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!

I'd be fully supportive of you closing the class. We had similar levels in DD's year and spoke to the HT about it.
The HT wanted to close the class but felt her hands were tied by government advice and parents who think they can get herd immunity if their DCs get infected despite there being no research to support that position and who don't give a stuff about families with vulnerable members who can't be vaccinated.
The fallacy that 50% of a class being off with Covid doesn't disrupt education is so nonsensical, I don't know where to start. In our school, everyone's education has been impacted much more by DCs getting Covid and others having to get PCRs than it was by the lockdowns.
It's also wreaking havoc on the DCs' MH so the people who pretend this is about protecting DCs' MH obviously haven't spoken to any DCs or HTs or anyone involved with DCs' MH.
However since there are rumblings about another lockdown expect to be inundated with UsForThem-ers pretending they represent parents when their numbers prove they very much don't.

We had 3/4 of my ds class off with COVID at one point and they didn't send the class home. I was perfectly happy sending my son in but knew it was a matter of when not if he was going to catch COVID. However, some of the kids didn't catch it. I didn't want him to take any more time off school than he needed- we did end up home schooling for a week. When would you let them come back anyway? If that many of them are getting it if you did 10 days after the last one got it they could be off for weeks. They have missed enough school as it is.

Exactly. That'why we cant close schools. Yet that poster blames the school for covid and seems to think it should have closed. So find. If she is happy to have her kids at home and do the teaching herself, then she could. No one is stopping parents who want their kids at home from doing just that and homeschooling them.

No, that isn't the case. There is a massive and very obvious difference between homeschooling for a week or so because your child's class has closed and saying that parents must homeschool permanently if they need to minimise the risk of covid. What is stopping parents from keeping their children at home long term is, self-evidently, economic imperatives. Losing your pay for a week is just not comparable.

I look at threads like this.... threads where facts are wheeled out to justify positions, with little or no reflection or understanding. Like the New Zealand example used to show that “they got it wrong too”, when as mentioned above they have minimal deaths and impact of Covid compared to UK. And I think.... are the posters really this hard of thinking or do they know exactly what they are doing and just going for obfuscation as an argumentative ploy?! Genuinely don’t know the answer.

There is stupidity and there is pretending stupidity in order to get what you want. Either way - the virus doesn’t listen and doesn’t care. At the rate the UK is going, you are looking at social chaos in a few months (I’d say January).

@gingercatsparky

We had 3/4 of my ds class off with COVID at one point and they didn't send the class home. I was perfectly happy sending my son in but knew it was a matter of when not if he was going to catch COVID. However, some of the kids didn't catch it. I didn't want him to take any more time off school than he needed- we did end up home schooling for a week. When would you let them come back anyway? If that many of them are getting it if you did 10 days after the last one got it they could be off for weeks. They have missed enough school as it is.

Ya.... it’s about education. Suuuuuure. You are sending your kid into a Petri dish. Playing Russian roulette with long Covid. Because you want to make sure he doesn’t miss out on two weeks of abc s or algebra. Suuuuure!

@ElizaDarcysDeeds

I'd be fully supportive of you closing the class. We had similar levels in DD's year and spoke to the HT about it. The HT wanted to close the class but felt her hands were tied by government advice and parents who think they can get herd immunity if their DCs get infected despite there being no research to support that position and who don't give a stuff about families with vulnerable members who can't be vaccinated. The fallacy that 50% of a class being off with Covid doesn't disrupt education is so nonsensical, I don't know where to start. In our school, everyone's education has been impacted much more by DCs getting Covid and others having to get PCRs than it was by the lockdowns. It's also wreaking havoc on the DCs' MH so the people who pretend this is about protecting DCs' MH obviously haven't spoken to any DCs or HTs or anyone involved with DCs' MH. However since there are rumblings about another lockdown expect to be inundated with UsForThem-ers pretending they represent parents when their numbers prove they very much don't.

I care about families with vulnerable people in them, I am one. But we can't continue to shut down for those minority every time there is a break out. We have done this, we now need to look after the majority.

When my dcs had it we simple stayed away from the vulnerable person for 10 days. Not too complicated really. Although I appreciate some people can't. But 30 dcs education and 30 families can't continuously be disrupted for a what if for a few vulnerable people who are extremely unlikely to have lasting effects once double jabbed.

