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Original poster

Schiol parents- Please keep your children at home if you suspect covid!

182 replies

TeenyQueen · 15/01/2022 21:41

Rant-
I'm a pregnant SEN teacher and I've just tested positive for covid, after spending the week in a small classroom with 3 children that tested positive on Thursday. Another child was sent to school, on a shared transport bus, even though the mum and a sibling both had covid. Another child was sent to school with symptoms and both the child and mum have now tested positive.

My class has two teachers, we've both tested positive today. Fortunately we're all double vaccinated and boosted, but I'm heavily pregnant and asthmatic and currently feeling very unwell.

I know for a fact that some parents send their children to school even when they display symptoms because keeping them at home is inconvenient. Well good luck sending them to school now because we will have no staff to teach them!

I also wish that parents were honest about testing their children. Many of mine have very challenging behaviours so I seriously doubt that they are being tested, even when the parents say they have done it.

I just hope that the baby and I will be ok. I also have to self isolate away from my DH and little toddler to protect them, which is breaking my heart 😢.

OP posts:
BeautifulTulips · 15/01/2022 22:33

Totally agree OP. And people are forgetting that in special schools there are highly vulnerable children too how have not yet been offered a vaccine. Yet parents still sending children in who are unwell ... so selfish not to consider their child's peers. I hope that you and your colleague recover soon

Rosebel · 15/01/2022 22:33

My husband has Covid but the children are still going to school and I am still going to work because that is the guidance. And because work won't pay me for being off. The rest of us have tested negative and we are on day five.
You can't blame parents for sending their children in just because the parent is il. You can obviously be bloody annoyed at the ones who send their obviously sick children. Don't the school just call the parents and tell them to pick their children up so exposure is limited?
I'm really sorry you caught Covid but the honest truth is you don't actually know it was from school. Covid is everywhere and you could have got it from anywhere.
I hope you aren't too ill with it and recover quickly.

BluebellsGreenbells · 15/01/2022 22:34

My dd had a headache, she is in year 11, I am not keeping her off with a headache.
School tested her, she was positive, I was gob smacked, she really wasn't ill

Why were you gin smacked? It’s widely reported headaches and stomach aches are common symptoms in children. And you work in a school you say?

Drunkpanda · 15/01/2022 22:39

@whowhywhenwhat

BUT the government has access to all the research. They have said continue to send them if they test negative. Rightly or wrongly.

However, who should we believe? Those running the country or someone on MN?

Is your last sentence meant to be a joke??
TrainspottingWelsh · 15/01/2022 22:41

@MissM2912 not necessarily, we aren't only discussing dc where both/ the only parent has covid. My own job isn't really compatible with working from home, but it's possible to find enough to do to cover covid. But even so it's not compatible with minding primary age dc.
Do you think a nmw call centre or similar is going to let a covid positive employee mind their child in work hours?
And outside your privileged bubble where everyone can afford time off work, plenty of people can't either work from home or afford to be ill, so they don't test if they can avoid it and put any symptoms down to something else. I acknowledge I have the luxury to avoid that dilemma, so I wouldn't dream of judging the millions of people that aren't as fortunate.

whowhywhenwhat · 15/01/2022 22:44

Is your last sentence meant to be a joke??
If you don't laugh you'll cry!

Covidclaire · 15/01/2022 22:45

The guidelines should definitely be changed

Why? There are plenty of examples on MN where only one or two people in a household of 4 or more have ever tested positive.

TheBigFish · 15/01/2022 22:46

DH had it 3 months ago. None of us caught it. 2xDC had it last month. I still didn't catch it. We followed the guidance and tested and those of us who were negative kept going out and I am glad. It's not a given you will catch it if it is in the house. We can't keep making healthy kids stay at home. It's nuts.

Also to pp saying good luck about testing negative on day 4 and 5 it is possible. BIL did. Rules then were day 6 and 7 so he stayed in but it's possible.

BluebellsGreenbells · 15/01/2022 22:49

We can't keep making healthy kids stay at home. It's nuts.

Well you’re wrong there. If all the parents tested there wouldn’t be Covid in schools for the teachers to catch would there? So clearly parents aren’t testing and sending the kids in anyway, with or without symptoms.

TheBigFish · 15/01/2022 22:52

@BluebellsGreenbells what?!?! Even if every parent tested and I don't blame those who don't as for young kids it's awful, it would still be in schools. You can test negative in the morning and be positive an hour later.

And do teachers never go anywhere else to catch it? It's everywhere.

MissM2912 · 15/01/2022 22:54

This omicron is a very different kettle of fish- it is much much more infectious.
And yes- we can keep kids at home for the greater good of the rest of the class and the teachers. Massive staff shortages are helping no one one.
Kids off if parents off and work sent home is a better option than kids in and infecting piles of other kids. You have to reduce the risk where possible to protect the majority.

