I'm a teacher and Boris you have failed us

[NewnameNelly]

My school has no ppe, we have a cleaner wiping touch points all through the day. We have antibacterial hand-wash and sanitiser, but it still isn't compulsory for us to wear masks/face shields. Two weeks in to us starting back and I'm off sick waiting for a home test and I've been trying to get hold of one for the past 2 days and all I am getting is this. Come back later, what when I'm calling an ambulance or dead. So much for having key workers as a priority. University lecturers are making students wear masks and so are they but us teachers are being completely forgotten. If you want your children to have an education, you need to protect and look after the teachers! Boris you have failed me!

@LomasLongstrider

I read on Twitter that all the children at Eton were tested before they were allowed back. If true.

An MP asked Boris about this yesterday in HoC. He didn't deny it, just mumbled something about how everybody, school pupils included have access to testing and how marvellous a job the NHS Test & Trace were doing. He was getting increasingly maddened at suggestions that the testing was falling apart.

It’s scandalous and I totally agree with you OP.

Shutting the pubs at ten is meaningless. It's a meaningless gesture. It's like a family being in 30 grand of debt and then only cancelling the kids comics. I'm so disappointed in this hopeless government and we've got years of this yet.

You need to tackle your Head as this seems to be partly a school issue- ie no masks.

Your Head has autonomy so make your voice heard there.

Can't believe you can't see that is where to direct your concerns.

Yes, tests are in short supply BUT it's partly as 1
:4 people are asking for tests but have no symptoms! So the public is to blame for that.

You are unlikely to die or be in hospital if you are female and under 50 but.hope you feel better

Yawn

I'd like to know how many children have actually infected another child whilst at school or indeed infected their teacher. Bet the numbers are minuscule

Testing is rubbish.

The government knew that testing requirements would increase as more and more people mix but didn't sort the test and trace properly. We got what the majority voted for a rubbish bunch due to getting Brexit done swaying the vote/anti Corbin/anti opposition.

Nice to see countries with better governments getting on with sorting the Covid mess. Will we learn? No they will probably get in again no matter what mistakes they make since the Tories are seen to be better than the rest (despite so many many years in power)

for people struggling - which is more than the government will provide!

My sister teaches Y1 children, they are in a terrible way after missing 4 months education. Some have forgotten how to hold a pencil properly, they have forgotten everything they have been taught. It’s heartbreaking to hear the story. She has no PPE and has to be there when the children need her, even if that is just a hug to make them less sad. They don’t social distance, washing hands is hit and miss at that age, they don’t cover their mouth when they cough it sneeze into their arm. They are germ spreaders basically and nothing is being done about it. She didn’t even have any sanitiser when she got back and had to go out and buy her own. She works in a town in the top 15 for the virus. It’s a poor outlook for her and her kids with such exposure. I read about the Teacher bashing on here and it makes me sick.

@ivfbeenbusy

Yawn

I'd like to know how many children have actually infected another child whilst at school or indeed infected their teacher. Bet the numbers are minuscule

What on earth makes you think that the virus doesn't spread in schools? Every other virus does.

Yawn.

It makes me want to scream when Boris says “We’ve opened schools”.
No. You didn’t. You did nothing. Just shouted about extra hand washing and cleaning while refusing to provide any extra funding.
Schools are open because they have paid out of their own budgets for things. Because (in our tiny village school, where we couldn’t get extra cleaners) staff are doubling as cleaners after school.
Not you mate. You’ve done nothing to support it except sound bites and calling unions obstructive when they were just pointing out the flaws I your guidelines before we all had to live it.

And if you are support staff such as a teaching assistant, you aren’t even classed as a key worker so don’t get priority tests. School support staff are being treated as the absolute lowest of low in all this.

Just to debunk some myths about lecturers. At my university, lecturers have to provide their own PPE and are not allowed to ask students to wear masks in the classroom. Staff are teaching f2f everyday as all our students are guaranteed a minimum of f2f hours per week. Some of our teaching rooms have no windows which is worrying staff who have to teach in those rooms for hours at a time.

@ivfbeenbusy hmmmmm

My DD is in year 11 - very keen to start learning again and is now off self-isolating as another pupil from one of her classes tested positive. There are others off in year 12 and year 10 as 2 more positive cases in those years.

They have been back for 2 weeks only. Of course it will spread like wildfire in schools. And no - it's not a case of 'yawn' because I care that my daughter will be able to study well enough to get her GCSEs. Sorry if all that is boring for you.

