To think this class should be closed?

[Jenster03]

I'm a part time primary teacher and in the space of two weeks, 14 children have tested positive out of 30 in my class.
We've had 2 or 3 return in that time, but more and more are testing positive. Now my teaching assistant has it.
AIBU to think we should be sending the class home and remote learning? How would you feel if you were a parent of a child in my class?
Oh, and I'm pretty anxious about my level of exposure too!

[quote boomwhacker]@Badunkadunk I'm delighted thar teachers are safe from Covid. I'm 49 and, if I'm honest, a bit overweight. In normal society I'm probably considered at a bit of risk (certainly enough to get my vaccines earlier than some). It's great to hear that my teaching certificate will protect me from the worst of the symptoms. Maybe we should be pursuing teacher training rather than booster vaccines- since that's the best way to ensure protection. In a world where rates amongst secondary school kids are the highest in any age bracket, and I spend much of my time in the middle of crowds of them, I am delighted that I am at far less risk than if I go in a shop, or on a bus or any of the other places where masks are encouraged. I shall wave my QTS certificate in the air and go forth with confidence. [/quote]
I have a MA in specialist primary maths alongside my PGCE. I presume that gives me a little more immunity than you!!

50,000 new covid cases every day and over 1000 people now dying from it every week.

6 million people on the waiting list, at least 100,000 NHS staff short and thousands more needed in the care sector. People unable to be discharged from hospital due to the shortage of care staff. ICU patients in turn unable to be discharged back to a ward due to unavailability of beds, so taking up precious (and too few) intensive care beds unnecessarily. Patients unable to be admitted to hospital via A&E due to the lack of beds. Ambulances in turn, only able to answer a fraction of the calls they are supposed to as they wait for hours with their seriously ill patients outside Accident & Emergency departments which are completely full. People waiting hours for an emergency ambulance which is stuck outside an A& E department, risking their condition deteriorating seriously the longer they wait.
The lowest healthcare provision per head of population in the developed world and a Health Secretary who seems to think it’s ok to do absolutely nothing about any of this.
This is what living with it looks like here. It’s not what it looks like in other countries and I am unable to comprehend why anyone thinks this is acceptable.

@Awalkintime oh you'll be fine (so long as you stay in school mind you- that's where the protective walls are). I have a masters but not in education so it's useless as a Covid defence...

The lack of care beds will be hurting the NHS.

Routine and treatment to reduce the backlog will be impacted daily with the continuing admitting of seriously ill Covid patients to high dependency and ICU.

[quote boomwhacker]@Awalkintime oh you'll be fine (so long as you stay in school mind you- that's where the protective walls are). I have a masters but not in education so it's useless as a Covid defence...[/quote]
Ahh this is where I've failed then, currently isolating and ill with covid I must've forgotten to sleep in the book corner for protection! How stupid of me!! I'll know next time how to keep protected, thank you

@Awalkintime At least you can be sure that you didn't catch it in school as that's impossible. However high the rates go amongst school kids, teachers won't catch it from them. Repeat after me: "there is no risk here. I am perfectly fine".

@Awalkintime

gingercatsparky But in sending them home they can continue their education with home learning. If they keep them in and the staff get it, they get sent home as there is no supervision and then no online learning as the staff will be sick.

Surely moving to remote education allows that education to continue and is better than all the class having no education for however long the teacher is ill for.

Or do you think it is better to keep a class in and then let them all have 10 days + with no input at all?

That's assuming the staff members are all going to get it which isn't certain. So no, they shouldn't be sent home just in case they might run out of staff. If they do and have no other choice, ok. But I disagree with this concept of sending kids home and closing schools because of what might happen, when it also might not.

You are assuming they get the same level of education at home as they do in school too and you are assuming these children are going home to parents able and willing to home school, have the resources and means to do so in a safe, warm and loving environment. Unfortunately this isn't the case.

So we sent home children to protect vulnerable adults but offer 0 protection to vulnerable children. Nice.

gingercatsparky
When you're working with 4 year olds coughing and sneezing in your face most of the day I'd say it is highly likely but then again maybe not given teachers magical powers to keep safe.

Can you point out where I assumed that all kids are safe and well looked after at home and have the same access please?

Also please point out where I said that we are not bothered about vulnerable kids?

Next time I post I will complete War and Peace and include all of my views about every eventuality in school so then that covers it all. That way you can't make assumptions about things because I didn't include it in my post - is that better?

You didn't include staff going home to a safe house - do you know about abused adults?

You mustn't care because you didn't include it in your post. Nice!

These pesky teachers who never think of the vulnerable children. Unlike all the posters who think about them now but never gave them a thought or posted about them before COVID existed.

@Awalkintime

gingercatsparky When you're working with 4 year olds coughing and sneezing in your face most of the day I'd say it is highly likely but then again maybe not given teachers magical powers to keep safe.

Can you point out where I assumed that all kids are safe and well looked after at home and have the same access please?

Also please point out where I said that we are not bothered about vulnerable kids?

Next time I post I will complete War and Peace and include all of my views about every eventuality in school so then that covers it all. That way you can't make assumptions about things because I didn't include it in my post - is that better?

You didn't put you want teachers protected which is fair enough but not at the detriment of looking after vulnerable children.

