltodayandxams I can assure you I am not lying - one strike day in 30 years of teaching - and that was a notional day of action when many, many other unions were also on strike. Teaching unions may call for strikes in individual schools or perhaps regions but my union supported ONE strike in 30 years.

Teaching is a highly unionised profession - it has to be - the risk of going into teaching without legal support should you need it are just not worth taking. However the teaching unions (in my experience) are fragmented - there does seem to be a lot of jostling for position and they rarely (and in my experience) seem to work together. The headteachers unions do seem to have more clout with the powers that be. However, none of the teaching unions are millitant and are very reluctant to ballot for strike actin. When they very rarely do they rarely get enough of of % in favour from their members.

I would be absolutely amazed if there is a ballot for strike action, and even more amazed if members supported it.

Do you know what I think would really help teachers? If people stopped telling them, constantly and publicly, what they should be doing. This thread included.

I do remember my school being closed for one day because of a strike involving other public sector unions - it was a health and safety issue due to having no caretaking, cleaning or catering staff in. But I know that I was only involved in one one day day strike called by my teaching union.

[quote donewithitalltodayandxmas]@winechateauxjoy def been more than one strike in 30 years remember my kids both off on different days [/quote]
Depends on what Union a teacher is in. The union I am with NASUWT has had one call for strike since I started teaching in 2003 (when the pensions changed) but the old union NUT has had a more recent strike. It depends how many teachers in a particular school belonged to NUT etc back then, as to if they don’t have enough staff to stay open. Not all schools closed then.

How can anyone make the schools safe though? Is there actually a way? Since March there have only been 10 cases in my children's secondary school but I'm not sure how they've kept numbers so low (especially as we're in tier 3).
As far as I can see there's no way to make them safe. So what do we do? Go back to online learning and watch a lot of children fall through the cracks? Keep risking children and staffs lives?

[quote Toastybutt]@Wheresmykimchi
Mask use discouraged by DFE in primary as it is apparently detrimental to teaching. It’s in the guidance.[/quote]
Discouraged isn't not allowed though, is it?

[quote Littleyell]@Doobydoo it’s true I’m with you. It’s rubbish. I think a lot people fling the term PPE assuming it’s something that it’s not. Flimsy blue mask won’t do anything.

You can’t tell the teachers that though. It doesn’t even have a seal round unlike the other masks![/quote]
Do you have to be so rude?

May I ask a question?
If the PPE you have is so useless, do you bother to wear it at all and if you do wear it, why, if it’s so useless?

@MintyMabel

I teach a number of clinically vulnerable kids

Who’s parents have been advised their kids’ schooling is a choice.

This is a crap situation for teachers, but I wish we would stop pretending they are the only ones in this situation and that they’d deserve some kind of special status/treatment here.

There are a whole lot of people being out in really shitty positions by their employers or due to their job. Teachers can do what they rest of us have done. Assess their situation and make a choice.

Nobody is asking for special treatment. I'm getting really fed up of reading that.

Make a choice? Like what?

Discouraged isn't not allowed though, is it?

DfE says in classrooms (inc secondary) their use should be avoided.

And it's not much use a teacher wearing one if they are in a small stuffy room with 30 teens who aren't.

@PurpleDaisies. Good for you.

Tell that to a vulnerable teacher terrified. I'm getting fed up with this alright jack attitude.

@noelgiraffe

Discouraged isn't not allowed though, is it?

DfE says in classrooms (inc secondary) their use should be avoided.

And it's not much use a teacher wearing one if they are in a small stuffy room with 30 teens who aren't.

DfE can say what they like.

In my school over 16s wear them at all times, younger pupils wear them in corridors and communal areas and all staff wear them.

@noelgiraffe

Discouraged isn't not allowed though, is it?

DfE says in classrooms (inc secondary) their use should be avoided.

And it's not much use a teacher wearing one if they are in a small stuffy room with 30 teens who aren't.

So enforce mask wearing.

No issues with masks at all in my kids school. Par for the course now and refusal means detention. Strict hand washing enforced and rooms ventilated.

Some SMTs are totally ineffective. Perhaps start challenging them rather than clamour for strikes? Of course you’re going to get parents who won’t support stricter mask policies, but get the support of parents who do.

‘Make a choice? Like what?’

What are your sick pay policies? How long can a teacher remain off sick on full pay?