Children and teachers have been thrown under the bus, haven't they?

[ReadTheData]

Can I please urge all of you to write to your MP about this?

The government have had months to prepare and in only the third week of September they have failed already. They have not kept up their end of the bargain for opening schools safely.

Taking two weeks off every time for symptoms is not feasible for children, working parents or teachers, especially in the winter term.

They're deflecting blame to the few that have taken unnecessary tests, but the number of people who would choose to take this horrible test or put their children through it for kicks, a laugh, or whatever, are surely few and far between. And it's a nightmare getting a test anyway! So I don't believe that propaganda for a minute, the government are doing everything they can to wriggle out of it.

I'm sure no parent wants their child to be part of some kind of sick experiment - and I'm sure teachers don't want to be thrown under the bus either. In fact, I wouldn't be surprised if the teachers went on strike over this.

Please stand up and shout about this to anyone who will listen. I want my children to get in education this year and I want children, parents and teachers to stay safe.

How come we fight an invisible virus if we don't even know how many cases there are? The government need to get their shit together instead of lurching from one disasterous decision to the next.

If kids were properly socially distanced in schools (possible if less of them are in the school at a time) then they are not close contacts of each other, so only need to isolate if they have symptoms themselves, not isolating whole year groups due to a couple of cases. i.e. even if those couple of cases still happened, most of the kids would be able to carry on as normal.

If a child was positive in a class of fifteen would you be ok with the rest staying in? Primary / secondary any difference?

Are private schools just removing positive child?

Both my kids schools are in walking distance of a church and a village hall. In 1 case a leisure centre. There might be rooms in these that could be used.

In outbreaks of TB, schools taught outside, even in the winter.

Really I think people’s expectations are unreasonable. You can’t expect your government to magic up a perfect response to something like this. Of course there are problems. I remember the world singing NZ’s praises, but they’ve got the same issues with testing- and they’re shut off from the world causing massive hardship, with far less help and money available to people. It’s extremely difficult. It isn’t through lack of effort that testing is like this at the moment, in either country.

I really urge people to look at the data properly too. Cases are not translating to hospital admissions let alone deaths. The idea teachers need PPE is a bit much.

Someone above mentioned the fact some haven’t been sticking to the rules and hence we have increased numbers inc around schools. This is the cold hard reality. A lot of parties and protests was always going to translate to more cases. Mercifully, that hasn’t resulted in more hospital admissions. Perhaps write to your MP and ask why cases are the focus, instead of actual hospital admissions. The situation has changed with that so therefore I think the issue right now is that they are overreacting to increased cases.

[quote Itsabeautifuldayheyhey]**@middleager
In terms of buildings, what do you mean? Install lots of portacabins in playgrounds?

I don't think they have focussed on the hospitality industry tbf. All they did was the last minute "eat out to help out' scheme.[/quote]
Yes, additional space with adequate ventilation would have helped.

There was talk of tutors at one point, but that never materialised.

A part-time rota for staff and students with smaller classes, but most of all, investment in digital, remote learning.

It's all sticking plasters on another public sector that has not been invested in or bothered about.

What are other countries doing?

@user1497207191

They have not kept up their end of the bargain for opening schools safely.

The parents/teachers havn't kept up their end of the bargain to abide by the guidance/rules, etc., such as social distancing, avoiding large gatherings, washing hands, etc etc. If covid wasn't on the rise in the communities around schools, it wouldn't be impacting the schools either.

The only time I am not social distancing, and the only large gatherings I attend, are at school, where I have no fucking choice. My hands are extremely clean.

How dare you try to blame teachers for this mess.

@mac12

The UsForThem crowd have a lot to answer for. They helped drive a narrative that it was the most important thing to get everyone back to school as normal in the middle of a pandemic without pausing to think whether it was safe or sustainable. They campaigned against masks & now they’re campaigning against teacher over-reactions when bubbles are closed. Lots of people warned what would happen & now are kids are suffering again with disrupted learning because we couldn’t put in place the basic mitigations for dealing with a highly infectious airborne virus

This.

If they can't provide tests for everyone and/or get schools to stop sending kids home who sneezed or nurseries sending home teething toddlers, then they need to change the isolation period.

5 day isolation for proper symptoms, not someone coughing a couple of times. If at the end of that period, you are ok or recovered, you are back at school. If not, you get a test.

Yes it would mean that everyone with symptoms would have to take at least 5 days but given people can't get tests, it might not make any difference. Hopefully most would be fine after 5 days and not need tests, so they'd be available for those who did.

We received a letter from school stating it’s taking a ‘low covid’ response which means any sign Of illness at all your child must be off for ten days, ‘tiredness’, ‘headache’ and ‘aches and pains’ are on the list Tiredness? My ds is always tired! He's a teenager!

And I think tests for schoolchildren (and staff) should be prioritised ahead of care home residents. Obviously hospital and primary care staff should come first (and those giving social care in the community as they are going from house to house).

If we can’t stop transmission in schools then they need to close and go remote.