HiJenny35 · 15/01/2022 22:54

One child has covid. The other has symptoms but testing negative. I have no choice child has to go in as they are negative. I've had to say she is ill in other ways as I'm not happy to send her in and risk other people but this will go down against her attendance. You can't blame people for following the rules, blame Boris.

Covidclaire · 15/01/2022 22:54

@BluebellsGreenbells

We can't keep making healthy kids stay at home. It's nuts.

Well you’re wrong there. If all the parents tested there wouldn’t be Covid in schools for the teachers to catch would there? So clearly parents aren’t testing and sending the kids in anyway, with or without symptoms.

But no one is being asked to test every day so of course cases are always going to get through.
HiJenny35 · 15/01/2022 22:57

Also don't t be dramatic, its not awful for young children. We have people in the vulnerable group around us so have tested every couple of days since the start, kids have been absolutely fine with it, it's parents making it dramatic that has wound kids up. The new ones don't even need the throat only the nose. Unless child has additional sensory needs they are more than capable of having it done.

SeeminglyOblivious · 15/01/2022 22:57

It's all very well saying 'keep the kids home if someone has covid'. But in our case there was covid in our house for 4 weeks - me, DH and 1 dc who all had it but overlapping dates.

Ds1 and 2 didn't catch it. Despite no social distancing, kissing on the lips and them sharing spoons with positive ds3 🤦🏻‍♀️

I'm very glad we didn't have to keep them both locked inside for a month.

MeredithGreyishblue · 15/01/2022 23:03

It sounds like you're finding it quite stressful. I think if I were pregnant I would too. But your situation unfortunately doesn't trump anyone else's when they're following guidelines.

No reason to think you'll be anything other than fine after a few days. Try not to overthink. Or isolate from your family. They've as much chance if catching it in shop at the moment.

TheBigFish · 15/01/2022 23:05

Thanks for the advice @HiJenny35 but I'm not being dramatic. I don't wind my kids up in anyway and am very practical and calm about the tests but they are YOUNG KIDS and find having a swab stuck up their nose distressing.

MeredithGreyishblue · 15/01/2022 23:07

@TheBigFish

Thanks for the advice *@HiJenny35* but I'm not being dramatic. I don't wind my kids up in anyway and am very practical and calm about the tests but they are YOUNG KIDS and find having a swab stuck up their nose distressing.
I find the more you do it, the less distressing it becomes. My ds2 has sensory issues (gip reflex!) and he's OK now. The less we tell him how awful its going to be and just do it - breathe out when I say go (swab the throat) , the better he is.
MamaTutu2 · 15/01/2022 23:09

@TeenyQueen if you’re heavily pregnant why are you not working from home? You really need to speak to your union rep.

HailAdrian · 15/01/2022 23:14

It is nigh on impossible to test a child with 'challenging behaviours' just so you know.

NothingIsWrong · 15/01/2022 23:24

@MissM2912

This omicron is a very different kettle of fish- it is much much more infectious. And yes- we can keep kids at home for the greater good of the rest of the class and the teachers. Massive staff shortages are helping no one one. Kids off if parents off and work sent home is a better option than kids in and infecting piles of other kids. You have to reduce the risk where possible to protect the majority.
For the greater good is a really sinister phrase. If you think the guidelines are wrong then lobby your MP to get them changed. Don't shout at those of us following them.

I'm testing mine twice a week, testing myself as well. I'd keep them off for symptoms. But like it or not, I have to earn money and I can't afford the fines for keeping 3 kids at home when they are asymptomatic and testing negative.

MissM2912 · 15/01/2022 23:42

How exactly is it a sinister phrase to say keep one child off for the greater good of the rest of the children in the class?

I don’t want to say to much (i am not a teacher) but I have first hand experience of this very issue and believe me it is a nightmare having a child in who has parents are positive but send in anyway.

EveryFlightBeginsWithAFall · 16/01/2022 00:00

3 of us caught it at different times and I've just had it again so no, I don't think they should have to miss 4 weeks of school if they don't have it themselves. Then you add on the days where you've tested them because of a cough , my 8 year old was off for 5 days waiting for his negative result to come thorough so that would be over 5 weeks missed for him since June and he's never even had covid

Of course if they are a close contact or have symptoms they should be tested

NothingIsWrong · 16/01/2022 00:31

Those parents sending their child in were doing what the government says is for the greater good. Keeping children in school where at all possible.

Just because your "greater good" is different from theirs, doesn't make either point of view right.

The impact of lost learning on children sent home for possibly weeks is significant. You casually toss out "the greater good" like there is some definite route that is the best one. All mitigations and NPI's have advantages and disadvantages, and there is no one line in the sand.

I am a school governor and it is heartbreaking to see what children have lost, some of which will never be caught up.

TempNameChangexx · 16/01/2022 00:38

Personally I think people should ignore the "guidance" which has always been a bit inconsistent and contradictory and apply some common sense.
My son currently has Covid - the "guidance" says I don' t have to isolate as I'm triple jabbed, however I am as I think it's the sensible thing to do to ensure I don't spread it to anyone else....

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