1600 paediatricians have written to the prime minister

[havefunpeleton]

Demanding schools reopen or risk scarring a generation. Reported in Times today.

I am hoping this will be the push needed to ensure this madness ends and all our children can go back to school full time in September.

Yet you all have the time to jump on here in the middle of your '12 hour' working day

Are we not even allowed a lunch break now?!

@BigChocFrenzy

mumsneedwine Staff should be allowed to buy and wear PPE if they wish Staff & students do this in Germany; some prefer PPE, some don't

Staff have to buy their own ppe? Not provided by their employers?

Lovely to think parents hate us so much they want us dead

Jesus wept, get a grip! Covid is not a death sentence!

Ridiculous.

@NowImLivinInExeter

Lovely to think parents hate us so much they want us dead

Jesus wept, get a grip! Covid is not a death sentence!

Ridiculous.

For 42,153 people it was.

It's you in need of a grip.

@carrieblue

I am appalled you are suggesting recently retired teachers would not be signing up to return to the classrooms if this is asked of them in this national crisis. This is what thousands of doctors and nurses have done. I think you are doing your retired colleagues a huge disrespect to suggest they wouldn't do the same

Dom have you been to the supermarket or received any food whilst you have been on lockdown? Have the bin men collected your refuse at all? Have you had any post or parcel deliveries? Used any utilities? Watched any TV? Called upon the health service? Put fuel in your car? Because if you have by your own measure you are wanting supermarket worker, postal workers, health workers, journalists, utilities engineers dead

I'm a retired teacher and am shielding.

No way would I sign up, even if I wasn't vulnerable, if they drop social distancing and don't allow PPE. I don't know any retired teachers who are willing in the current circumstances.

If they feel their safety is being taken into account they may.

Then why can’t you volunteer to provide distance learning to extremely shielded children?

But given your attitude it is best you don’t.

"Parents hate us so much they want is dead"

With this level of intellect and reasoning it's no wonder schools havent managed to open - even for year 6 in many cases.

@Aesopfable

Then why can’t you volunteer to provide distance learning to extremely shielded children?

But given your attitude it is best you don’t.

I'm having treatment for cancer.

Any more rude and intrusive questions?

The gov need to double teaching staff and number of classrooms (at least). Then it might work.

@Aesopfable

Dom have you been to the supermarket or received any food whilst you have been on lockdown? Have the bin men collected your refuse at all? Have you had any post or parcel deliveries? Used any utilities? Watched any TV? Called upon the health service? Put fuel in your car? Because if you have by your own measure you are wanting supermarket worker, postal workers, health workers, journalists, utilities engineers dead

What? Where did that come from? I haven't said anyone wants us dead. Check back, please.

You seem to be confusing me with another poster. I just pointed out that for some Covid has been a death sentence and it isn't on to speak of it lightly.

Please make sure you are speaking to the right person before being so rude.

With this level of intellect and reasoning it's no wonder schools havent managed to open - even for year 6 in many cases.

Posters on this and nearly every other thread have said teachers should be required to go in, even if in the shielding category, knowing that teachers are not allowed to wear PPE. Usually coupled by a "go in or be sacked" message.

Generally accompanied by the sort of bullshit prevalent on this thread about the evil unions, quoting made up crap from the tabloids and giving the government a free pass.

The government who can find 900k to give BoJo's plane a paint job can't fund extra cleaning or classrooms or staff but doesn't need to because the public are happy to blame the staff.

@DomDoesWotHeWants

I don't think that you really have grip of the statistics. Of the deaths in England (which are the majority - I am not discounting other nations, but i have found the stats easy), there are 2.5k deaths in the under 60s in hospital. The others in England will be almost entirely in care homes and at home so clearly not for people of working age. The majority of those 2.5k will be men - most teachers are women - and we have the youngest teachers in Europe. Over 90 per cent of those who die have a pre existing medical condition (percentages get even higher the younger you are). So actually you are looking at a very very small risk for the average teacher. And those teachers who are looking after key workers' children currently are not getting very sick and/or dying.

