I'm a teacher and I'm scared.

[NebularNerd]

I don't feel safe going back to work in September. When I became a teacher I did not anticipate doing so during a pandemic. I, like many others in secondary schools, will be facing up to 150 students a day, indoors, with no protection.
I am over 40 but not otherwise in a high risk category, although my husband is and we have elderly parents who will be exposed if I'm infected, as well as young children who will also be in school and potentially exposed.
I'm not disputing the need for children to return to school at all. I'm just starting to fear returning.
Anyone else feel this way?

@2155User - I agree with you. It's rotten for all concerned. One size simply doesn't fit all.

I'm a nurse and worked in an area that required full ppe.Things have eased so it's just masks plus routine ppe for patient contact.
We all wear masks all the time now though didn't when it perhaps mattered but cases amongst staff are less than you would think.
My DD is gointo 6th form and will wear a mask on the school transport.This is a dedicated bus full of teenagers,I hour each way.This will be her main risk.
I will be checking her temp every morning as we have ours checked at work each day.
I'm not worried for her.
For teachers as for us I feel the biggest risk are staff rooms.Were crammed in for lunches as there's no where else,we can hardly eat in clinical areas and masks are off.
We're more relaxed about it now.Cases are low even in hospitals.Winter will be difficult,how will we know what's a cough,cold,or covid.?

Perhaps we need to accept that not every young person is suited to formal education post 14/15. If they behave as you say they do what is the actual point.

The trouble is that what do you do with them? And it’s often these kids that are going to suffer the most if they don’t get an education.
I do believe that there needs to be stricter PRUs as I’ve heard some terrible stories from people who work at them. Some lovely ones too though.

@MumInCrisis123 thinks it’s past your bedtime ngl

Thing is @HerNameWasEliza, secondary teachers will be seeing around 300 students per week, all of whom will be mixing in corridors and many in the community, with no PPE in school.

I'm sure that's true but I'd rather do that than treat one person with known and active covid who is sick enough to be in hospital.

@HerNameWasEliza I don’t think anyone is saying teachers are at the same risk as people in the NHS on Covid wards, just that the current government plan for schools isn’t necessarily that safe or sustainable. Of course I’d rather teach than deal with confirmed Covid cases, it’s surely less risk. I would also be completely useless

Even with ppe @HerNameWasEliza ?
My DH works for the NHS, ( his hospital is actually currently covid free, but wasn’t earlier on) but he can’t believe the conditions under which teachers are expected to return,

I feel the biggest risk are staff rooms

Our staff room is only open to a certain percentage of staff, the rest of us have to use resource rooms in other parts of the school.

*The question is, though, whether I would rather be a nurse, trained in the wearing of PPE, wearing full PPE and supported by their employer in donning, doffing and disposing of the PPE carefully, nursing a Covid patient in ward with full disinfection and cleaning protocols in place, or a teacher in front of 150 different teenagers (biologically adults) for an hour at a time, any of whom could be asymptomatic carriers, with no PPE, no social distancing, ineffective ventilation, poor cleaning and no provision for good hygiene practises such as handwashing, let alone any active misbehaviour in terms of spreading the virus such as intentional coughing or spitting.

You know what? I don't think it is that obvious after all. One is a 'the virus is definitely there' BUT there is very significant risk mitigation in place; the other is 'there is a 1 in 10 - 1 in 20 chance - at current population infection rates measured by the ONS survey - that someone in the class is carrying the virus and there is no risk mitigation in place'*

I don't think the ONS rates suggest that one in 30 kids will be transmitting the virus? and I think you might be being a bit idealistic about how much PPE protects - it is better than nothing but the reason so many health care workers have died is that it is not absolute. Ventilation in many NHS buildings is not better than schools. You're also being unrealistic if you think there is no intentional coughing/ spreading in the NHS. Don't be fooled into thinking we all support lovely compliant old ladies who are grateful for the help and care. The distancing a teacher can effect is clearly a million times better than that which health care workers can effect, even if it's not the full 2m at all times. I'm not saying there is no risk but I think we need to compare realistically. A child is not a biological adult either - even if they are the size of an adult (which I accept that many of the kids -especially older years - are).

As previously said managing teenagers in a classroom can feel like performing a full circus juggling act for an hour. I often try to explain it to friends by saying 'imagine organising 5 birthday parties for your child's class every day'. It is that 'full on'. As a teacher you go home with bruised legs every day as you rush around the classroom to try to deal with the multiple tasks of keeping children on task and learning. It's almost impossible to consider your own health whilst teaching lessons. It's nothing like the scenes you see in hospitals of doctors and nurses preparing carefully to enter COVID wards. Their work has been amazing and expressing my concerns is not intended to diminish their work at all. Teachers are also powerless in the school system. Headteachers always have the power to discredit a teacher simply by judging their lesson unsatisfactory ( it's a completely arbitrary thing a lesson observation, it requires no evidence, no objective measure at all) This often ends a teachers career. So speaking up isn't really an option for teachers. It's also a very hard profession to move out of. Headteachers and DoE know this. Teachers are sitting ducks.

