Jenny Harries: 'Teachers more likely to catch covid during coffee break than in classroom'

[Redolent]

The quotable one is back at it again. Let's add this to the growing list of her illustrious sayings.

Eg 'We don't want to disrupt people's lives' by banning mass gatherings (March 11th)

• You'll know if track and trace are calling you, and not scammers, because they will sound 'professional'
• 1 in 1700 people having covid means that on average you'll have to meet 1700 people before encountering covid...

Last time I taught in school, the majority of students I taught (Y11, 12, 13) were, to all intents and purposes, adults.
Why do the Government and Ms Harries think all schoolchildren are under 10? What is this coffee break thing?

I've seen the coffee break thing said a few times today. I bet someone in Tory Party HQ was proud of that little phrase.

It’s really irritating me the way people are bleating that children need to be in school do teachers just need to stop moaning. I don’t know a single teacher who thinks that the students shouldn’t be in school - but for god’s sake put masks on them and we have a chance of staying open longer! Our kids all bus in - they’ll be wearing masks on the bus then taking them off when they get to school, What is this madness??

I predict 10 days before the gov announce masks for secondary ( for once can they not think of something sensible before Scotland?).

Coffee break? All staff will be working unpaid through lunch/breaks in setting that I know of.

Sitting with the children at lunch etc, etc, not mixing bubbles.

If children are asymptomatic and spread it. It will look like it’s teachers only because the older you are, the more likely you will have symptoms. They don’t routinely test, only if you have symptoms. Every child in a class could have it and you wouldn’t necessarily know.

She is just plain stupid - like all the other idiots pretending to be experts. She should zip it up.

To be fair there was 10 mins of social distancing on our inset day followed by business as usual. I suppose the same will be replicated across the country over the coming days. People naturally drift together unless they are forcibly separated. I think masks will be the only way forward.

Again, England are looking like the thicko table, cottoning on to the right way to do things way after everyone else. Masks in secondaries on corridors and around building will definitely be a thing by this time next week. So many schools will be doing it anyway that Boris will have to yield and suddenly find a new bit of science that says it's ok. And the guidance will mysteriously alter just like Cummings's blog.

If children are asymptomatic and spread it. It will look like it’s teachers only because the older you are, the more likely you will have symptoms. They don’t routinely test, only if you have symptoms. Every child in a class could have it and you wouldn’t necessarily know.

This!

I predict 10 days before the gov announce masks for secondary ( for once can they not think of something sensible before Scotland?)

Yep, I total agree.

The government have confirmed today that they definitely don’t want masks used in schools, so going on past experience, I expect the U-turn will follow in a week or two when the shit really starts to hit the fan.

Staffroom is closed. We will have SD staff briefings in the sports hall.

We have to bring our own thermos if we want a hot drink.

Yet another example of a government spokesperson being out of touch with the day-to-day life of schools.

That woman is an utter joke.

She's reckless and arrogant. Her lack of regret about the PPE crisis was striking. But she clearly doesn't question her right to instruct the masses and twist the data to get them to do the 'right thing'.

Im not a teacher, just a very worried parent. I wouldn't be entrusting my children into the care of people who I did not respect or have confidence in. I know teachers are doing everything they possibly can (which isn't a great deal given the guidance) and will still be made scapegoats. Im absolutely infuriated reading the absolute horseshit the government are spouting at the moment, god knows how you must feel

They all make me bloody cross. I am totally fed up with the lies and disorganisation that has been demonstrated over the past few months. The shambolic approach to exam results tipped me over the edge. Bloody Gav is on holiday. Boris is having violin lessons. The DfE spend their time issuing ever-changing guidelines 'where possible'. Between them they could arrange a piss up in a brewery.

Lets get the basics right first! Never mind about childish posters and social media campaigns.

Absolute horseshit sums it up. No lovely coffees here and no meetings in staff room. We already had staff self isolating last term, so it can knock out loads of adults quickly. I expect several times a day to have about 65 kids crowding the narrow corridor outside my room...Will be taking a pic to send to the head to ask him if we can please use masks.

Back to (primary) school in Scotland
We are having short, staggered breaks to minimise adults in the staffroom, but SLT frequently look round the door, count the number in the room, then come in anyway. No shared facilities, thermos from home etc. I'm finding it impossible to teach well whilst socially distancing

@Itisasecret

Coffee break? All staff will be working unpaid through lunch/breaks in setting that I know of.

Sitting with the children at lunch etc, etc, not mixing bubbles.

If children are asymptomatic and spread it. It will look like it’s teachers only because the older you are, the more likely you will have symptoms. They don’t routinely test, only if you have symptoms. Every child in a class could have it and you wouldn’t necessarily know.

Yes!

www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-53901707
Schools close in Korea

Coffee break?!

I haven't been to to the staff room for a break time since 2006.

I've occasionally sat in it for a wolfed lunch if I need to speak to one of the few colleagues who were attempting to make a very big effort to go to the staff room pre Covid. (To be retro and make a point.)

Mind you, it means we are well set up for this.

We've been using thermoses and eating in class for years. it's not much fun unless classes close by team up. Which we can't do now.

I think it is incredible that someone apparently educated and at the top of her profession doesn't seem to be able to recognise that there are equally qualified, educated professionals out there who are capable of following basic instructions. So...if I am socially distancing myself from adults outside of school, why would I not socially distance myself from my colleagues in school?

Will teachers even be using staffrooms now? meetings etc? I'm guessing so

Not at my school, no. The staffroom has had a 'safe' number placed on it which means we will be unable to gather there in any kind of capacity. Literally going to be about 10 of us in there at any one time. Meetings will be taking place in our dining hall which has the capacity for us to be able to seat 2 metres away from each other.

See? Professionals, able to follow instructions.

If (when) teachers get sick, there will be a variety of reasons for it - absolutely, we may have picked it up somewhere in our communities, but more than likely it will be because there are 32 people sitting in our classrooms in very close proximity from whom we are only able to distance ourselves to the extent of about a metre, without any form of PPE, no extra cleaning and an absolute lack of ventilation.

The more I read, the angrier I get. How dare the Government attempt to set up teachers as the reason why a second wave is about to start?

Coffee break???😂😳

No staff room in many schools I work with (and only one toilet)
'Bubbles' and SD mean staff are with pupils throughout, with no break.

Though I agree that staff are spreading the virus between them - but through working together in small classrooms with windows that have long since opened, no sinks, one toilet and no cleaner.

As an aside cleaning jobs are so hard to fill in usual times, we often have the 'admin' lady having to be the cleaner because we can't find anyone willing to do the job. One school this arrangement has been in place ( with frequent adverts.) for the last 4 years!

She's not very bright, is she?

child more likely to get run over by a bus than catch covid' One of mine got run over by a teacher driving the wrong way round a one way system, is that more or less likely than a bus and does it make any difference to me not wanting them to get run over, by a bus or a car, or not wanting them to catch covid. She really is a very irritating woman. Didn't she also tell us face masks were a bad idea?

Cannot stand this woman now. We need JVT, he tells it like it is, where is he?????

Thanks for the JVT picture.

He certainly isn't hard to listen to or look at

But he's been hidden for daring to suggest the rules apply to everyone!