To think schools just won’t be able to stay open in the medium term

[Schoolgrand]

In the medium term we are having thousands of people mixing from different households at a time of high community transmission and now we are hearing reports of an October lockdown. Aibu to think schools in their current form with no mitigation’s just can’t stay open in the medium term.

We can’t keep doing this to our children, or our adults… I am heartily fed up of the ‘suck it up’ brigade. There does come a time when there are no reserves left to suck it up

Yet you expect school staff to just suck it up? Get sick and keep teaching in their classrooms.

[quote mumsneedwine]@Peteycat so if I have no symptoms you're happy for me to teach your child even though I've had a positive test ?[/quote]
Personally I wouldn't be that bothered about you teaching mine. They're exceptionally low risk and they're going to get it, quite possibly more than once.

I'm in support of teachers being able to take time off if they have covid, but that's more for their welfare. And because I think come in if you're positive but asymptomatic would soon enough turn into come with covid even when you're ill.

@HipTightOnions

It’s still not zero disruption even if people think nothing of it. Some children will have Covid in school yes as often it’s asymptomatic First round will catch some but LFT will drop and primary don’t do them

All true, but I’m missing your point, I think.

Do you think that with no testing, isolation of contacts, masks, distancing, “bubbles”, vaccination (of older children) or extra ventilation, there will be minimal disruption, or will this lead to more disruption (because of illness) and force (some) schools to close?

Less because if LFT pick up a large amount of asymptomatic cases staggered isolations will impact if catch up is needed each time. That will be very disruptive

(Also private sector probably can streamline students in and out by now but it’s harder for state. And a more discrepancy wouldn’t be good.)

On illness that depends if staff still use LFT, many will teach / go to school and not know when positive. Vaccination helps to lower symptoms so more will be unaware if LFT dropped

But if staff do feel ill and stay home then that depends how many off closes a school. One of two v higher etc

I did do initial test btw at the school but I think this number will change over time

I'm in support of teachers being able to take time off if they have covid

I couldn't work for nearly 4 weeks with it. I'm grateful that myself and my colleagues will be allowed that time off.

Jesus wept.

Why is Jesus weeping in response to a post supporting the ongoing right of teachers to have time off if they test positive for covid?

Ok Marsha, so your preference is to let it spread with no mitigation and (to answer the OP’s) question you think that the number of staff and/or children getting sick will not be enough to cause significant disruption.

That seems to be the plan, so let’s hope you’re right.

@Peteycat

It spreads everywhere. What do you want, to shut everywhere again? Not gonna work or happen. What this poster is saying is that it's not just schools, so stop demonising the children. It's really dangerous to keep blaming a generation of children you know. There could be implications in the future. I don't know what some of you want honestly.

No-one is demonising children, or blaming them. Covid is to blame. That simply is the nature of a pandemic. You have to wait it out.

Why is Jesus weeping in response to a post supporting the ongoing right of teachers to have time off if they test positive for covid?

Are you serious? We shouldn't even have to be discussing 'ongoing right of teachers to have time off' when they are ill, covid or not.

@HipTightOnions

Ok Marsha, so your preference is to let it spread with no mitigation and (to answer the OP’s) question you think that the number of staff and/or children getting sick will not be enough to cause significant disruption.

That seems to be the plan, so let’s hope you’re right.

I think there still will be people who test. Not sure of proportion though.

But people may choose what leads to lower disruption - whether that be more or less testing

I honestly don't see how it's sustainable. Schools been back 4 days and already my class (teacher) has had two children merrily sat there with their parents at home Covid positive. Had an email this morning to say actually one of the children IS positive. They stay home now and we carry on as normal.

@Getawaywithit

Why is Jesus weeping in response to a post supporting the ongoing right of teachers to have time off if they test positive for covid?

Are you serious? We shouldn't even have to be discussing 'ongoing right of teachers to have time off' when they are ill, covid or not.

Do take that up with the teacher who asked about parental feelings on teaching kids when positive but asymptomatic, then. Rather than the person who wants asymptomatic teachers to be able to stay off, because of worries it would be a slippery slope to teachers who are ill with covid being expected in.

No this has to stop. We have to learn to live with this now, for good. The long term effects of all these lockdowns is much more terrifying than Covid ever was.
Covid is never going away. There's no alternative to having to live alongside it and accept it.

[quote toots111]Plus also this: www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2021/sep/08/parental-burnout-how-juggling-kids-and-work-in-a-global-pandemic-brought-us-to-the-brink?CMP=Share_iOSApp_Other[/quote]
This is the life of a full time Carer and it only becomes news when the same thing happens to "normal" children and families. What a world we are in huh?

