Teachers could be superspreaders due to lack of mitigation measures admits Matt Hancock

[noblegiraffe]

Ok, he didn’t say it outright, but he admitted that what was hoped to stop coronavirus spreading in schools was teachers maintaining 2m distance from pupils at all times.

Teachers have been saying for months that this is impossible due to small classrooms where there just isn’t enough space to be 2m away from your front row of students. It’s also impossible to support a child from 2m away when you need to see what they are doing, but literally zero thought has been given to this.

But that’s it. That’s all the protection that will be given to teachers - an impossible directive to social distance.

Matt Hancock said this morning “The principle is that we want to keep certain teachers socially distanced from the pupils because there are all sorts of circumstances where a teacher might need to teach classes that are in different bubbles within the school.”

Secondary teachers will routinely be teaching all year groups in a school. Supply teachers will be going between schools.

“My answer to you is that it is the social distancing between the teacher and pupils which is the goal here, but our total focus is on getting the schools back”

Getting the schools back. Not getting them back safely. Not ensuring that they stay open and that staff and pupils stay safe.

www.tes.com/news/hancock-keep-supply-teachers-distanced-pupils

@Ickabog

DH is an NHS consultant. They have a bottomless covid money pot, funded directly from central government not from their existing budget.

I'm going to pretend I haven't see this, because knowing how things are elsewhere is depressing.

Especially when we keep being told by NHS staff to get the fuck on with it, as if we weren't fighting their corner when they needed it. Divisive I know, but I'm sick of it on here.

"Our focus is getting schools back" Says Hancock

Yes these incompetents can only focus on one single thing at a time and this it. They will achieve their goal I'll give them that but at what cost and for how long? Low community transmission will probably get us through to half term if we're lucky but then what?

Do all those who suggest part-time learning, rotas, one week in-one week off, realise that this is not sustainable for many working parents, especially within primary?

@MNnicknameforCVthreads

I’d encourage people to look up their local cases per 100k people and translate that to chances of anyone in a school of (say) 1k or 2k students having Covid.

In my area the figure is well in single figures. So the chance of anyone in any school in the county having Covid is pretty tiny.

I appreciate there are areas where incidence is much higher.

The large scale random testing survey for Covid which comes out weekly says that around 1 in 1,800 or so carry the virus in a given week (excluding those in hospitals and care homes).

That is 1 case per large secondary, or 1 per 6 300 pupil primaries.

@Suntrea

Do all those who suggest part-time learning, rotas, one week in-one week off, realise that this is not sustainable for many working parents, especially within primary?

Do those arguing that part-time learning is no sustainable for working parents understand that they won't have a choice once school staff start getting ill because they can't socially distance? You know that insufficient staff = school closures, right?

@TorysSuckRevokeArticle50 that's lovely and downright sensible!

I'm only suggesting it for secondary.

@SaltyAndFresh Great solution - "working parents won't have a choice".
The best thing the government could have done is follow what other some other countries have done and hire more teachers.

They got the nightingale hospital for extra room for patients, yet they would never dream of getting extra buildings for schools.
Why?
Because our government don't seem to care about education. They want it all as cheap as possible.
That is evident, before coronavirus, with the rise of TA's covering classes rather than qualified teachers. And even then a HLTA's pay doesn't reflect what some do.

Education has never been a top priority for our government

@Suntrea

Do all those who suggest part-time learning, rotas, one week in-one week off, realise that this is not sustainable for many working parents, especially within primary?

And if teachers are not protected sufficiently they will be off ill or isolating or both. You do realise if large numbers of teachers are ill there won't be in school OR remote learning.

Bit off topic but can someone be really kind and do this sum for me? (I have dyscalculia)

In the last week in my area there are thought to be 12 cases per 100,000 people. DC's go to a primary with 500 pupils. What is the likelihood there will be a positive case in their school?

@mrshoho yes which is why I followed up with the government should be funding for more teachers to be hired to make smaller bubbles, even if that means having temporary schools.
The government should be funding for more PPE.
But as I mentioned the government have never seemed to care about putting money into UK education

[quote Suntrea]@SaltyAndFresh Great solution - "working parents won't have a choice".
The best thing the government could have done is follow what other some other countries have done and hire more teachers.

They got the nightingale hospital for extra room for patients, yet they would never dream of getting extra buildings for schools.
Why?
Because our government don't seem to care about education. They want it all as cheap as possible.
That is evident, before coronavirus, with the rise of TA's covering classes rather than qualified teachers. And even then a HLTA's pay doesn't reflect what some do.

Education has never been a top priority for our government[/quote]
I don't follow your logic. Are you blaming those suggesting part time learning because the government doesn't want to find extra space and staff? Because that's how the combination of your two posts read.

