Not closing schools

[SkaLaLand]

Why does no-one seem to understand the reasons for this?

1. Children are super spreaders and need to be kept safely away from the vulnetable.
2. They are affected very mildly by the virus.
3. It discourages idiotic parents jollying off with them on holiday.
4. It keeps parents in work and the economy moving.
5. Some vulnerable children only get to eat and be in safety for they time they are at school. Think how weeks of closure would affect them.
6. Children keep learning.

I feel that people are losing all perspective on this situation. Very few children and healthy adults are at risk.

Surely protecting the vulnerable with the current guidelines and maintaining the status quo for the rest of us is the best way forward?

Knowing that my children are safe and maintaining relative normality means I can concentrate on the members of my family that really need me, my very elderly grandparents and disabled mother.

Well the schools are going to close anyway. I give it a week, 2 at the most.

I think we should bring the summer holidays forward and have them now.

Not going to happen.
Even if we close, I’ve been told I’ll be teaching remotely. I have to be available online between my normal working hours. I have to prepare additional work; mark online and send it back to students. It’ll be a lot more than normal in terms of prep and marking.
But that’s fair enough because I’m being paid.

I’m not paid for the summer holiday.

One of the most vocal about closing schools on my FB Feed tonight is a teacher.
She's messaging me petitions, posting unsubstantiated crap etc. Honestly, I thought better of her than this. If there is one thing this virus is doing its making me see some friends in a completely new light.

I was thinking more about the non teacher parents too. They will need to be off now and then again in the summer.

I'm a teacher in a big 12 form entry secondary. I have asthma that's not quite under control at the minute. My kids have asthma, my son is under consultant care for kidney abnormalities. I've been told it's not safe to go to the pub etc. But I do have to be exposed to the germs of hundreds of super spreaders every day. Then take those germs home. Bloody wonderful

@Fuss

Read what some of the teachers here have said.

Teachers will be working regardless. We will not be gaining any time off. Trust me.

I don’t fully understand the ramifications...

Children with asthma/health conditions? Teachers with same?

@lashesandflashes

I know. It’s crap. But you can’t make people work if they aren’t being paid to.

And we are having extra training after school tues and weds this week as to what's expected of us in terms of our work and marking while we're off. Don't think we're allowed to be ill either!

Today was gross year 7 kids sneezing all over me ! Being sent in with coughs and symptoms . Not washing hands finding it all amusing some of them !!!
Thanks Borris ..... utter muppet ! I can assure you the majority of parents at our School are not in the front line, so we are merely a service to spread germs not so Mum and Dad can save lives !!! It is ok though we can get ill !!!!! We are ok to pass it to the vunerable or not see our own families who are vunerable all to provide the nation with childcare .... total crap !!! Other countries manage !

I think people should pay attention to what actual teachers are saying about conditions in schools.
My DS gets 25 minutes for lunch break, over 1000 pupils in his school, do you really think every single one of those students is going to bother washing their hands properly and regularly? His hands are red raw because he's using hand gel, but he cannot physically get to the toilets and wash his hands properly before eating. He told me there were 30 of them crammed into a computer suite today, three to a computer. And yet we should avoid large gatherings. Its just a joke.

What don't you understand @Calledyoulastnightfromglasgow

We had kids with masks on and kids with gloves. Still touching stuff and then touching their faces so gloves entirely pointless

I have spent all evening setting up Google Classroom for interactive teacher for my years 13,12, 11, 10 and 9.
I have uploaded a range of tasks, filmed videos of myself explaining things; provided worksheets and printables.

I haven’t even made a dent in what needs to be prepared...“just in case we close” 🙄 Who else is asked to do hours and hours of work just in case.

Oh...and of course dinner is purchased using a fingerprint 🙄

Wow @fuss just wow !!! How narrow minded you are ....perhaps you would do her a favour not being her friend . Glad you are not mine !!!!!

People who are trying to compare teachers with paramedics/Drs/nurses etc

I'm not sure if anyone has been near a hospital or healthcare facility recently but they are all closed to the public. GP surgeries are closed and Drs are triaging and diagnosing via the phone. Anyone going into hospital must ring ahead you may be told not to enter the building and to self isolate. Anyone with corona virus is being treated by staff with special PPE.

All other public service workers such as retail workers can protect themselves with gloves, social spacing, use of card payments, self service check outs, packing shelves after hours etc etc.

Teachers are left in overcrowded classrooms with 30+ kids without any form of protection let alone hand sanitiser. I refuse to be treated as a pawn in this game.

What if your child brought it home unknown to you (children don't have symptoms all the time) you then carried it to your elderly parents etc and they got very ill....

I work with 1600 students and in closer contact with up to 200 in a week. I'm scared I will carry it to my poorly mother who has COPD and relies on me for care. This would kill her I'm sure.

I don't want to take the risk but have no choice. I wish they would close ASAP! It's about preserving life not going on a jolly!

Here , here @Monstermissy36 and @Saoirse7 !!!!

And I know people are saying we need to stay open for front line emergency workers kids so parents can still work but I don't know any Doctor, Nurse or Paramedic that works 9-3...

It would be great to just have those kids in but let's not pretend front line staff work Monday-Friday 9-3

@DBML as a parent of a y10'and y9 I really appreciate the extra time you and all you teachers are putting in.

Or that parents are that stupid they will leave their children with vunerable grandparents, both ressons invalid at the detriment of our health . It is ok though at least their will be a friend cull on Fb from people who disagree !
Honestly the audacity and sheer ignorance of some posters amazes me more than the sudden.... oh we are now 3 weeks away. More like 2 !!!!

Ps all teachers right now are trying to prepare and calm year 11. We are ensuring they are ready and have all they need for exams with no guidance , whilst also dealing with sick children , pastoral issues and getting lessons ready to go live. Year 11 computing , art , tech to name a few are doing exams now real GCSEs ! We also have families ....grandparents are due to go into isolation.

I agree in theory, OP - I can see the reasoning behind keeping schools open. But if you read the comments on this thread it becomes very clear that secondary schools in particular are not really well-equipped to stay hygienic or to deal with the complications caused by increasing teacher absence, support and cleaning staff absence, lack of soap, no sinks in most classrooms, parents sending their dc in sick and not responding when school phone them etc. The idea if teachers having to deal with classes of 50 to 60 due to staff absence is frankly frightening.

I teach in primary and secondary schools. It's far far easier to enforce hygiene routines in the primary schools.

@FiveMoreMinutesPlease

Thank you So much for saying that. It’s so kind.
I think the world of the kids I teach and it’s nothing they don’t deserve, but lovely to hear all the same xx