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.

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Some of it is actual long covid
And if you have a medical condition that makes you more vulnerable to covid infection (or live with someone who does) you may be thinking twice about choosing teaching as a graduate career when there are many other options...
schoolsweek.co.uk/long-covid-teachers-join-forces-to-sue-ministers/

There is a misconception here that there is a finite amount of money to tackle this which would eat into school budgets.

This is an issue of public health. Governments choose how to allocate resources. If they see there is a net benefit (just as they do for 'flu vaccines) they will do it. Even in the short term the benefits outway the costs and it will save money.

So the argument isn't gluesticks or health. It is actually funding health may mean more money for gluesticks - or whatever!

Thank you. Kind of felt like I'd wandered into a parallel world here. My school can barely afford teachers at the minute!

And my medical record: covid 2 or 3 times. Other than that, barely off in 20 years. I take all the vaccinations I'm offered.

Dc tend to have 1 day off every other year or so. Dh is the sickliest. He has no contact with schools at all.

Most kids I teach don't tend to be off with physical sickness. Put your energy into campaigning for better mental health support.

Yes, thats what we all think.

You have nailed it with your rational well thought argument and fantastic ability to get your point across.

Blaming the attendance crisis on parents despite their own data showing the sickness is the largest cause with Covid making up a lot of that. Ignoring science and pretending the pandemic is over despite us technically still being in one.

The government could & should have funded this. They have chosen not to despite both the healthcare and economic benefits.

I couldn't agree more.

Is this rate of illness replicated across the class?

Maybe it's your kids?

I had a friend once who was constantly using anti bacterial gel on her kids hands, from a very young age. They were always ill, any illness, they got it. I reckon they had no had chance to build up any immunity.

As was my niece. She’s now been out of school for over a year.

We actually ran out of paper in March and no funds to buy any (before we could use the new financial year in April to buy any).

That is how fucked school funding is. WE COULD NOT AFFORD PAPER!

Use some critical thinking here, why do you think HEPA filters might not have been a priority (during Torie times anyway).

Of course schools should provide HEPA filters if they are necessary. But where is the funding going to come from? Schools no longer have the money for anything like this.

All of the schools I work with have had to make very very difficult financial choices over the last couple of years, and without exception, budgets in my schools have been cut to the point where there is nothing left to cut. They are now just meeting the legal requirements in terms of staffing. I sat in a meeting recently where one of my headteachers was actually in tears because he has no option but to cut several of his teaching assistants from September, and even doing that, he still can't balance his budget. The idea of having a ready supply of glue sticks and other stationery is a dream, let alone having the money to instal filters.

It’s replicated across the country. UK kids are either not or under vaccinated, immunity to coronaviruses is not long lasting and getting Covid itself likely damages the immune system making you more vulnerable to other infections, including Covid infections.

The public health budget. It’s largely a public health issue not a school one and is probably less expensive than many are imagining.

Opening some windows would be cheaper....

I still think parents need to take some responsibility for the health of their children.

I've got children in my class who are grey. They don't eat properly and they don't sleep properly and they don't get to play outside.

Cleaning the air is one of the simplest things to do to protect our children and school staff. Opening windows to create draughts enables the air in classrooms to be refreshed. HEPA filtration cleans the air, and, because viruses are airborne, the risk to health is reduced. Lots of things like pollen, dust, pollution and other allergens are also removed. Exhaled breath can contain viruses like Covid so you really don't want to be breathing in someone else's Who does not want their children to breathe clean air? It should be a question you need to ask yourself. If they're off sick (or school staff!) this costs the school, it costs you if you need to take time off work, it costs valuable learning time. If HEPAs are installed in every classroom and workspace, they will pay for themselves very quickly, enabling schools to spend their money on resources and activities instead of sinking it into supply costs. What price do you actually put on your children's health? I'd choose clean air above everything else. Incidentally, the previous govt installed high spec air cleaning equipment in the House of Commons and in the Dept for Education offices. Why don't our children deserve clean air?

This is a blatant lie.
A study in Cambridge Addenbrook's Hospital showed a staggering decrease in infections following the use of Hepa filters.

We had an initiative in the summer term where we tried not to switch the lights on in the classrooms.

I don't think people have a clue just how broke schools are.

I know people are saying these filters should be paid for from the health budget but that's not going to happen. The government didn't even fund the teachers pay increase, that had to come from schools.

If parents are willing and able to pay for HEPA filters to protect their children, it should be encouraged.

Just look at the stats. Why are you only judging risk based on the people you know? There are national statistics and international statistics. They show that every wave takes out a small but significant percentage of ppl from the workforce. Teachers are at the top of the pile.

I am also not saying they work 100%. No one is saying that.
They do however reduce illness. That doesn’t mean eliminate but there is a significant reduction.
Ofher measures also need to be in place. Open windows, testing, not going in if you’re sick. But they really do help.
You seem to suggest that they are no use because they are not a panacea.
I disagree. Every effort should be made to protect staff and pupils. It is the DfE’s LEGAL DUTY to provide a safe environment.
your resignation and apathy about constantly infected kids is so depressing.
Do some research about the long term harm being caused to children and then tell me you still think it’s not worth bothering.

If parents are willing and able to pay for HEPA filters to protect their children, it should be encouraged.

Is anyone discouraging it?

Long Covid has doubled in kids in a year.
Who are you going to blame if your children get it?
The power to prevent it is in your hands.

HEPA filters work most effectively with the windows closed and a sealed room. As you can't seal a classroom, becuase the door is constantly openning and closing, and you are advocating open windows, just how effective do you expect a HEPA filter to be?