It’s tricky getting the right balance, lessening exposure to teachers but also preventing further disruption to children’s education. There is 50 students off in my sons year (secondary school). Two students who travelled on the bus yesterday have tested positive too and he said many of the students have coughs who are at school. I really don’t know what the right answer is but there’s also factoring in parents being able to take more time off work to home school for the remainder of the school term, although not many days I know. My sons school year are already behind on GCSE prep and the teachers are having to play catch up from the previous year. My son is wearing a mask to school again now, even though it’s not required and he has hand sanitiser to use throughout the day.

You can't continue to close classes or school's for healthy children

Unfortunately this is it now, Covid is not going away

Speaking as someone who is recovering from Covid along with DH -we caught from dd who got it at school

I do think all school staff should be entitled to the booster jab though

Yep for me it is about education mostly. My dcs have had to home school 4 times since this began. I was worried about dcs mental health during the second lockdown and my own. Dd is now behind in her school work and need to catch up. I am worried about the level of work they have missed.

It's also my MH too. I was trying to juggle multiple things during lockdown and survive on little sleep doing it. I am now behind in my studies which means evenings and weekends working and possibly not getting into a job at the time expected. My marriage was in trouble as a result of the stress I was under during that time. DH has his own business and was stressed about work and bringing new business in to pay our bills and the bills of 30 other people.

You need to have a think about other peoples situations before you claim it's so easy for classes to be sent home and how it's only about education. Not everyone is a SAHM or has a flexible job where they can fit it around home schooling. Not everyone has paid furlong or continued to be paid during lockdown. I have my own business too and if I don't work I don't get paid. I instantly lost my income. So no- sorry, I don't agree with classes being sent home on the tiny possibility of long COVID or the tiny minority who have a vulnerable person in their family.

I think YANBU, OP. Although the droves of maskless coughers not covering their mouths when they do it wandering about shops and most other places makes me think we're all going to get it anyway. Unfortunately we got it a long time ago, but I do what I can to avoid getting it again.

If your class had lots of Covid cases then their education was disrupted. It was disrupted for the DCs who were at home. It was disrupted when they came back into class and had to catch up. There was no continuity. The only difference keeping them in school made was that the Government can pretend everything is fine and parents could both go to work. Well, until the parents also caught Covid.
It shouldn't be an afterthought that some families can't stay away from vulnerable members.
Also your comment about vulnerable people who are unlikely to have lasting effects once double jabbed is factually inaccurate. There are vulnerable people who can't get jabbed. And there are people who are double jabbed who have been left with lasting effects. I know these facts are inconvenient. That doesn't change them.
And the impact on DCs of seeing their friends ill; of hearing about their friends' parents also falling ill; of worrying that they're going to pass it on to vulnerable family members, etc - is devastating. This current approach is having a much bigger impact on DCs' MH than lockdowns had.

that was to @gingercatsparky

Ps- you play Russian roulette every time you leave the house, every time you get in a car or cross a road. You are more likely to get hit by a car than you are to get long COVID. Yet everyone still takes their children to school as that what it is so tiny. I will take my changes yes with long COVID as I won't put my life on hold for a very tiny, tiny chance.

Well - I'm pretty relaxed about Covid. I also work in a school.

This sounds mad though OP. Just for a minute imagine if it was some other illness - I suppose you'd carry on until it worked it's way out of the class' system ...

In the long run it will give the kids in the class (possibly life long) immunity.

But obviously the teachers and other staff are are great risk with heavy amounts of virus around them. That's the bit that needs to be considered.

My dc has been really struggling in school because of all the changes they need structure and routine. Closing down every time their is a few cases is not the answer.
Positive side most of the children in your class have now had it and are unlikely to get it again atleast for a few months so less disruption.

@ElizaDarcysDeeds

If your class had lots of Covid cases then their education was disrupted. It was disrupted for the DCs who were at home. It was disrupted when they came back into class and had to catch up. There was no continuity. The only difference keeping them in school made was that the Government can pretend everything is fine and parents could both go to work. Well, until the parents also caught Covid. It shouldn't be an afterthought that some families can't stay away from vulnerable members. Also your comment about vulnerable people who are unlikely to have lasting effects once double jabbed is factually inaccurate. There are vulnerable people who can't get jabbed. And there are people who are double jabbed who have been left with lasting effects. I know these facts are inconvenient. That doesn't change them. And the impact on DCs of seeing their friends ill; of hearing about their friends' parents also falling ill; of worrying that they're going to pass it on to vulnerable family members, etc - is devastating. This current approach is having a much bigger impact on DCs' MH than lockdowns had.

No- they missed a weeks schooling when they caught it. Under the old guidelines they would have been sent home countless times as so many children got it over a monthly period. So 10 days after each child got it. That could have been 6 weeks missed. No thanks.

