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.

Live teaching is risky. Our lessons were hacked regularly, and hard core porn streamed straight to the children’s screens at home several times We were using the most secure platform, but you are only as secure as your least secure pupil

Could you wear an N95 mask @covidteacherscotland? I think they are designed to protect you.

@Clive222

Live teaching is risky. Our lessons were hacked regularly, and hard core porn streamed straight to the children’s screens at home several times We were using the most secure platform, but you are only as secure as your least secure pupil

Blimey

What’s the answer to this? Is it even solved by having classes of 15? for example

It's a totally fair point. Maybe pupils might feel braver to read their work out and get formative feedback that way.

@covidteacherscotland I completely agree with you, your school sounds similar to my sons, he told us the teachers are teaching from taped out boxes on the floor. No staff are wearing face coverings, no drinking water available during the day, he was given a free drink from the canteen, not sure why tho?
I work in a Primary, everyone is doing their utmost for the children. I’m nervous but I keep telling myself infection rates are low and we have systems in place up deal with outbreaks. I’m terrified I inadvertently give it to children who need reassurance and help in the early years. There is no early years social distancing, we are desperately teaching 4/5 year olds how to wash hands and opening windows. No PPE provided unless for first aid or suspected Covid cases. Our children need educated but let’s see what happens over the coming weeks. Teachers are amazing, school staff are doing a fantastic job in difficult circumstances. It’s ok to feel apprehensive and scared, I don’t know what the alternative is but I do know school staff are doing their very best to give our children the closest to normal experience they can.

Im in Edinburgh and the schools seem to be going fine where my kids are. My kids take their water bottle plus another water bottle if needed

@loulouljh

A serious question. Bar on here I don't know of any teachers who don't want to go back into school. I have many friends who are teachers and also parents. Without exception they want to be back in the classroom teaching (and keeping their jobs) and want their children to be back in education. I don't hear of any concerns apart from a desire to be back with teaching as near to normal as possible.

Are the teachers I know different from all the others? I cannot believe that's the case.

No. I am a teacher and not too worried. Mainly because I have 2 kids of my own who will be mixing at school with 60 kids anyway. My partner works in a factory with thousands of others and they have had cases despite masks. I feel like he is a bigger risk than me bringing it home. I teach early primary though and appreciate secondary is very different. However I do take sneezes and coughs straight to the eyeballs on a daily basis.

@loulouljh

It is a mystery then! But its a serious point. I don't hear complaints but on here I here just obstacles. I don't get it.

I wonder equally how many police officers we have on here. Again, maybe I have missed it, but police officers mix with so many people per day and really put themselves at risk, I don't hear complaints from them. I assume they don't have PPE and just carry on with their jobs. It would be interesting to hear from them and their perspective.

What police officer sits in a closed room with 30 people for five hours a day and sees 300 different people in these circumstances each week?

Could you wear an N95 mask @covidteacherscotland? I think they are designed to protect you.

Yes!

We need to get back to as near as normal as possible without the hysteria coming from a small minority of teachers. I am sure there are plenty willing to teach who can step into the breach

Dear God, yeah they're queuing up, people are imagining them leaving in their droves. lol.
The only reason schools are opening is because of childcare, but you won't need it anyway as you'll be redundant and able to teach your own kids.

I'm nervous about my children going back to school, especially my SEN child at Secondary School. However, the home schooling situation cannot carry on.

I haven't been able to work since March because my SEN child would not have been able to access any school work without my help and 1 to 1 support. I need to find a new job because I don't want to claim benefits. I need to be their mum again not a poor substitute of a teacher. I know teachers can't get close to pupils but at least they will physically be there.

My primary school child needs to interact with her friends. She is not the same cheerful girl she used to be.

My children are 9 and 12. They will wash their hands and they will socially distance as much as is physically possible because I have repeatedly drummed this into them for the last 6 months. It has become second nature to them.

I would like both pupils and staff to wear masks. I'm hoping this is brought in before September. If we want schools to stay open over the winter I absolutely think this needs to happen.

If you are worried wear a face mask and visor or resign? I just don't think the very small statistical chance of covid being spread is worth such hysteria. Teachers work during flu season with those with underlying illness' being at risk even with flu jabs it isn't a given of immunity no? Children 5-18yo need their education.A whole term has been lost already too much more and a whole generation could suffer which IMO would be catastrophic.

No water at our school either.

My kids brought their gator scarves in to wear in the corridors. They dont especially mind in fact that wanted to wear them. 7 hours might be quite a bit but its maybe more doable than we think.i do feel sorry for teachers and want to say what an amazing job you are doing . My dcs teachers were so calm and nurturing. I would have issues if I was a teacher in a non ventilated room, and without PPE.

Going from testing the bubble approach for one day to 5 days a week FT does seem like madness.

I also think we need to build testing capacity for quick turnaround tests in general and prioritise schools as well as care homes staff for routine testing ..