My dcs had covid and were coughing all over us and we shared a bed and we didn't catch it. I actually visit schools as my job so have contact with children coughing all over me and so know what it's like. I didn't catch it then either so the two don't automatically go together.

Did put not didn't.

@Jenster03

I'm a part time primary teacher and in the space of two weeks, 14 children have tested positive out of 30 in my class. We've had 2 or 3 return in that time, but more and more are testing positive. Now my teaching assistant has it. AIBU to think we should be sending the class home and remote learning? How would you feel if you were a parent of a child in my class? Oh, and I'm pretty anxious about my level of exposure too!

This is happening up and down the country. In my Dd's school when a class had 5 cases they made it into a bubble and kept it separate from the rest of the school. This was pointless as parents still sent their DD's to Brownies to pass on the virus to others.

@toomuchlaundry

These pesky teachers who never think of the vulnerable children. Unlike all the posters who think about them now but never gave them a thought or posted about them before COVID existed.

Well that's not me, I am an ex teacher and work in schools so not the case. I have always cared about vulnerable children having worked in schools in very deprived areas.

Sorry that doesn't fit your narrative about how unknowing I am and how selfish and nasty and uncaring we all are. I would like teachers protected but sending kids home is not the answer.

Molly- this happened in my dcs school in both classes and I was absolutely fine as a parent of a child in that class to keep sending them in. I emailed the school about putting more mitigations in place which they did eventually. All the other parents in the year continued to send them in too, nobody took their child out.

Again did I say it was a given I said highly likely. When there are multiple cases in your class then there is a very good chance you will get it. No cases in class then it is very unlikely. You know how probability works surely?

Well that's not me, I am an ex teacher and work in schools so not the case. I have always cared about vulnerable children having worked in schools in very deprived areas. Sorry that doesn't fit your narrative about how unknowing I am and how selfish and nasty and uncaring we all are. I would like teachers protected but sending kids home is not the answer.

As a DSL I'm sorry I don't fit your narrative about how unknowing I am as a teacher who has no idea about child abuse and vulnerability like you state.

I am a teacher and I am fully vaccinated, I got Covid and I was very unwell. Many of my students are unwell, I think vaccinating young people has taken too long when we were expected to be in the classroom teaching as normal. I am disappointed for my teenagers who have also caught Covid and had to suffer. So I think you have every right to think that your class should have been closed and directed learning provided. I just don't know how society will cope however as then families need someone at home. It is all very horrible.

@ClaudiasWinkleMan

50,000 new covid cases every day and over 1000 people now dying from it every week. 6 million people on the waiting list, at least 100,000 NHS staff short and thousands more needed in the care sector. People unable to be discharged from hospital due to the shortage of care staff. ICU patients in turn unable to be discharged back to a ward due to unavailability of beds, so taking up precious (and too few) intensive care beds unnecessarily. Patients unable to be admitted to hospital via A&E due to the lack of beds. Ambulances in turn, only able to answer a fraction of the calls they are supposed to as they wait for hours with their seriously ill patients outside Accident & Emergency departments which are completely full. People waiting hours for an emergency ambulance which is stuck outside an A& E department, risking their condition deteriorating seriously the longer they wait. The lowest healthcare provision per head of population in the developed world and a Health Secretary who seems to think it’s ok to do absolutely nothing about any of this. This is what living with it looks like here. It’s not what it looks like in other countries and I am unable to comprehend why anyone thinks this is acceptable.

Yes! I think the planning ahead for this by government and awarding bodies in education has been poor.

my daughter teaches a very challenging year 5 class in a deprived area the t.a and other teachers are off sick with covid and the like she is left in charge of this class with bo other adults in the class. This is her first year of teaching she is a newly qualified teacher and is 24 years old some are almost as tall as she is I fear an accident waiting to happen many are not taking the test and those that are taking a lateral flow test are sending them in regardless whilst waiting for the walk in tests

@Poopoopoo

I am a teacher and I am fully vaccinated, I got Covid and I was very unwell. Many of my students are unwell, I think vaccinating young people has taken too long when we were expected to be in the classroom teaching as normal. I am disappointed for my teenagers who have also caught Covid and had to suffer. So I think you have every right to think that your class should have been closed and directed learning provided. I just don't know how society will cope however as then families need someone at home. It is all very horrible.

Hasn't the vaccination of children been slow because people haven't been taking them up on it? Says a lot about people's opinions.

@Awalkintime

Well that's not me, I am an ex teacher and work in schools so not the case. I have always cared about vulnerable children having worked in schools in very deprived areas. Sorry that doesn't fit your narrative about how unknowing I am and how selfish and nasty and uncaring we all are. I would like teachers protected but sending kids home is not the answer.

As a DSL I'm sorry I don't fit your narrative about how unknowing I am as a teacher who has no idea about child abuse and vulnerability like you state.

Defensive much. I didn't say you didn't know about it. I was wondering why an vulnerable adult trumps the needs of children and in particular vulnerable children.

@gingercatsparky

Have you worked in schools during the last two years? My school haven't had any visitors other than regular staff.

@Awalkintime

Again did I say it was a given I said highly likely. When there are multiple cases in your class then there is a very good chance you will get it. No cases in class then it is very unlikely. You know how probability works surely?

Yes, I understand that so I don't think that probability means children should be taken out of school because of it.