Page 9 | I’m not a teacher but......

Comefromaway · 2020-12-23T15:54:42+00:00

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.

kowari · 23/12/2020 18:21

@cantkeepawayforever

As things are I think the benefits of school far outweigh the risks to our family.

If all of your child's subject teachers become ill, and are replaced by supply or cover supervisors long term, does that affect the balance?

If there is only keyworker provision then he will attend as a keyworker child as he is allowed to. It's my job to make the decision that is best for my child and our family. I think his school would close before it would reach the point where I would prefer him to be home.

happystone · 23/12/2020 18:21

I respect my children’s teachers, they look after them, care deeply about them and what the best outcomes for them.We as parents trust them with the most precious thing in our lives. Anything that can be done to support teachers in there jobs should be done. Yes we all want our children in school but I want my children’s teachers and their families to be safe.we should look after our teachers and care about them.The same way they care about our children and our self’s. flowers] to all our amazing teachers

Piggyinblankets · 23/12/2020 18:21

I don't understand either mango. Do you remember back in May when it was all 'well, in Denmark' ???

GleamingBaubles · 23/12/2020 18:22

I do not want a teachers Vs nurses argument. I fully support nurses fight to get proper PPE, in fact I have helped to make some.
Would be nice if nurses could also support our request for masks in the classroom for secondary schools and upper primary.

cantkeepawayforever · 23/12/2020 18:22

However teachers aren’t the only ones who have to go into work and if kids can’t continue going into school it will affect their futures.

Please could you, therefore, campaign for safety measures in schools to keep them open? All teachers WANT to be in school. We WANT children to be safe in our care, and we want our colleagues to be safe too. there are a number of very simple things that the Government can do about this - please could you support teachers and other school staff as we call for them?

SansaSnark · 23/12/2020 18:22

@rwalker

It's a completely impossible situation if it so detrimental to you DD remove her from collage .

Absolutely best of look with getting kid to social distance and wear masks.

So the alternative is we shut schools and collages .

There are loads of alternatives that aren't a full shutdown.

A lot of FE colleges are already working on a one week on, one week off rota. But school sixth forms aren't allowed to do this, which makes no logical sense.

Our Y10s were perfect at social distancing in the summer, but they had the space to do so. Some kind of rota with e.g. Y10 +11 in the mornings and other years in the afternoons would allow this too.

It would also create accountability, and make blended learning more effective. And because that blended learning would be planned, it would be more meaningful than what is currently thrown together for the 2 weeks self isolation so many students have faced!

Hearwego · 23/12/2020 18:24

And how exact would a strike help anyone? And how long for? Til April? May? June?
And what about parents who can’t afford to be at home and not work?
Do you see Tesco and Sainsbury’s workers going on strike? They serve the public, probably in contact with thousands of perfect strangers, having no idea who is infected.
And what about key workers who’s kids go to school? How exactly would these children be cared for?
What about the NHS? Should they strike because the government ‘ doesn’t care about them to’?...

cantkeepawayforever · 23/12/2020 18:24

If there is only keyworker provision then he will attend as a keyworker child as he is allowed to.

When schools / classes/ year groups close for self isolation due to infection, there is no keyworker provision - and some children have had to isolate 5-6 times this term. So please campaign for safety measures in schools that keep teachers and students safe and well.

SansaSnark · 23/12/2020 18:24

If there is only keyworker provision then he will attend as a keyworker child as he is allowed to. It's my job to make the decision that is best for my child and our family. I think his school would close before it would reach the point where I would prefer him to be home.

Keyworker provision is far more likely to stay reliably in place if schools aren't fully open.

mumsneedwine · 23/12/2020 18:25

@SansaSnark why don't they listen ? Rotas mean social distancing is possible.
Keep staff safe, schools stay open. As was seen in Hull, staff get sick, schools close, nurses can't work.
I will never criticise anyone in the nhs (my DD is one of their number). I too made PPE (thank you Noah).

Hearwego · 23/12/2020 18:26

I’m a prison officer and my DP works in a supermarket. Both key workers.
Who do you want to look after my children if teachers went on strike?

GleamingBaubles · 23/12/2020 18:27

I was so pleased to see H&S precautions put in place for supermarket workers - face masks for all plastic screens etc.

Teachers - hand sanitizer. That has run out.

AaronPurr · 23/12/2020 18:27

@Hearwego

I’m a prison officer and my DP works in a supermarket. Both key workers. Who do you want to look after my children if teachers went on strike?

Who would look after them if they had to self isolate?