Dom this isn’t about you personally. You were the one who bought your shielding into it. I was just shocked by all the people you seem to be happy to want dead as you expect them to work.

'Parents hate us so much they want us dead'

I am really glad that teachers of today have such a good understanding of maths, statistics, science and risk analysis.

Good god, seriously ?

And yes, Covid is a death sentence for some. Mainly (around 90%) were over 65 so not of working age.

1800 people died as a result of an RTA in 2018. Let alone all the other risks of death we face every single day.

You need some perspective

Police officers are working every day in close proximity to adults who might have Covid and more likely to spread it than a child. Are they still going to work? Yes of course they are

It will answer one question, whether 1,600 paediatricians have more clout than 1 premier league footballer.

BigChocFrenzy

Good post.

Its shows how it should work.

and we have the youngest teachers in Europe

That is because teachers have been leaving in droves, some subjects can't recruit at all. I wonder why.

Incidentally you are replying to someone with significant underlying medical conditions.

Take it up with a government who have spent a decade defunding schools and have completely abandoned children for most of the pandemic.

[quote havefunpeleton]@carrieblue

I am appalled you are suggesting recently retired teachers would not be signing up to return to the classrooms if this is asked of them in this national crisis. This is what thousands of doctors and nurses have done. I think you are doing your retired colleagues a huge disrespect to suggest they wouldn't do the same [/quote]
Why should anyone be obliged to go back to a job they retired from, especially when they were treated so badly?

My bil is a retired police officer. He, and some of his friends, were asked to return to support the pandemic. He's getting his police pension now. If he returned he would be paid but his pension would be stopped - so he had the choice to stay at home on his full pension, or go back to work, risk getting Covid, now as it turns out face riots, attacks, hate etc for the same amount of money???? Unsurprisingly they all refused the offer.

You can't treat people like dirt and expect them to come running when you call.

CassandraKnew

1,600 paediatricians have also blamed the government and not teachers, unions etc.

@C8H10N4O2

And as someone with significant underlying conditions she shouldn't go back to work. Obviously. There should be a budget to recruit more teachers and bring in graduates early to plug gaps and yes there is a retention crisis. But doesn't mean a death sentence for the average teacher - that level of hyperbole is ridiculous.

Surely the question we should be asking is why parenting in this country is so spectacularly awful that children are 'damaged' by spending 2 and a half months with their families. How shit must your parenting be if you are not able to provide emotional support and stability for your own children for couple of months alongside a basic level of educational play. I find it so odd that so many parents are happy to say how 'damaged' their children have been by having to spend time with them.

Unlike Spain children have been able to go out and about for fresh air and exercise., vast amounts of support have been available to support learning and entertainment online, regardless of what individual schools have done. Children now have the greatest opportunity to maintain social contact with friends and peers virtually.

How inadequate have so many parents become that despite all of this being available to them they have still managed to, by their own assessment, 'damage' their children.

My husband is 60, very overweight, diabetic and has high blood pressure. He is working, has been for weeks. His clients recently have included teachers. Are people like Dom really thinking that those teachers wanted him dead? Because that's the logic presented.

@lemonsandlimes123

Surely the question we should be asking is why parenting in this country is so spectacularly awful that children are 'damaged' by spending 2 and a half months with their families. How shit must your parenting be if you are not able to provide emotional support and stability for your own children for couple of months alongside a basic level of educational play. I find it so odd that so many parents are happy to say how 'damaged' their children have been by having to spend time with them.

Unlike Spain children have been able to go out and about for fresh air and exercise., vast amounts of support have been available to support learning and entertainment online, regardless of what individual schools have done. Children now have the greatest opportunity to maintain social contact with friends and peers virtually.

How inadequate have so many parents become that despite all of this being available to them they have still managed to, by their own assessment, 'damage' their children.

that is the issue there are Masses of inadequate parents, vulnerable children, children in poverty.