@Clive222

Live teaching is risky. Our lessons were hacked regularly, and hard core porn streamed straight to the children’s screens at home several times We were using the most secure platform, but you are only as secure as your least secure pupil

I get that, I think pre-recorded would be better but that seemed to be impossible too. I am not criticising, just simply stating that it leaves no other option but to return to the classroom. Uni's were able to provide recorded lectures right from the start so I think they will continue that where possible. But perhaps lecturers already all have their own laptops and stuff, I think most already work remotely a fair bit. Obviously teachers didn't have that luxury. A couple that I know are both teachers and were struggling to contact pupils due to crap wifi, they had to buy a new laptop and upgrade their wifi. I appreciate many people had to do this (I actually had to buy 2 new laptops for homeschool) but its totally shit that teachers had to spend all that money just to work from home.

I’m actually pretty annoyed at the people going on about a teachers salary.

There are plenty support staff in a school in positions that possibly put them at greater risk than teachers who are on very low incomes.

Should they just resign or die.....the point is it’s not about money it’s about keeping People safe, both children and staff regardless of income

loulouljh Police officer here👋. It’s been generally business as usual and they predicted half of us would be off although it’s been no where near those levels, even in the beginning. I’ve got a mask for Covid positive incidents though.

I was given uniform in preparation (have been in a specialist department for ten years)

I'll answer a question on behalf of @nicknacky. She may not be in a room constantly with the same 30 children, but if she's anything like my colleagues she will have deliberately been spat at and coughed upon, by people with the virus trying to give it to her. She will have physically wrestled with said people, with sweat etc. A tiny flimsy mask doesn't do much when someone spits in your eye. She will have shared an office and computer with upwards of 60 officers, who will all have seen 30-40 (Conservative estimate) each shift, 10 hours a day, 6 days at a time. She will have sat with bodies of people who have died of covid waiting for the undertakers, with the same mask you go to the supermarket with, which is widely acknowledge as pretty useless to protect her and is meant to protect the other person (ie the dead body). She will have waded into pub fights with vasts amounts of people, all shouting, singing, sweating, or even raves if she's lucky enough to work in Manchester. If she's anything like my force, she would have been told not to wear a mask in many of those situations, until track and trace came in, as it gave a bad impression to the public. If she's anything like one of my colleagues, she could have sat in a car for 3 hours with no PPE with a male coughing and spluttering, waiting for an ambulance, and when the male died the next day be told not to self isolate unless she showed symptoms.

I have every sympathy for teachers, and actually agree they should be wearing masks etc, and fully support any decisions made in relation to keeping them safe when returning to schools, but please don't think they're the only profession at risk. My colleagues are currently facing cancelled rest days and are already working 12 hour shifts because of the demand on them, with no break since March.

@Getoutofbed25

I’m actually pretty annoyed at the people going on about a teachers salary.

There are plenty support staff in a school in positions that possibly put them at greater risk than teachers who are on very low incomes.

Should they just resign or die.....the point is it’s not about money it’s about keeping People safe, both children and staff regardless of income

I agree, how is pay relevant?? And of course teachers and other school staff don't earn what they deserve - in my opinion you are all priceless!!!!

@Getoutofbed25

I’m actually pretty annoyed at the people going on about a teachers salary.

There are plenty support staff in a school in positions that possibly put them at greater risk than teachers who are on very low incomes.

Should they just resign or die.....the point is it’s not about money it’s about keeping People safe, both children and staff regardless of income

I agree about support staff. My TA is worth her weight in gold and is usually closer contact wise to the kids than me.

However, I don't think the options are resign or die....

Uni's were able to provide recorded lectures right from the start so I think they will continue that where possible.

That's just not true. My DD was in her final year and they didnt get on line lectures.

@Hearhoovesthinkzebras

fascinated

Op said tap water isn't available because the water supply needs to be serviced

If that's the case the school shouldn't be opening at all. If they don't have potable water they shouldn't be open. Legionnaire's disease is a lot more scary than covid.

Live teaching is risky. Our lessons were hacked regularly, and hard core porn streamed straight to the children’s screens at home several times We were using the most secure platform, but you are only as secure as your least secure pupil

That's horrific. Both my children did some live zoom lessons without any issues. My Secondary school child could only view her teacher as all the children's cameras were kept turned off. Would that improve security.

@Hearhoovesthinkzebras

Uni's were able to provide recorded lectures right from the start so I think they will continue that where possible.

That's just not true. My DD was in her final year and they didnt get on line lectures.

All of the unis in the country that I live in did. I am sorry to hear your daughter's didn't! That is very poor.

If you are worried wear a face mask and visor or resign? I just don't think the very small statistical chance of covid being spread is worth such hysteria. Teachers work during flu season with those with underlying illness' being at risk even with flu jabs it isn't a given of immunity no? Children 5-18yo need their education.A whole term has been lost already too much more and a whole generation could suffer which IMO would be catastrophic.

Ive addressed the mask point lots of times. Can't do it again!

10storeylovesong I feel bad now after reading your post 😂.

Thankfully I’m no longer attending the bread and butter incidents that you highlighted but as you rightly say, that’s the reality for cops. Good post, btw.

I’m stil frontline though, but in a specialist role and still in amongst the great Scottish public.