When will our children get HEPA filters in their classrooms? I am so tired of my children constantly being ill and missing school!

[Annemcc32]

I can't believe we are still waiting for HEPA filters in classrooms, they were talking about this in 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024 and STILL they have done nothing! What exactly are they waiting for at this point? There's tons of evidence that they work to remove viruses from the air.
My kids have had Covid 4 times so far and were both very ill. How can they defend doing nothing to prevent staff and children? They have a duty of care to provide a safe environment.
The MOST annoying thing is that clean air IS provided in the Houses of Parliament, many private schools and even the DfE!!
Other countries have already done this now and it reduces transmission of airborne viruses to offer a layer of protection and reduce illness/absence.
I noticed that one council has committed to it just recently (Herefordshire I think). Why is this not being sorted out ASAP before the kids go back in September?
Why are we so bad at protecting our kids?
Not to mention that IF bird flu takes off (no pun intended) this would help. Where did public health go? The UKHSA seem to have taken a sabbatical for the last four years.

Schools can't afford books. Let alone HEPA filters.

Tbh I don't really find my kids get Ill, they seem to build up an immunity in nursery/preschool and rarely have days off sick now.

A cheaper starting point might be to get rid of stupid attendance awards, that reward children for going to school when ill and contagious

HEPA filters can also Headaches, sore throat, coughing, Asthma attacks, and difficulty breathing. I know this because I work in an environment where they are used in every room. In a school environment I imagine they will need changing every 6-9months…that is ridiculously expensive.

We have teachers buying stationery for classrooms out of their own pockets so HEPA filters are going to be a good while yet.

A handful of things off my mental list I'd like funding for schools before hepa filters:
Teachers (as in training and numbers)
Teachers salary
Adolescent mental health services
Support staff (more of them)
Support staff salaries
Departmental budgets - so we can have books and paper and glue sticks and educational visits
Building integrity - including opening windows and functioning blinds so rooms can be kept at reasonable temperatures.
Social services to allow teachers to teach, rather than masses of pastoral and family support.

This. So many times this.

I think it's very telling that my youngest DD, who attends a SEN school and is more vulnerable to illness, picks up far less at school than her older siblings do.

Her HT is incredibly sensible with illness - if your child is ill then don't send them. Staff with illnesses (especially Covid, which they all test for still) are redeployed around the school if they're well enough to come in but likely contagious. They can't be off with covid because of LA rules and the HT actually got criticism from the La because of her - imo very very sensible - stance on it.

DD3's school has been much less germ ridden (still more than DD4's) this last year since the attendance awards were changed. Now the prizes are books and certificates based on effort (so the 100% kids still get prizes, but the girl who had leukaemia in DDs class also got one for her effort) rather than theme park trips based purely on attendance numbers.

There are tons of studies proving that they remove virus particles from the air. They are proven to reduce illness. I also work in an environment with HEPA. None of these things are true. They remove pollutants, allergens and virus particles. There is no downside to clean air.
Re cost: the cost of illness is FAR higher in every way. Supply cover alone. Not to mention the cost in terms of children’s long term health.

I can understand your argument, but it shouldn’t be a choice. They have a legal responsibility to provide a safe environment. It’s non negotiable!
If we keep infecting the staff and children repeatedly the cost will be far higher, in every way.

Jesus Christ, I can’t even afford glue sticks and our schools are crumbling

I would be furious if school money was spent on HEPA filters when I am having to buy glue sticks, scissors, pencils, cream paper so my dyslexic student can see her work. Wide lined exercise books so my visually impaired student can write clearly. I could go on but I will just say HEPA filters are not a priority I’ll keep opening the windows.

If you are a teacher, I genuinely do not understand why you aren’t asking for this. Don’t you know that every covid infection increases the risk of developing long covid? Teachers are disproportionately affected by long covid as they are being infected so much. I don’t get the apathy?

Also I have had Covid twice - just twice and I do test every time I get anything resembling a cold due to an extremely vulnerable MIL.
I think you might be exaggerating the risk. My class attendance ran at around 93% last year.

I was a primary school teacher. I get it. But why aren’t you furious that you are more likely than most to develop long covid because you are in a very high risk profession? There are things that could and should be being done to protect you. Opening windows won’t cut it.
Why are you planning so little value on your own health?

I work in a school. I've had covid once.
My kids are in schools. The oldest has had covid once. The youngest never (we were all testing weekly).
My wfh DH has had covid twice.
Maybe there is something about certain schools or groups of people, rather than just "all schools"?

Because as I said I have had Covid twice and do not consider myself more at risk.

Do you have a HEPA filter in your home, OP?

Who the hell is voting "no" for clean air in schools!? Kids are getting sick at a record rate and we're just letting it happen again and again. HEPA filters are relatively cheap and have no down sides whatsoever. They also protect against colds, flu, measles, basically any airborne virus. Our governments all have them in every building. It should be a no brainer!

Not for covid no. But imo nurseries could do with some..
As my eldest got so ill woth bacteriak infections at nursery. She had recurrent ear infections that led to a heart murmur. And her attendance only 70%.
I think kids getting so ill can impact their development and may have links to increased asd diagnosis due to affects on hearing etc

So would I. We've got a leaking roof and classes that need a TA.

This is not happening in my classroom - the children are not getting ill anymore than ever have.
Do you have a source for your record rate?
I do work in a rural school I wonder if our area/cohort means we aren’t seeing the same illness rate as suburban or inner city schools.

Classrooms do not need hepa filters. It would be faintly ridiculous to fit them when the children are travelling to school on the bus, picking each others noses, and then going out to roll around the playground several times a day.

Even in a hospital, some areas have hepa filtration and some don't. Your anxiety is out of proportion to the risks here.

OP have you considered improving your and your dcs' immune systems instead ?

I began the '30 different fruit & veg a week' process in 2021 as part of recovery after a cancer diagnosis, and I haven't had a cold since. I haven't tested positive for covid at all.

Much better for you, and much less expensive than hepa filters.

This is not happening in my classroom - the children are not getting ill anymore than ever have.
Do you have a source for your record rate?

Me neither.

I don't like the pressure on attendance.

Then you are simply poorly informed. Join some of the online long covid groups. It doesn’t matter if you’ve had it before. Every infection carries risk. Women, who are middle aged, working in education are one of THE highest risk groups for developing long covid.

Cough into the arm. Blow the nose on a tissue, bin it and wash hands with soap. Wash hands after the loo and before eating. These simple actions can prevent the spread of airborne, surface viruses and bacterial infections. Most people cough and/or sneeze on their hands or just out into the air and this spreads illness.