SansaSnark · 23/12/2020 18:28

@Hearwego

And how exact would a strike help anyone? And how long for? Til April? May? June? And what about parents who can’t afford to be at home and not work? Do you see Tesco and Sainsbury’s workers going on strike? They serve the public, probably in contact with thousands of perfect strangers, having no idea who is infected. And what about key workers who’s kids go to school? How exactly would these children be cared for? What about the NHS? Should they strike because the government ‘ doesn’t care about them to’?...

Well, for starters, a two week strike last term would have probably caused a crash in cases, which would help everyone?

There's loads of people who can't afford to be home and not work, but they've been fucked over by the insistence on keeping schools open as normal.

I reckon supermarket workers should strike, actually, and I'd 100% support them BUT they have PPE, they have social distancing, they are not expected to perform first aid, and they are not exposed to people in close proximity for 15 minutes at a time (normally) which is the PHE standard for being a close contact.

If you look at the figures for school age children, it is really clear they are the age group with the sharpest increase in cases since lockdown, and that hurts everyone.

And yes, NHS workers should 100% strike. The way they have been treated is a disgrace.

GleamingBaubles · 23/12/2020 18:28

Hearwego - maybe you could write to your MP to get better H&S in schools to enable them to stay open then?

SansaSnark · 23/12/2020 18:28

@Hearwego

I’m a prison officer and my DP works in a supermarket. Both key workers. Who do you want to look after my children if teachers went on strike?

Do you not have a plan for them being told to self isolate? Because you really, really should...

Piggyinblankets · 23/12/2020 18:29

I think supermarket staff aren't unionised enough. But if they went on strike , I would assume there were serious enough issues for them to vote to strike and support them.

Yes, if NHS voted to strike I would fully support them, as I supported the junior doctors when they did.

GleamingBaubles · 23/12/2020 18:29

Oh yes I supported the junior doctors as well

ChloeDeckTheHalls · 23/12/2020 18:29

When schools / classes/ year groups close for self isolation due to infection, there is no keyworker provision - and some children have had to isolate 5-6 times this term. So please campaign for safety measures in schools that keep teachers and students safe and well.

Exactly this cant It needs to be said more. In addition, children self isolating cannot even leave their homes for daily exercise and for those without gardens that is horrific.
My DD spent a month last half term self isolating and that’s even more barbaric not being able to leave the home physically for that length of time, than other alternatives.

MrsMomoa · 23/12/2020 18:29

I'm a teacher.

I'm stressed at the thought of moving to online learning.
Keep the schools open.
Not all teachers and pupils are dropping like flies!

Shadowboy · 23/12/2020 18:30

@MaskingForIt in our school union membership is 43% - I only know because my closest friend at work is the union rep. Apparently most part timers and new staff don’t join.

SansaSnark · 23/12/2020 18:30

[quote mumsneedwine]@SansaSnark why don't they listen ? Rotas mean social distancing is possible.
Keep staff safe, schools stay open. As was seen in Hull, staff get sick, schools close, nurses can't work.
I will never criticise anyone in the nhs (my DD is one of their number). I too made PPE (thank you Noah). [/quote]
I honestly think rotas would be the best of both worlds, with the most vulnerable kids in full time (I'm secondary, so I don't realllyyyy think we need a childcare function with a few exceptions, who I would class as vulnerable).

Surely a planned rota is better for everyone than drop of the hat self isolation and school closures?

happystone · 23/12/2020 18:30

Hearwego. Who looks after them if they have to stay off for 2 weeks

SansaSnark · 23/12/2020 18:31

@ChloeDeckTheHalls

When schools / classes/ year groups close for self isolation due to infection, there is no keyworker provision - and some children have had to isolate 5-6 times this term. So please campaign for safety measures in schools that keep teachers and students safe and well.

Exactly this cant It needs to be said more. In addition, children self isolating cannot even leave their homes for daily exercise and for those without gardens that is horrific.
My DD spent a month last half term self isolating and that’s even more barbaric not being able to leave the home physically for that length of time, than other alternatives.

The prospect of this is really terrifying for some children.

Their mental health would be much better served by a system that minimised this.

BethlehemIsInTier1 · 23/12/2020 18:31

@WhenSheWasBad

Nope. I will not be striking and look forward to returning to school

Are you not slightly nervous about the virus? If not for yourself then for people you love and the relatives of the children you teach.

I’m very worried about the new variant from South Africa. I teach a number of clinically vulnerable kids, I dread to think what will happen if they catch it.

The clinically vulnerable children should be shielding as stated in the reopening of schools policy.