To ask regarding COVID - what does 'we just have to live with it' look like in real life?

[Fay2121]

I keep hearing the phrase.

What is the reality of 'we just have to live with it'.

@TheKeatingFive

If you don't understand this then that is a sad state of affairs. I think its a bit sad when a parent says they don't care about lobbying for their own kids education.

But my own kids education is fine. I'm perfectly happy with it.

As for the sector as a whole, I have limited knowledge, but as a starting point I'd probably be more concerned with nursing staff, delivery drivers, people working in food production plants. And even at that, beyond signing petitions about zero hours contracts, I'm not sure what, with my limited experience and understanding of these issues, I'm supposed to be doing.

You're happy that your kids have had education services cut for years. Wow! It really isn't fine at all and wasn't before covid, you keep telling yourself that but your kids are not getting what they deserve, no kids are.

You are so correct in your limited knowledge, you got that right.

If your own kuds' education is fine (Kn the face of it), great.

But other people's kids struggling on a massive scale means a huge strain on their teachers. Less time available for your children. Stretched social services. More problems with disengagement and unemployment in the long term. More petty crime. Etc

Blimey. Yet again a thread that has been overtaken by the subject of teachers and the teaching profession. How does this keep happening?

It's like other people and other jobs don't even exist on Mumsnet.

It's like people don't believe what teachers are saying.

Education is a huge issue with covid.

You're happy that your kids have had education services cut for years.

Like most people, I only have my own personal experiences to go on and they've been good. There have been cuts everywhere, I'm a lot more concerned about the nhs and social care, if I'm totally honest.

It's like other people and other jobs don't even exist on Mumsnet

I know, right.

But other people's kids struggling on a massive scale means a huge strain on their teachers. Less time available for your children. Stretched social services. More problems with disengagement and unemployment in the long term. More petty crime. Etc

The average parent, trying to keep their own house in order and food on the table, is not in a position to take on all the social issues in our society. I'm terribly sorry to disappoint.

Well I work in a school and to us 'we just have to live with it' means closing classes due to staff illness. 4 members of staff tested positive on the same weekend and all 4 of us were too ill to work for the whole week. We tried to get relief staff but we're unable to and we had to move staff around to try and cover. We had to close 3 classes throughout the week. Hopefully future variants will become weaker and will affect people less.

At the moment living with it means so many people getting ill and unable to be at work that companies are disrupted (see flights), surgeries delayed (doctors ill) and services reduced again.

It means still over 1000 people dying every week

It means over 1 millions people ‘living’ with long covid and going up.

More importantly, it means NO measures to mitage any if that to be taken. I don’t even mean masks but basic measures to ensure good ventilation in building/classrooms etc…

It means we’ve given up trying to protect anyone who doesn’t have a strong enough immune system/the right genetics.

But it’s ok because people are bored…..

@TheKeatingFive

It's like other people and other jobs don't even exist on Mumsnet

I know, right.

What does living with covid look like?

Teachers: this is what it looks like, we are struggling and your kids are suffering.

Others: We don't care. You are not the only ones. We all have it tough.

Teachers:

@Invasionofthegutsnatchers

It's clear that you feel unappreciated and at the end of your tether. Thank you for your hard work and commitment to your pupils

But, really, if you are too unwell to work, you should stay at home. My DSis is a teacher. At her school, year groups are taking it in turns to stay at home, due to lack of teachers. Ideal? No, not at all. Accepted? Yes

And, if you are unwell, but come into school anyway, I wouldn't thank you for it, if you passed covid to one of my children

Far better to stay home and perhaps recover more quickly

Teachers: this is what it looks like

The point is that there are thousands of viewpoints here and yet a certain one seems to get far more airtime than any other on here. Which in fairness, I am feeding, so I'm going to stop now.

@TheKeatingFive

But other people's kids struggling on a massive scale means a huge strain on their teachers. Less time available for your children. Stretched social services. More problems with disengagement and unemployment in the long term. More petty crime. Etc

The average parent, trying to keep their own house in order and food on the table, is not in a position to take on all the social issues in our society. I'm terribly sorry to disappoint.

But that’s not the point.

Just like we ensured that we had clean water to eradicate cholera, we have the opportunity to clean the air to reduce covid transmission.
The average parent has nothing to do (maybe wear a mask? ).

But that sort of mitigating measures would make a huge difference, as proven in Japan for example.

Learning to live with covid doesn’t mean not doing anything at all. Nor does it mean that doing something about covid means the type of restrictions we have seen in 2020.
But not doing anything at all means so much distrust iin that is brushed under the carpet that will hurt everyone. From children, to parents (because of the economy!), companies, etc etc etc

But that sort of mitigating measures would make a huge difference, as proven in Japan for example.