Would stop parents standing in sick children and no need for others to get it. CV and ECV would have more protection then too. School staff signed to educate not to be in the middle of all this without the same safety measures as other workplaces.

@Worriedmum999

Us For Them (or really Us For Ourselves) have a lot to answer for as they were quite vocal in wanting schools to go back as normal. Now look at the shitshow! We’ll all end up in lockdown again. Planned part time and provision for those who needed support with childcare would have been a better option.

100% agree.

@mac12

The UsForThem crowd have a lot to answer for. They helped drive a narrative that it was the most important thing to get everyone back to school as normal in the middle of a pandemic without pausing to think whether it was safe or sustainable. They campaigned against masks & now they’re campaigning against teacher over-reactions when bubbles are closed. Lots of people warned what would happen & now are kids are suffering again with disrupted learning because we couldn’t put in place the basic mitigations for dealing with a highly infectious airborne virus

Yes, and I will never forgive any of them for what they have done.

If your kid has cough or cold, you have to keep them at home even though it means you can't go to work. Other kids will get it as well from your kids. Schools are not free childcare.

@Worriedmum999

Us For Them (or really Us For Ourselves) have a lot to answer for as they were quite vocal in wanting schools to go back as normal. Now look at the shitshow! We’ll all end up in lockdown again. Planned part time and provision for those who needed support with childcare would have been a better option.

I don’t know how much the decision was based on this group but how much schooling would you be ok with after childcare and support provision was allocated?

Many schools could not accommodate the years that were meant to go back in June due to high numbers of above.

It wouldn’t be enough for exam years not sure if other years would take fewer days than half per week.

5 day isolation for proper symptoms, not someone coughing a couple of times. If at the end of that period, you are ok or recovered, you are back at school. If not, you get a test.

Getting a test 5 days after symptoms start is pointless because the tests don't work then. Currently if you can't test within 5 days, you're home for the full 10 (and your household for 14).

Yes, it’s like watching a car crash happening in slow motion to be honest right now with secondary schools. We should never have been told to open to full numbers - blended learning with a 50% timetable would have given us a fighting chance. I’m so cross that my health is being gambled with like this!

If we can’t stop transmission in schools then they need to close and go remote

Why? It’s an overreaction at the moment with hospital admissions so low.

I’m so cross that my health is being gambled with like this!

Oh for goodness sake!

I really urge people to look at the data properly too. Cases are not translating to hospital admissions let alone deaths. The idea teachers need PPE is a bit much

The data show clear increases in hospitalisation. Deaths will follow. 20 today - it is increasing.

The parents/teachers havn't kept up their end of the bargain to abide by the guidance/rules, etc., such as social distancing, avoiding large gatherings, washing hands, etc etc

Says who? I haven’t been out for months due to mine and my family’s vulnerabilities. But I am apparently safe to stand in front of 32 adult sized young people for 6 hours a day. My hands are raw with all the washing and I am keeping the sanitizer business going all on my own.

Get your fucking facts right. How dare you blame teachers for the inevitable illness and death which is very clearly coming. Fast.

The death rate is declining across all ages according to the ONS and our excess mortality is lower than the 5 year average.

This is informative too:

What, we're still supposed to wash our hands? That's where schools are going wrong!

The parents/teachers havn't kept up their end of the bargain to abide by the guidance/rules, etc., such as social distancing, avoiding large gatherings, washing hands, etc etc

I have been extremely careful-hands are washed very regularly and I avoid large gatherings. Oh, except when I go to school and have to teach.

Where I can’t social distance.

@user1497207191 how insulting. As many PP have already said the only place they are not socially distancing at is in school because they have no opportunity to do so and no choice but to work.

It’s like a different world in my school. No masks or visors are allowed and no distancing within our class of 30. Just follow the one way system and wash your hands that’s all we’ve got. Expectations for teaching in my school are virtually the same as they were last year but with an extended day, shortened break and the finger of blame pointed at us from people like you when there is a Covid outbreak.

[quote MillyMollyFarmer]The death rate is declining across all ages according to the ONS and our excess mortality is lower than the 5 year average.

This is informative too: [/quote]
Ah yes, a chemical engineer who promotes Atkins-style diets. That’s who I want to take public-health advice from during a pandemic. Not from epidemiologists.

I’m a pregnant teacher and it’s just not acceptable that some of you are suggesting that children should not be sent home because it might just be a cold. If teachers and other school staff being made to work without social distancing or PPE then children with symptoms will HAVE to be sent home. The virus might affect children very little but the same cannot be said of many adults who are working in schools.

Ok. Carry on panicking if you like.

@Elsa8 I agree with you about blended learning in secondary. If students are taught in small groups the feedback about their learning is going to be almost instant and they are going to get more out of being in the classroom than when in a larger group of 30. With this in mind they could do 1 week in school and 1 week working at home in follow up tasks to consolidate in school teaching that could be reviewed and misconceptions picked up in school. The only problem with this system is that some students haven’t got access to a suitable environment to work in at home or support : encouragement to do school work at home or they have specific learning needs which need to be met at school.

I think if case numbers continue to rise, blended learning is the only way schools are going to stay open fully over the winter.