School return will fail

[covidteacherscotland]

Okay so we have been back to school for a week! Great? No. Definitely not. Some thoughts on why this will be a disaster:

16 and 17 year olds are not children.

Social distancing is impossible. Genuinely impossible. Children will not or cannot stay out your space.

There is no PPE in school at all and staff are not protected in any way.

Children don't give a shit about washing their hands.

We've been doing double periods instead of single to minimise movement. This means that we are stuck in a room with 30 17 year olds with few or no windows as the respiratory droplets add up.

Educating your child is impossible if you can't go near them.

Our time management and pupil progress relies on us being able to give feedback to children formatively as we teach. To mark jotters as we go. We can't do this now.

I think that because infection is so low we'll be okay for a while - a few weeks - then the shit will hit the fan.

Also those who just love the DRAMA
Kids must go back to school anything else is madness.

We don’t want thing to be ‘shut down forever‘. We want school open but we don’t want to work in an unsafe environment. Why is it so difficult for some people to understand this? It’s dreadfully upsetting to read post after post, thread after thread of vitriol directed at my profession (it’s impossible not to take it personally after a while). We want to do our jobs, but we want to do our jobs safely. It’s really not difficult, surely, to understand that being in an unventilated room with 34 young adult, none of whom are wearing masks, is a high risk working environment?

I’m amazed at the wilful stupidity and general unpleasantness of people. I really am.

Ok I will try one last time. What do you actually want?? I really wish a teacher on here would give an honest answer to this. If there was anything I could do personally to help teachers in my dc school feel safer, I would do it in a heartbeat!

My answer at 19.31 offered some suggestions.

@PrivateD00r

Fewer pupils in a room
Safety masks that actually work
The ability to social distance

Numerous teachers on this thread and others have outlined their ideas. Scroll back and look.

@AllWashedOut

Swedish scientist on Radio 4 the other evening stated that Sweden now has extensive data sets from all sectors of the population. That, for example, cab drivers, are at increased risk of getting covid because of closed proximity with customers, but that teachers are at no increased risk. I think schools should fully reopen taking sensible measures such as hand washing.

I think Sweden closed its schools to some years?

Teachers on MN have a persecution issue

Hmm, I wonder why that might be?

No maybe not but I can pick up on an attitude. Teachers on MN have a persecution issue and think they are the only profession exposed at this time. They are rude and sarcastic. I have been told to ‘ talk to someone who cares’ on here. It’s all a bit grim.

We are the only profession to be exposed in this way. I've yet to hear similar. Other professions are exposed in different ways, of course.

Teachers on MN have a persecution issue and think they are the only profession exposed at this time. They are rude and sarcastic. I have been told to ‘ talk to someone who cares’ on here. It’s all a bit grim

Nope, you'd have absolutely no idea - I have a great relationship with our parents.

I'm not surprised MN teachers have been rude and sarcastic with an attitude like yours - you totally deserve it based on that post alone.

@CallmeAngelina

Numerous teachers on this thread and others have outlined their ideas. Scroll back and look.

I have read the entire thread, thank you. No where has the op offered a practical solution :-)

@Mistressiggi I’ve also posted about being a regular in patient/outpatient recently and whilst what you’ve said is true - I’ve personally had one test since treatment began which was before an emergency op; the results of that test were available 4 days post op - the nurses and doctors had to treat me that day, me without a mask at times, and them with paper masks and thin aprons as technically not a Covid ward requiring high level ppe...so I’m not sure that simply testing on admission would be preventing a link to large increases in cases where nurses and doctors have to physically touch and treat patients...

Schools are no more dangerous that supermarkets In which there has been 2m distancing imposed for months now, and face coverings for several weeks. So do you think schools are actually less dangerous, as if we are equal we should have those precautions too.
Privated00r what I think would be safer - temp checking on arrival, face coverings all round, more sinks not just hand san, much more cleaning, more staff to allow larger classes to be split and using community buildings if required. Weekly testing for staff.

An ability to distance and effective masks is more than is given to nhs staff. We should ask for more, but services would shut and I can just imagine the daily bile headline for that !

@farfallarocks

Yet again I am so relieved that the teachers at my dc school bear zero resemblance to the lot on here who seem to hate kids and talk of children ‘breathing on them’ like they are some form of alien life force. Imagine any other public service talking like this. Care homes, doctors . Get a grip ffs

It’s because they’re being professional. They are doing the best they can in impossible circumstances. Like the teachers on here no doubt will be.

I don’t understand why people aren’t all listening to what they’re saying.

Boris held his hands up and said some mistakes have been made early on in the pandemic. Talked about how they were still learning. Why not a more cautious approach then. It’s reckless and unfair.

@PrivateD00r I have. Several others have. Check again.

[quote covidteacherscotland]@PrivateD00r

Fewer pupils in a room
Safety masks that actually work
The ability to social distance [/quote]
So part time schooling then?

There isn't a "safety mask that actually works" and the closest thing to that is used by people who actually work close to covid patients. It's not 100% effective either.

@sunseekin absolutely correct. Every parent or child I have seen or spoken to has had a big smile from me and an honestly meant welcome back. It has been genuinely great to see them but that doesn't detract from the fact that it's not safe, it's not a proper education and the shit is going to hit the fan one way or another in the not too distant future.

@Mistressiggi - this should reassure you:

www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2020-07-19/covid-s-spread-in-schools-is-questioned-in-latest-nordic-study

Here's how Sweden make it work: www.tes.com/news/have-swedish-schools-really-carried-normal

Absolutely @TrustTheGeneGenie when I examine patients, I’m wearing a paper mask and a plastic apron. That’s it.

Please bear in mind that if staff start to need to self isolate (which in many cases would be because their own children have symptoms as well as themselves) this will have a drastic effect on schools. If teachers are sick they are likely to be off work for an extended period. By making schools safer for staff they are safer for children and will stay open longer.

@TrustTheGeneGenie yes probably. I think if outbreaks start to pop up that's what will happen anyway.

Would all secondary kids in face coverings help? Not ideal but better than schools being closed

[quote covidteacherscotland]@PrivateD00r

Fewer pupils in a room
Safety masks that actually work
The ability to social distance [/quote]
Unfortunately PPE just isn't ever 100% effective, hence so many NHS staff getting sick, even when wearing PPE.

I also would like students to attend part time, but only with proper home education, which according to responses on this thread, won't happen (teachers who responded to my post about this were apparently shocked that I dared suggest the previous home learning was crap).

So it doesn't seem much can be done to sort out your fears op, unfortunately

Is part time schooling really that good when teachers have said best teaching is at the time of writing.

You’d see big gaps between two sectors, as private could continue ft.

[quote covidteacherscotland]@TrustTheGeneGenie yes probably. I think if outbreaks start to pop up that's what will happen anyway. [/quote]
Can I just ask what you think the children will be doing the other 3 days a week?