Show me the evidence that the mitigating measures you're talking about have any affect on the spread of omincron. What data is there? Because there appears to be ample evidence to the contrary.

@TheKeatingFive

Teachers: this is what it looks like

The point is that there are thousands of viewpoints here and yet a certain one seems to get far more airtime than any other on here. Which in fairness, I am feeding, so I'm going to stop now.

What does living with covid look like?

Teachers: this is what it looks like, we are struggling and your kids are suffering.

TheKeatingFive: Please only one or two teachers can answer this. I don't like to hear the reality that teachers are struggling.

@notanothertakeaway I've tested negative fir covid whilst unwell. My point is that once my LFTs run out I will have to pay for the privilege of testing. So actually why should I pay to test and protect families when all my bills are going up just like everyone else's?

Bog standard colds and flu are still abundant in schools because of overcrowding and large classes. I've had one of those viruses but gecause ots not covid I'm expected to to rock up and crack on. My head has made it clear that we all have to be in school unless we get run over on the way to work.

I don't like to hear the reality that teachers are struggling.

I think lots of people are struggling, they just don't spend a fraction of as much time talking about it on here.

[quote notanothertakeaway]@Invasionofthegutsnatchers

It's clear that you feel unappreciated and at the end of your tether. Thank you for your hard work and commitment to your pupils

But, really, if you are too unwell to work, you should stay at home. My DSis is a teacher. At her school, year groups are taking it in turns to stay at home, due to lack of teachers. Ideal? No, not at all. Accepted? Yes

And, if you are unwell, but come into school anyway, I wouldn't thank you for it, if you passed covid to one of my children

Far better to stay home and perhaps recover more quickly[/quote]
@Awalkintime

I think my earlier post is relevant to you too

I know teachers have it tough. I really do get that. Several teachers in my extended family. It's hard for them, absolutely

But, and I say this gently, teachers are not unique. Most of us, in all walks of life, have had a horrendous couple of years

I think it would be better if we could acknowledge that we have all suffered / continue to suffer, rather than competing in a race to the bottom / " it's been worse for me"

Just like we ensured that we had clean water to eradicate cholera, we have the opportunity to clean the air to reduce covid transmission.

It’s a lot easier to separate sewage from drinking water than it is to separate the air people are exhaling from the air people are inhaling.

I do think we should have better ventilation in a lot of buildings, probably it’s a good idea for a whole lot of reasons, but it isn’t the same as improving municipal water management was for cholera.

My husband, best friend and sister are all teachers. What I see on here does not reflect what I see from them. If they’re too sick to work, they’re off work. The world doesn’t cave in! They get stressed, of course, because they care about their jobs but they take time off and get better.

If one of my DC’s teacher was off sick, I’d wish them well and hope it was nothing serious. It wouldn’t cross my mind to be angry or upset. I don’t know anyone who would criticise a teacher for the odd day off sick here and there. Of course some people are arseholes about it, but they’re arseholes in general. They’re not the majority.

I’m a social worker. Care agencies can’t deliver basic care when multiple staff have Covid. They are deciding if it’s ok that Mrs X misses her shower and hot meal today because her neighbour can drop in a sandwich. They’re so short staffed, they can only provide care to Mr Y who is fully cared for in bed. He cannot even shift positions to get comfortable and neither feed himself nor use the toilet. Social workers are going out and delivering some of the care. I’ve had some tough days and very sad days when I see how people are coping. I don’t come on here and berate other people for not caring enough and for not doing enough.

Perhaps living with it is having a functional health service that doesn't prioritise one disease at the expense of all others.

Apologies, seems i have walked blindly into a teaching thread

@TheKeatingFive

I don't like to hear the reality that teachers are struggling.

I think lots of people are struggling, they just don't spend a fraction of as much time talking about it on here.

Oh forgive me for being on a thread where there is a discussion going on about people living with covid and the issues that we face along the way. What is this place for exactly if not for discussing issues and answering the question the OP asked?

[quote Invasionofthegutsnatchers]@notanothertakeaway I've tested negative fir covid whilst unwell. My point is that once my LFTs run out I will have to pay for the privilege of testing. So actually why should I pay to test and protect families when all my bills are going up just like everyone else's?

Bog standard colds and flu are still abundant in schools because of overcrowding and large classes. I've had one of those viruses but gecause ots not covid I'm expected to to rock up and crack on. My head has made it clear that we all have to be in school unless we get run over on the way to work.[/quote]
@Invasionofthegutsnatchers

I'm also in a public facing role. I will now have to pay for my own tests. I agree it's frustrating. And I think these tests should be freely available

If you're fit to work, you should go to work. If not, you should stay home. This should be your judgement, not your headteacher

OK

Maybe their schools aren't quite as downtrodden as we are currently. That's good.

I hope the situation will improve because without decent teachers there isn't a future for our children