The rate of infections in schools is being suppressed from public knowledge

[noblegiraffe]

...claims Karam Bales of the NEU.

I’m pretty sure I agree. When the newspapers are going mad about university cases and 13,000 kids and 700 teachers being off school in Birmingham doesn’t make national headlines, then something dodgy is going on.

This twitter thread collates all the evidence and is pretty damning twitter.com/karamballes/status/1315067136394625032?s=21

My own thoughts:
Why are the government ignoring the WHO recommendations on masks?
Why have they stopped PHE deciding who is sent home when there are cases in schools setting up their own helpline instead which sends home far fewer kids?
Why are the figures not being presented in a way that makes it clear which cases are in schools and not universities?
Why did Chris Whitty use a graph of test positivity rates instead of actual infection numbers in his briefing when it came to claiming that schools aren’t an issue?
Why are they insisting that children only get a test if they exhibit one of the three main adult symptoms, ignoring that the majority of children who test positive don’t have any of them?
Why are they insisting on vulnerable children being sent in with the threat of fines for non-attendance?
Why did they spend the summer pretending that unions were blocking the re-opening of schools and then paying social media influencers to say schools are safe, without taking any steps to ensure that they are?
Why did they announce a Plan B of rotas for schools in tiers of lockdown and then never actually use it?
Why did they say that an effective test and trace system was vital to opening schools and then also say they were surprised when demand increased when schools opened?
Why do they keep saying schools are a priority and that be the only thing they say about keeping them open?

And where the fuck is Gavin Williamson?

Nellodee don’t they share the information with you? I’m not surprised a local paper isn’t picking it up but is it not something you can ask for at school?

We get told if we have been in the same class as a student who has tested positive. I have had three positives in my classes within however many days it is of me teaching them. I only know who has tested positive amongst the students by comparing notes with other teachers. It's even harder to find out who has tested positive amongst the staff.

Plus it’s fine to talk about transmission differences for children as primary may be different to secondary based on this.

@Nellodee

We get told if we have been in the same class as a student who has tested positive. I have had three positives in my classes within however many days it is of me teaching them. I only know who has tested positive amongst the students by comparing notes with other teachers. It's even harder to find out who has tested positive amongst the staff.

That is difficult. Is it data protection or just hard to obtain? Not sure why

Well, I can say for certain that Van Tam's comment about it not spreading much amongst 16 year olds is total bullshit.

Maybe but if it’s the case that primary is different to secondary it’d make sense to focus limited resources on say 14 or 16 plus

Nellodee that’s interesting to hear your experience. I absolutely do believe you and agree it is madness

Haven’t read the whole thread but I work in a school and agree.

"Well I keep reading time and time again on mums net that the 8% of the working population that are parents don't matter and the government aren't going to make policy to suit them."

I'm pretty sure I've been on most of the schools threads recently, and I've never seen anyone suggest that that 8% (or whatever it is) don't matter. It might have been pointed out as a counterbalance to the assumption that the economy will grind to a halt because "no one" would be able to go to work unless schools provide childcare.

@Nellodee

I find all this talk about "do children transmit the virus" very amusing, when I am teaching in a school in which children are testing positive like dominos. The only way I think we could have faster spread is if we relocated to a cruise ship.

One week ago, we had no cases. Today, we have over 500 children isolating and over 20 positive cases. I don't know the exact amount, because only the first three cases made it to the newspaper. Cases are not doubling every week, more like every 2-3 days. We appear to me to have an internal R very similar to the one we had in March, and it's no surprise because we have no useful protection whatsoever!

But let's just keep discussing whether or not children can transmit, eh? Meanwhile, those of us working in explosive clusters in schools, will just keep on keeping on. Until we can't. Which will be very, very soon indeed.

You've put this very well and I agree with everything you say.

@StarCat2020

I don't understand the logic behind "children don't spread COVID"

Are there any other illnesses that act in this way?

A friend of mine who's a GP told me recently that it is thought that children seem more likely to carry the virus in their noses, unlike adult, meaning that whilst they can (and do) spread it, it is not SO rampant as from someone who would cough the droplets from their mouths.

Nebular don’t you think it’s useful to know where to focus resources by understanding age differences?

I am surprised that there isn’t more talk of teachers striking just now due to the situation

It suited the government and some of the media to portray us at commie whining cowards before the summer. See how compliant we actually are as a profession?

Meanwhile, those of us working in explosive clusters in schools, will just keep on keeping on. Until we can't. Which will be very, very soon indeed

I agree and my own experience says the same. More cases again today. Soon there won’t be enough staff to keep schools open and then it won’t matter who or how the virus is transmitting

It’s wishful thinking - understandable, but unrealistic
You are generous.

I was thinking that it was just BS so that schools could be reopened without putting any measures in place.

My year 10 son was sent home to SI just one week into term after a positive case in class.

Just found out a different child in the same options group has tested positive, so the same children are back in SI.

More than 3 weeks in total.

Home learning was mixed. On two days no work was sent home at all, yet assessments were carried out the following week, with no consideration to 2 'missed' Chemistry lessons.

I worry there will be division by postcode, school and even the same school, where some groups are sent back repeatedly with mixed learning, while others are not.

It is frustrating because we've not had more than 10 continuous days in school since March. He has an early GCSE next year too.

He has an early GCSE next year too
Could this be changed at all?

I don't know Star as I didn't realise that might be an option. Fingers crossed.

Good luck!!

Today both my dc school, one primary and one secondary, both have had covid positive in their classes. One dc has to isolate.

It says child in close proximity but its not clear if that's specific to my dc because the whole year has to isolate.
I'm feeling pretty worried now.
To have both on the same day go down.

Nellodee that's awful.
It's the most awful feeling.

Can you contact a paper?
It needs media expose.
Strange the unions went so quiet.

Unfortunately I do think many schools shot themselves in the foot by not doing more over lock down.. It's pretty clear some schools managed key worker dc, as well as get weekly work out to students!
Some didn't and seemed belligerent to do more.

So in many ways they shot themselves in the foot.

Unfortunately I do think many schools shot themselves in the foot by not doing more over lock down.. It's pretty clear some schools managed key worker dc, as well as get weekly work out to students!
Some didn't and seemed belligerent to do more.

Are you suggesting that because some schools didn't do 'enough' in lockdown, the government is making every school stay in session even though they don't really have enough staff? Or have clusters of covid infections?

Schools were literally told to suspend the curriculum. It said those words on the guidance. It was the government's fault that some schools didn't do 'enough'.

Schools were literally told to suspend the curriculum. It said those words on the guidance. It was the government's fault that some schools didn't do 'enough'.

This in the UK everywhere. We were all working in hubs and online. A total misconception. Everyone found lock down hard. We were trying to adjust to new systems and ways of working as well as dealing with our own family issues.

Everyone I know with kids has been of this opinion from the start. The idea that kids don’t spread this like wildfire is ludicrous. They are deliberately looking the other way. That said, I don’t want schools to close.