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?

This thread feels like every other. Which posters are the troops?

There’s no suppression. The situation is blandly normal for vast majority.

The vaccine will not be given to kids or even the under 50s and that’s assuming you manage to get one, first time we will have ever had a successful vaccine for a corona virus.

We will get one and it will be available to vulnerable people of whatever age. Let's not just keep repeating the narrative that there is no nuance possible to the way we think about immunity and everyone just has to 'learn to live with it'. It's not so simple as that.

There is plenty of evidence of a T cell response actually ( which would not be picked up on antibody test).

I disagree with the bubbles being sent home at all rather than the lack of reporting of it.

Why does every thread with topics like this end up with some posters trying to stifle it by engaging in character assassination?

@iVampire

I agree - I am the (paused) shielded parent of a sixth former.

The school is definitely playing fast and loose with elements of the guidelines (not as far as a breach, but definitely not living up to their rhetoric)

Fortunately all the pupils swap info between themselves on SM, so I did know when a close contact was being tested (and could isolate from DD until results known)

But that was the pupils enjoying gossip, knowing DD has a mother living with leukaemia, and looking out for her and making sure she knows,

I asked the school for individual, confidential, early warning if they knew if pupils close to DD being off got a test. They say they can’t, even when explained that the information would allow us to take additional domestic precautions.

I am very glad that the pupils themselves are so community minded in looking out for those with vulnerabilities (themselves of at home)

That's lovely. Reassuring. But I agree school should be doing it. There could be families who have not shared similar health information with children who need to know.

Do all of Europe have schools open?

As far as I know they are yes. Children typically stay asymptomatic or have very mild symptoms. The damage to closing schools would far outweigh any benefits!

Children are being 'asked' to chose between education and family life though. There are lots of older children having to distance from their vulnerable parents and lots more no longer seeing grandparents or aunts and uncles because the measures in schools arent as good in other areas of life. I think these effect mental health too.
I wish we could talk about mitigation and spread in schools without people saying 'we cant just close the schools - end of conversation' . We've already lost a whole week school because we were waiting for a negative result. So faster test results would keep school open for more children more of the time. Other countries have face masks so less bubble gets sent home. But we dont seem to be allowed to suggest this. We have to say open as normal and pretend that some (13,000) children aren't getting zero education because we just opened as normal. I dont get why its so polarised.

Authorities worked to reassure staff about the safety of returning. If teachers refused to return to work, a health assessment was offered to reassure them about their risk level if they contracted the disease. The percentage of teacher absenteeism went from double digits to between 2% and 5% as a result, according to Andreas Schleicher, director of education for the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development

Good idea from Germany.

That is a good idea

@Janevaljane

It makes me sad that noble is a teacher. She/he talks about kids with utter disdain.

That's an interesting perspective and not one that I can agree with.

I've read absolutely tons of education threads on MN and I've never seen noblegiraffe talk about children with anything approaching disdain.

Much disdain directed at the govt, DoE, Williamson, the media, parents and other invested bodies who won't engage with news from the frontline ie teachers, but never the children.

Piggywashpushed is absolutely right about the character assassination which happens when posters run out of arguments.

I don't always agree with noblegiraffe but do admire her (I think she's a her apologies if not) tenacity in asking awkward questions and always, always foregrounding staff and student well-being and health.

The precious line never goes down well. I wish it would disappear with various others (childcare one)

But we don’t have to make it personal. Teachers are valued even if on here some might provoke with irritating lines.

Can anyone confirm that the vaccine isn't planned for under 50s? I read this too but I've also read about a 10 tier system where those who are vulnerable will be offered it first and it will eventually be offered to those at the bottom meaning everyone will be offered it.

Childcare is not an insult though. It's a fact that parents struggle to work effectively if children are home and it is a major part of this equation, as so many families have both parents working.

@Janevaljane

It makes me sad that noble is a teacher. She/he talks about kids with utter disdain.

I have been on here for over 10 years and don’t think I’ve ever heard Noble talking about kids with anything like disdain.

I hope I have someone like her teaching my kids maths.

I'm not a teacher by the way. Can I just mention that I would be delighted if noble giraffe were teaching my children, my hunch is that she's excellent!

"precious children* is a phrase she uses a lot. I find it disdainful. Or maybe it's just directed at parents.

At the end of the day

• education stats are not being mentioned in key briefings.

• many teachers still feel and are vulnerable.

• Nobel is a very committed and kind teacher and a very kind individual too.

@Janevaljane

"precious children* is a phrase she uses a lot. I find it disdainful. Or maybe it's just directed at parents.

Maybe it is that parents prize various things - but some parents don't seem to prize the safety of their children's schools very highly, or don't seem to think that this is important?

And just want schools to be open even if the children are going in with coronavirus and getting infected? Regardless?

Whereas if parents prized education and safety they could be supporting schools instead, in getting better measures in place?

It makes me sad that noble is a teacher. She/he talks about kids with utter disdain.

I have to say I completely disagree with this. On all of the threads I have seen with regards to education I have never once read noble commenting on children with disdain.
I for one am glad there are teachers out there who care enough about education that they put themselves on the line asking these difficult questions regardless of how uncomfortable it makes people feel.
Personal attacks are not on.

"Precious children:"

I've seen this. I'm in a middle class area. Well off parents moaning about small differences at school post Covid. Eg still no hot meals. No singing club. A friend was angry that the children of key workers were in school (often hospital consultants here) and hers weren't simply because she saw they were "getting more education than hers" and so "once again, they get more." She's in an affluent area and well off.

I teach some of the most deprived and vulnerable children in the country. Basic needs being met is a priority. Some parents have no fucking clue.

@Janevaljane

"precious children* is a phrase she uses a lot. I find it disdainful. Or maybe it's just directed at parents.

Agree. It's a unnecessary condescending addition to a sentence.

I could call my kids arsehole kids, but your children should be precious to you. Like any other close member of your family, unless they genuinely ARE arseheles. Kids generally are all lovely, but when they grow up they might diverge into a state of being a arsehole.

Maybe the word precious here can be replaced with burdensome.

Referring to a person (especially an OP) in the third person is classic bullying.

Please stop.