The other thing is that the only time staff shortage closed our medium big London school was March 2020. No vaccines or immunity then, delta is more transmissible but high antibodies should help.

@Getawaywithit

We can’t keep doing this to our children, or our adults… I am heartily fed up of the ‘suck it up’ brigade. There does come a time when there are no reserves left to suck it up

Yet you expect school staff to just suck it up? Get sick and keep teaching in their classrooms.

What you mean like the vast majority of the population have been doing all along? We haven’t all been able to sit at home have we?

I don’t agree with the new isolation (or lack of) rules as I think that’s a recipe for disaster. If there’s a confirmed case of Covid in a household it seems like madness that the rest of the family can do what they please… but that doesn’t just effect schools. It effects everyone.

I don’t agree with closing schools again. That doesn’t mean that I agree with all the new rules.

I’m not saying teachers should have to suck it up. If teachers aren’t happy then perhaps they should do something about it?

As in I fear that, that’s the only way the Government will actually listen to teachers. The Gov obviously doesn’t really care about anyone at the moment…

So perhaps we should all do something about it… but I’m at a loss as to what.

If it gives anyone comfort, I’m in Scotland and in all honestly our local school is completely rife! They’ve managed through this whole things with a handful of cases, now there’s half of classes out at a time. They’re muddling through though with head teachers taking classes, TA’s are massively helping, some supply teachers at times and combining the leftover kids where it’s safe to do so.

Almost all the kids who are positive are asymptomatic. My DCs haven’t shown any symptoms and we’ve done a few LTFs when classmates are positive but they've not had much disruption other than a constant change of teaching staff!

@Peteycat

They have Covid. Would it be better if they were in school?

Do they have it though, are they unwell? Or have they been tested via an unreliable piece of equipment? I know I won't be popular with everyone, but if they are displaying no symptoms then yes they should be in school.

Fucking hell no wonder we are in the situation we are in with this type of attitude

What you mean like the vast majority of the population have been doing all along? We haven’t all been able to sit at home have we?

Sigh. Someone else hard of understanding. We never closed. Never sat at home. Taught simultaneously online and in school during both lockdowns. Thanks.

And no one else is being expected to work with an almost 100% unvaccinated cohort with absolultely no mitigations other than teachers.

As others have said it was pointless last time. I had to drop a few things at school during the last lockdown and over half the classes were there.

It was truly pointless. Nearly 70% of our school were in. Loads of the ones at home were just passed around family members for care (mainly grandparents) because their parents had to work.
I’m a governor at our school. We asked parents to continue to report cases in their children while they were at home from Jan- March this year. We had more cases amongst those at home than those in school (and I imagine not all the parents at home reported).

@Getawaywithit

What you mean like the vast majority of the population have been doing all along? We haven’t all been able to sit at home have we?

Sigh. Someone else hard of understanding. We never closed. Never sat at home. Taught simultaneously online and in school during both lockdowns. Thanks.

Oh for goodness sake… I didn’t say you had been sitting at home either. I’d just like you to recognise that it’s not JUST teachers who are at risk. It’s no JUST teachers that were going to work and working face to face.

I also like how out of the whole of my first post it was literally that you picked out. Nothing to say about the mental health impact of repeated lockdowns on your students? Or doesn’t that matter?

@Getawaywithit

And no one else is being expected to work with an almost 100% unvaccinated cohort with absolultely no mitigations other than teachers.

Rubbish. This is why teachers are loosing sympathy with the public. The constant victim mentality. It is NOT just you who are at risk. It is not just you who have struggled.

Look I understand that some people are scared. Unfortunately, the wider picture is that we have to get on with life now. It's sad, I don't want people suffering with covid, but we have had nearly two years now of this and our mitigations and lockdowns are prolonging different suffering in different ways.

The children are suffering immensely. Socially, academic studies, clubs etc. Don't even get me started with children who suffer from abuse etc. They were let down during lockdown. Any of you who tell me differently, I will let you know that I know from many organisations and social workers that they most definitely were. When you rant at me and say I'm wrong etc, well I think you are wrong for testing children unnecessarily, and for neglecting to even think about other needs of children other than your and teachers protection from covid. Lots of people work through the pandemic, bin men, supermarkets etc. However teachers seem to have been put on this pedestal. We're all working, being exposed but most rational people accept the possibility of catching covid.

I also have vulnerable members of my family who are willing to live a normal life, enjoying life rather than just existing.

Lockdowns, masks and perpetual testing are detrimental to the wellbeing of humans. Being angry, sad upset, frustrated and depressed because you are locked away has massive implications on the immune system. We know that being happy boosts our immune system.