If a teacher is self isolating......

[Sparrowlegs248]

Do you think parents should be informed?

Ds1 teacher has been off work for a week with a cold. She was back in school after half term but off at least the past week.

I'm wondering if she is self isolating and if so, surely parents should be told?

I know it's all conjecture. I do know she was abroad at half term, but I don't know where..

She could be stuck abroad or have a completely different illness. You shouldn't expect to be told about her reasons for being off, this is confidential.

I would ask. Given what’s going on. I do think you should know, then you can make informed choices yourself.

You've been told she has a cold.

If you want to call and ask the receptionist whether she's lying about it, you could try - but I doubt you'd get anything juicier from them.

There are around five teachers/ TAs self isolating in my ex-colleague's school. Staff have been told not to tell parents/ children, though the kids are old enough to work it out. I think there should be more transparency.

How does it change anything you’re doing?

I think parents should know if symptoms are going around a school. They'd be informed if there was a stomach bug, nits...

She's not stuck abroad, I did say she's been away at half term, then back to school, then off.

A week (possibly more, I can't be sure) for a cold seems a lot for anyone.

Normally, of course I don't think anyone should know what people's illnesses are.

My question though, is IF she is self isolating, would you expect to be told? Given that she's been in school since returning from her holiday abroad.

God no! Of course not.

I don't think you specifically need to be told. You could spend time sitting on a bus with someone or use a supermarket trolley after someone who self-isolated the next day and you wouldn't be told about that, would you? You just have to accept it's probably inevitable most of us will get it and you just need to monitor family for symptoms and do your best to maintain good hygiene. I was a primary school teacher and, believe me, I was always very hygiene-conscious at school because children can be so unhygienic at the best of times. In this climate I'd be even more careful about getting too close to pupils and about coughing, sneezing and handwashing.

I guess I just feel like people might take it more seriously if they knew. So many people aren't. Irrelevant for us now, both ds and me showing symptoms so staying home.