I understand about vulnerable people, I have two close family members who are in this position who I didn't see for months because of this. One died without me seeing them- not due to covid. BUT we can't shut down on the off chance for a few people anymore. I agree- if people are worried they can home schooling their own dcs and take the precautions they see fit. But others should not be forced to do so anymore.

I would still like to know when I will be getting the much heralded CO2 monitors we were promised before term began?

@gingercatsparky

Yep for me it is about education mostly. My dcs have had to home school 4 times since this began. I was worried about dcs mental health during the second lockdown and my own. Dd is now behind in her school work and need to catch up. I am worried about the level of work they have missed.

It's also my MH too. I was trying to juggle multiple things during lockdown and survive on little sleep doing it. I am now behind in my studies which means evenings and weekends working and possibly not getting into a job at the time expected. My marriage was in trouble as a result of the stress I was under during that time. DH has his own business and was stressed about work and bringing new business in to pay our bills and the bills of 30 other people.

You need to have a think about other peoples situations before you claim it's so easy for classes to be sent home and how it's only about education. Not everyone is a SAHM or has a flexible job where they can fit it around home schooling. Not everyone has paid furlong or continued to be paid during lockdown. I have my own business too and if I don't work I don't get paid. I instantly lost my income. So no- sorry, I don't agree with classes being sent home on the tiny possibility of long COVID or the tiny minority who have a vulnerable person in their family.

At least you are being honest. I get it’s hard. I lost my job because of similar issues. But it isn’t a tiny chance of long Covid. Looks to be about 7 percent of chn that get Covid get long Covid. And it isn’t only the “vulnerable person in the family”. Allowing Covid to rip through schools like this facilitates increased community spread. Let it rip affects way more people than the immediate family. And it isn’t just people who have decided to not vacc. Here 33 percent of people in hospital are double vacc’ed.

You have the choice to do as you are doing. The UK gov is facilitating that choice. But that doesn’t mean it is the morally right thing to do. Keeping a child home in this context may be hard. It may result in the loss of a job. Again, that doesn’t mean it isn’t the right thing to do.

Pushing incorrect facts (tiny chance long Covid) etc. Or even using facts in a distorted way (New Zealand) is disingenuous. If you are happy doing the morally wrong thing and affecting others (including your own children) because of potential learning loss or impact on your career or mental health, then unfortunately you have the right to do so.

@Covidsucks so basically, you changed your mind once it happened to you.
Your username is right, it does suck. 18 months in and I still have a leg that doesn't function properly, and even worse lungs than I had before.
Teachers were made to feel bad during lockdown, so I'll suspend my sympathy for people moaning about actually looking after their own kids.
I hope you have a speedier recovery than I am having.

It's far from an ideal scenario but if you close the class now are you going to close it again next time someone is ill? And again after that?
It's a worrying state of affairs but given the government's total inaction the best we can hope for is that we all the children get it and get it out of the way asap. At least adults have some protection through vaccination.

We are going to have to agree to disagree. I don't think it's the right thing to do anymore. That's not a fact I need to not face and my morals are very much in check thanks. We don't lock down for other illnesses such a flu which causes many deaths each year. The real fact is the welfare of the majority now needs to come before the welfare of the minority. Those minority now need to put into place their own protections how they see fit.

I don’t think there’s any right answer here. I was shielded throughout the period when it was recommended, I’ve had my three primary doses because I’m a very high risk case. But I work in schools with kids playing musical instruments blowing Covid particles merrily around me and have an as yet unvaccinated child.
I know that the risk is high for me, but I also know that my child and my students NEED to be back at school. And I also know that from a realistic point of view the needs of the many (students and child) outweigh the needs of the few (me). And we’re really not in a position where I can give up work!
So life goes on. Fingers crossed…

@BeardyButton

When you lost your job, how did you pay your bills?

It may result in the loss of a job. Again, that doesn’t mean it isn’t the right thing to do.

Then how do you provide food and a home for your children, if you lose your job?
What about single parents who only rely on one income?

@gingercatsparky

We are going to have to agree to disagree. I don't think it's the right thing to do anymore. That's not a fact I need to not face and my morals are very much in check thanks. We don't lock down for other illnesses such a flu which causes many deaths each year. The real fact is the welfare of the majority now needs to come before the welfare of the minority. Those minority now need to put into place their own protections how they see fit.

But what about if the ‘minority’ can’t out in place their protections @gingercatsparky? See my above comment re CO2 monitors. The Government said they would help to protect school communities by providing these when all other mitigations were dropped. I know of not one school who has received them.

*put