@NewnameNelly

I'm in despair. I've bought my own plastic gloves, wipes, hand sanitiser. My hands are raw from practicing good hygiene and I have still caught it. I have been extremely vigilant, but this is not working. We need to have it in writing that ALL teachers must wear PPE, specifically visors and we cannot be expected to teach 5 classes a day. Most schools are not new academies, but old pokey buildings. We need to empty modern spacious offices that are currently empty, we need the support of our government. Without us Teacher's, there is no-one to educate pupils. By comprising our health, you are comprising the children. Why is this so difficult for this piece of shite government to understand? Secondary teachers are feeling this nuclear fall out more than primary schools, we are being expected to travel all over the school for every lesson, so the year group bubbles do not come in to contact and look what is happening! We had 2 suspected cases of Covid this week, no email to staff, I found out by being in reception, who were calling the children's parents.

To answer you - 1 - It’s not the Government’s fault that you didn’t receive an email about the suspected Covid cases in your school, it’s your headteacher’s fault!! 2 - It’s also highly unlikely that you caught Covid while transferring from one class to another, if you wore a mask while doing so (surely that is allowed?). 3 - It also makes much more sense for one teacher to transfer from class to class, than for 30 pupils to do so. However - 4 - All teachers should be provided with PPE and Government legislation should be brought in regarding this! 5 - Key workers should be a priority for Covid testing. For you, hope you feel better soon. 💐

It's not going to make much difference of teachers are made to wear masks in communal areas.

Classrooms nare communal areas too: 180 people per room per day is communal by any standard. If pupils aren't wearing masks on classrooms, teachers aren't protected. We've been told time and time again that masks don't protect the wearer.

t’s also highly unlikely that you caught Covid while transferring from one class to another, if you wore a mask while doing so (surely that is allowed?).

Wearing a mask protects other people, not the wearer.

@ivfbeenbusy

Yawn

I'd like to know how many children have actually infected another child whilst at school or indeed infected their teacher. Bet the numbers are minuscule

Why do you feel the need to post to say how boring this is?

Did you actually think Boris would be of use? We would be better off with a postbox in charge. At least it does something useful once a day.

I’m not about to stick up for Boris, but your problem is your school and the rules the head has set, not the government regulations. You’re in secondary where I do understand the risks are very different, but I’m in primary (and only a TA) and I would hate to be told I have to wear a mask and/or visor when I’m teaching. So I completely disagree with your statement that we need it in writing that ALL teachers need to be told to wear PPE. We really don’t need that, but individuals should be allowed to choose to do so if they want to.

@NailsNeedDoing

I’m not about to stick up for Boris, but your problem is your school and the rules the head has set, not the government regulations. You’re in secondary where I do understand the risks are very different, but I’m in primary (and only a TA) and I would hate to be told I have to wear a mask and/or visor when I’m teaching. So I completely disagree with your statement that we need it in writing that ALL teachers need to be told to wear PPE. We really don’t need that, but individuals should be allowed to choose to do so if they want to.

Sorry, this is wrong, all schools have to follow the inadequate government guidance and have been let down by the failed testing shambles.

The government is the problem.

It’s clear from PP that many people don’t have the first clue about the reality of schools: it’s just the like the supermarket or pupils stay in the same classroom or you can wear PPE.

Hope you are doing ok OP.

Paper masks and visors are not “PPE”. They are helpful if everyone wears them.

Seriously, all teachers should write to their MPs about how much they have been failed - you need to be squeaky wheels now. Oh and kick up all the fuss in the world if they fob you off by saying 'go to a Tory fundraiser'.

Thing is, Tories hate educated people - they REALLY hate people who want to educate others so that people can think critically and be scientifically literate. So people can focus on the substance and what needs to be done rather than pointless garnish. The Tories are the party of keeping up appearances and garnish.

The thing is, there is nothing to stop your school making ppe/masks compulsory - my son's secondary have (and they're currently one of the few schools in my area not to have any "burst bubbles").

Why does your school need an "instruction from Boris" to do it? Lobby your Head and Governors if you feel so strongly about it.

The us4them mob did a grave disservice to teachers and schools.

Masks should be compulsory now to protect teachers and pupils.

OP, hope you got some sleep last night and will feel better soon. You're clearly very upset. We all ought to be, and you're absolutely right that the government have let schools and teachers and support staff down.

I don't think I saw any 'teacher bashing' whatsoever though. A bit confused about that.

Just to clarify, universities certainly are not all asking students to wear masks for face-to-face teaching! DH's isn't - we're enraged that he isn't allowed to ask students to wear a mask as a condition of having them in a seminar or 1:1 meeting in his office. He will obviously wear all the PPE he can (at least he's not been told he can't) but apparently the university are under an obligation to provide free face coverings to students if they make it mandatory, so they're not. If there are any universities out there who ARE making it compulsory for students to wear masks, please post here, I'd really like to know.