I think a comparison with NHS nursing/patient facing staff on covid wards is unhelpful. That's the job those people have trained to do - they go in to it knowing that they are going to be dealing with sick people and contagious diseases.

All NHS services are running 'not as normal'. Every other work place in the country, no - the world - is running 'not as normal', but aside from washing our hands, British schools are expected to run as normal. How is that reasonable?

But in “some/ many” parts of the NHS the risk is minimal.
As I said before my husband’s entire hospital currently has no covid cases. Anyone coming in is tested and isolated until the results come back. He doesn’t get close to his patients anyway ( I definitely get closer to the kids I teach) He also has ppe provided.
On the ward my son works on ( he was working on covid cases back in April So has been there) again no one is positive for covid, he has full ppe and regular testing.

Hernamewaseliza

'and I think you might be being a bit idealistic about how much PPE protects - it is better than nothing but the reason so many health care workers have died is that it is not absolute.'

Actually the statistics show that very few nurses and doctors have died from covid. Presumably because they have used the PPE effectively and have been professionally trained in infection control and use of PPE.

OP I really feel for you. I am really worried about my son returning to school as I don't think the current guidelines are adequate. Is there anything you can do to talk to your SLT, or union for proposals that you think would make it a little safer? Would you be allowed to wear a visor for example? I know they're not perfect but might be better than nothing. I would like to see temperature checks in schools too. If you're in favour of masks, there is a petition you can sign petition.parliament.uk/petitions/330227

I feel for teachers having to go back in September. My partner is vulnerable and we are worried about the risks when ds returns.

My friend teaches at a local primary school and caught the virus teaching only 3 keyworker children who were socially distanced. It is easily spread this virus an no doubt will run rampant through our schools.

Most regions currently have between 21 and 30 positive cases per million. I really think there needs to be some perspective.

@TurnUpTheHeat

Most regions currently have between 21 and 30 positive cases per million. I really think there needs to be some perspective.

Currently, perhaps.

Shall we take a guess at what they'll be a month or so after the schools go back?

@Charliescar

Are these the same teachers that during the last few months have been on holidays , eating out , down the pub , going round to different friends houses , working as tutors ????

What a weird post. Teachers were eating in closed restaurants and drinking in closed pubs? What magical creatures!

I mean, personally, I was working in and out of school doing more than my usual hours so my students could access their work, the last time I went out for a meal was March 6th, the last time I went on holiday was 2009. Also haven’t been to friends houses OR managed to work as a tutor as there weren’t enough hours in the day.

BRING ME A TIME MACHINE I FUCKING DID EVERYTHING WRONG

(Seriously though, feedback. The easily disputed, hyperbolic lies (drink and meals when pubs and restaurants were closed) makes it clear you’re just goading. Also, the punctuation was abhorrent. A strange choice, given that teachers would be the most likely to notice that. 0/10.)

@TurnUpTheHeat, across UK currently 159 approx/ mill

Oh and the most recent. How they may be held liable for a Covid death in school under HSE.
Wait. Whaaaaaat? Where did you read this?

If it's customary for secondary school children to spit at teachers they need to be expelled. Unfortunately many teachers don't agree.
You. Have. No. Fucking. Idea. So please stop embarrassing yourself with spouting ill-informed and ignorant shit.

So it occurred to me that, with a lot of organisation and planning, at least some classes/year groups could be taught off-site in such large, airy buildings on weekdays.
Taught by whom?

Absolutely @Rosieposy4 when you add up the numbers in the regions.

[quote year5teacher]@HerNameWasEliza I don’t think anyone is saying teachers are at the same risk as people in the NHS on Covid wards, just that the current government plan for schools isn’t necessarily that safe or sustainable. Of course I’d rather teach than deal with confirmed Covid cases, it’s surely less risk. I would also be completely useless [/quote]
True.

They aren't comparable.

Nurses are dealing with patients who are generally tested if inpatients. They know the Covid status. They have proper PPE. They are dealing with smaller number of people.

Teachers won't be getting regular testing and neither will children. No PPe allowed. Up to 30 pupils all day or 30 different pupils 5 times a day.

I don't know why everyone is so determined to compare teachers to everyone else.

And ignore the fact all teachers are asking for is the same Covid secure workplaces as all those people they are being compared to 🤦🏼‍♀️

@TurnUpTheHeat

Most regions currently have between 21 and 30 positive cases per million. I really think there needs to be some perspective.

So we should also open everything up with minimal access to hygiene facilities.

Stop face masks.

Take away all perked screens in supermarkets

Stop testing people in hospital who are just in for something else.

Stop giving nurses and dr PPe.

Open up all nhs services fully and back to fill capacity.

Open all the other stuff that's closed.

Take all Covid secure stuff out if pubs and and cafes etc.

I mean - come on - there's only 20-30 cases per million in most places and so the risks aren't there are they? Surely the risks aren't in other places if they aren't in schools?

I feel really scared too, scared for the millions and millions of children that have not had any education for the past six months, and if the unions get their way it will be years before we get them back into school.

I am terrified for their mental health, future, education and well being. So I agree op, I am very scared too but for completely different reasons to you.