DDs school want me to COVID test her, AIBU to say no?

[mybossisaprick]

Dd, who is in primary school, has got the cold that’s been going round. She’s not too unwell in herself, and is happily playing, but she has a husky voice and a cough. She’s maybe a bit more tired than normal, but nothing that would mean she would need to stay off school. If she was unwell enough to miss school, I’d keep her off.

Her teacher pulled me aside at pickup time and asked me if she’d taken a COVID test. I said no, she hadn’t. Teacher asked me why not, and I explained that she wasn’t unwell enough to miss school, and so there was no point testing her for COVID. Teacher said that I should test her anyway, and if positive she should stay home. I explained that myself and my partner both have to work, we don’t get enough leave as it is, and whilst if DD was actually unwell in herself and couldn’t go to school, one of us could stay off with her, but since she’s not, we really don't have the resources to be taking time off. Also, I don’t have easy access to tests and I’d rather not buy a test when I don’t need to.

AIBU to tell this teacher that I wouldn’t be testing DD?

I tested positive yesterday and started isolating yesterday. I’ve lost sense of test and my body is one big ache.

Not fair to inflict that on others.

Lovely.

I'm 54 and I've been working since I was 12 years old.

Every single Winter most of us are working with coughers and sneezers, whether they have a cold or Covid, and the month of December is no different 🤷‍♂️

No they haven't they just don't get an,option to stay home , if a child is vulnerable to Covid they will e vulnerable to all.kinds of winters illnesses
My youngest son goes to a special.school.some of the children have profound and multiple disabilities and are extremely vulnerable iethey are on oxygen and tube fed
My son is still expected to goto School Covid or no Covid and we are told we don't need to test them anymore.

My understanding is that the NHS say you shouldn’t actually test children and babies unless advised by a medical professional. Have you asked her whether school has a Covid policy and, if so, why it differs from NHS guidance?

The irony of youh calling other people selfish ,
Expecting people to take time off school / work and lose money we are not in 2020 anymore .

Well no matter how sick she gets, she'll never be as sick as this post makes you sound.

Unfortunately the vulnerable child will be exposed to it days before ops child, and others, actually show symptoms, if they do at all, And if they go to the shops etc.

Don't know what the solution is tbh.

And, as harsh as this sounds, to some keeping money coming in for their own family - in a perfectly lawful way - will trump everything else, because it has to. I'm lucky I'm not in that position now/currently but when I was literally hand to mouth a few days lost pay would have put us in a very difficult situation, not to mention potential loss of my job - child feeling fine would not be dependents leave so I'd have been classed as unauthorised absence. I wouldn't have been prepared in the slighted to lose my job because someone might catch a virus.

Imagine wishing serious illness on a primary school aged child and her family and thinking you're in the right.

Let me guess you n either have a very understanding employer or are able to work from home ?

Maybe teacher knows there is a child or a child’s family member that could be compromised by catching Covid. I can’t imagine any teacher suggesting you test otherwise. She may have been informed this week that little Gina’s mum has breast cancer and is starting treatment and obviously cannot share this, but wants to keep Gina’s mum as safe as possible?

YANBU. I don't know anyone who tests. Just get on with our lives, illness is just part of that. Whatever it is. I'd never test now, haven't done so ever unless absolutely necessary (i.e. travel).

being selfish is better than being downright cruel and wishing death on someone... eh?!

@Tinkerbyebye - what a horrible post!

We don't test as teachers and no point testing the kids as parents can and will send them in anyway! I'm pretty sure I may have Covid at the moment in fact.

It's actually a pity that this comment was deleted. It should hang there, shamefully, for everyone to see. What sort of a sick person wishes such harm on a family? Disgraceful.

While the (stupid in my opinion) guidance is to go in with covid, staying home if you have it is not ‘for no reason’. Covid isn’t nothing. Each subsequent infection increases the chance of damage - vascular, organ, brain - and the chance of long covid.

@Tinkerbyebye I forgot to tag you. You should hang your head in shame for wishing harm on a working mother who is actually following the guidelines.

Ern if anything the tradition used to be the other way, everyone doffing their cap to the teacher!

I am not saying things have gone too far in some respects but it's certainly not the case that a teacher would be considered an underling.

As for the covid test, very silly request unless there is a child in the class who is very vulnerable but then presumably they are vulnerable to any virus.

In your work, are you stuck in close proximity to 30 people (many of whom don’t cover their mouths while coughing or sneezing) for 5-6 hours every day with poor ventilation (or more likely none at all)?
The teacher isn’t asking to stay off. She’s asking parents not to risk the christmases of everyone connected with that class.

@enchantedsquirrelwood As an experienced teacher I have to say I do often feel like an "underling". There is certainly very little respect for the profession any more and I am not at all surprised there is a huge retention crisis. Who the hell wants to be a teacher these days?!!

YAdefinitelyNBU. No-one was bothered about Norovirus, and I'm sure that finished off a few immuno-suppressed people. The hysteria around covid has got to stop.

Where did you jump to ‘special treatment’. People on here really hate teachers don’t they?
Nobidy should have to have that experience. The nurse saying it what she has to do is shocking. Has everyone forgotten that people do die from it, or get long Covid?

But the teacher in little Gina’s class still has to come to work if he/she tests positive also. So why only insist children with positive test stay home when the teachers themselves still have to work.