I know it's a nightmare for working parents. I am one. I'm ashamed to say that concerns about my own (primary) DC's education comes second to my worries about my health at the moment.

I was appalled by an email I received today from DDs secondary head.
Disappointingly he's chosen to exercise the powers vested in him by the government to refusing to support the wearing of masks in corridors or anywhere on the school grounds.
We parents must sign a consent form if we feel it necessary for our child to wear a mask in high traffic areas. So it's fine if I send my child in with a mask to protect her teachers and other students but my child does not deserve the same respect.
If my child came to the sensible decision to wear a mask for minimal amounts of time but I disagreed she would be forbidden from wearing one.
DD is 15 and has her own mind and a social conscience. We have been living in Spain for the past eight weeks so is quite used to wearing a mask everywhere in 80 degree heat and understands why she does so.
She faces going back to U.K. and being one of the few prepared to wear one to protect others around her.
She's furious with the Head, cannot understand what is motivating him. She accepts that mask wearing is only a tiny part of what protects her and others and knows it's absolutely no big deal.
But to have to give permission for my child to show respect and do everything she can to protect others, utterly arse about face!!!
Needless to say I have signed the consent form out of respect for her teachers and fellow pupils even if the Head doesn't seem inclined to enforce the same

@CallmeAngelina

Well, back in June, when we opened up for all year groups, anyone who broke SD by dangerous behaviour was sent straight home, no debate. Not sure we'll still be able to do that now

Our risk assessment said that when the children were back in June/July. Didn't happen in reality, not even when a child ran over to another bubble to punch a child...

I will send my DC to school, and go to teach my primary class, I will not wear a mask as it would be detrimental to my class of younger students.
This is all fine but myself and DC live with GP’s due to DV and without them we would be well and truely fucked. I feel like i am doing all kinds of ‘double think’ to make this situation be ok and continue down a route that could end so badly for my own family, so as not to make it inconvenient for others. It’s weird.

@SaltyAndFresh of course I am not blaming those suggesting part-time learning!
My point is that the government have had since April to sort this out and nothing has really been done.

Teachers have every right to feel stressed and anxious about what September brings but working parents also have a right to feel stressed and anxious if schools were to close again and their income, without any of them snapping at each other.

My point stands that the government don't put enough money into education hence why many are anxious for September.

Beebity 0.06 cases per 500. But less, because children are less likely to get it than the general population.

Thank you @ThrawnCow, that is reassuring

[quote Suntrea]@SaltyAndFresh of course I am not blaming those suggesting part-time learning!
My point is that the government have had since April to sort this out and nothing has really been done.

Teachers have every right to feel stressed and anxious about what September brings but working parents also have a right to feel stressed and anxious if schools were to close again and their income, without any of them snapping at each other.

My point stands that the government don't put enough money into education hence why many are anxious for September.[/quote]
I get it. I'm sorry I misunderstood.

Place marking for tomorrow

Suntre you make some very good points and excellent analysis.

I also think it could've worked with part time and blended learning.

There no reason why they couldn't have found out who needed key worker spaces, who was vulnerable and wanted in school, who could stay home and parents were willing to stay home and sorted the laptops they promised months ago for families who will remote learn but don't have access.

I wish we could use this moment in time to go hang on why are our kids being taught in huge classes packed into tiny rooms, why don’t our schools look like the ones in Denmark or Sweden, how come we have a staffing shortage when teaching is a really desirable job in some European countries, why do our kids not have technology that is pretty much essential for modern education etc.

I wish all of the anger and outrage that’s come at teachers had been directed at government who have run schools into the ground but can afford publicity campaigns to pretend they’re safe and who subsidise their own accommodation, transport, food, home offices etc from public funds but don’t want to have to pay for sanitiser and cleaning in schools or pay for fsm for the poorest of children.

It really would have been good to have a reckoning and come up with real (not shuffled about or 90% to go in backhanders to cronies tutoring companies) funding to drag our schools into the 21st century.

I agree 100% @TheHoneyBadger our school system is a disgrace and not fit for purpose.

Cynically I believe the whole fake news about unions and teachers blocking schools from opening was a smokescreen to draw attention away from the disastrous state of schools making them unsafe to open because they’re in such a state.

A business with no ventilation or suitable numbers of toilets and sinks and abysmal hygiene would be closed down. Likewise a nightclub that was letting in numbers way over safe capacity and without enough staff yet this is standard for schools.

We need to start demanding real change to the environment and conditions our children have to spend years of their life in. Then watch the teacher retainment problems disappear.

@Beebityboo

Bit off topic but can someone be really kind and do this sum for me? (I have dyscalculia)

In the last week in my area there are thought to be 12 cases per 100,000 people. DC's go to a primary with 500 pupils. What is the likelihood there will be a positive case in their school?

I think this equates to 12/200 which is 0.06 of a person.