NEU calls for two week closure for secondaries and colleges following leap in infections

[noblegiraffe]

The NEU has called for a two week closure of secondary schools and colleges following a more than 9-fold increase in the infection rate in secondary school children in a month.

www.tes.com/news/coronavirus-teachers-demand-2-week-school-closures-after-cases-jump

The infection rate in Y7-11 was 0.5% last week, according to the ONS survey of random households, but this nearly doubled to 0.93% in the latest set of figures. This rise cannot be ignored or passed off as relating to university students as has happened so far.

In other, entirely unrelated news, 61% of teachers report that if a student doesn't wear a mask in a school where they are mandated in communal areas 'nothing happens'.

www.tes.com/news/coronavirus-61-staff-say-nothing-done-if-pupils-wont-wear-masks

And Teacher Tapp data from yesterday had 26% of teachers reporting that their schools were partially closed to students.

In the meantime, the testing positivity rate in 10-19 year olds is 17%, which means that this group is severely under-tested and lots of cases will be missed. The rate should be below 5%.

Yet the insistence continues that in any lockdown scenario, schools will remain open. Idiocy.

I was on a thread where someone accused the op of saying something over and over yet when someone searched it actually came up once in 2010.
Yes, and when the poster concerned was called upon to retract their accusation, they disappeared.

My friend's teacher son was told by his SLT to use his personal mobile phone from home (where his "office" was his bedroom) to make welfare calls to the girls in his tutor group on their mobile phones where they might well have also been in their bedrooms. He refused, for his own and their protection. Are there really posters who think this kind of safeguarding is being "precious?"

All schools will be closing for at least 9 days at the end of the month. Some schools local to me are having a 2 week half term. Surely that will provide the circuit breaker you want? I would resent all schools closing, when my DS secondary school has not yet had a single case. I appreciate that is just good luck and may change, but I see no benefit in closing all schools. Maybe swifter and more comprehensive action needs to be taken in schools where it has got in and started to spread?

Bunsy the difference will be is that there is avenue for complaint. Last time if a school didn't provide anything, there was nothing anyone, not even Ofsted, could do about it, because there weren't any standards to inspect against.

There's always disparity in education provision. Some schools are totally inadequate and will be providing an inadequate education even now when the kids are in school. It isn't just a lockdown issue.

You can't complain that some schools provide an inadequate education during school closures while suggesting the problem goes away when they are open.

@WouldBeGood

If they close schools then teachers should face the same financial consequences as the hospitality workers.

Bitter!

If it was using Zoom last term it was probably breaking safeguarding. My school wouldn’t use it, and as l said it was an Ofsted outstanding in safeguarding. But you obviously know more than them Bunny so that’s fine🤷🏼‍♀️

@WouldBeGood

I’m really glad my child’s school is run by teachers who want children in school and have a sensible and positive approach.

You have absolutely no idea what those teachers really think. As has been said countless times by all the teachers on these Covid threads over the last few months, we ALL present to our children and their parents as professional, enthusiastic and positive. Rightly or wrongly, that seems to have led to people thinking that schools are therefore safe and "doing fine." Nothing could be further from the truth, I'm afraid.

@WouldBeGood

I’m really glad my child’s school is run by teachers who want children in school and have a sensible and positive approach.

That applies to all schools discussed here. The teachers on this thread have a very sensible and positive approach. They all want schools open safely. Not one has said anything different.

Their concerns are about what should happen if the schools have to close, which some health experts say is inevitable. But you seem to think you know better.

You also seem to think the teachers will have a choice in the matter, which is a bit silly. It won't be their decision to close schools.

They are concerned about how to continue to educate children in the event of a close down.

Pretending they are saying something different is transparently false.

@WouldBeGood

“Remote learning” is just rubbish and not worth it. Fine, close schools. But not pretend that effective teaching goes on without them. So, no work, no pay like the rest of us

I disagree. My students made good progress during last lockdown as evidenced in test results so far this term.

Some schools local to me are having a 2 week half term. Surely that will provide the circuit breaker you want?

How effective a circuit-breaker will it be if some schools are in?

The incubation period is 14 days, presumably for a reason, so I'm not sure that 9 days will be adequate. If it's going to be done, it needs to be done properly, otherwise it's just a waste of everyone's time.

Ah right so all teachers think the same as you and are moaning on the internet elsewhere? I see. I didn't realise teachers all shared one brain.

And lol at long terms my job is also hard but I go more than 7 weeks without s day off regularly!

The whole thing is a waste of time Noble😭

The government don’t give a shit about kids, parents, school staff or education.

@WouldBeGood

clearly gets all the points for prodding the hornets nest.

All schools will be closing for 9 days at the end of the month

My DC school have teacher training days either side of this half term they are off for 8 school days, I think this was always the plan though not specifically changed because of covid cases

@Hailtomyteeth

You know, schools are not essential. Most of what goes on there isn't education, it's containment and busywork. I had over 20 years in secondary schools, I've seen it in action.

Life, on the other hand, is fairly important. Health, too. Close the fucking schools.

Never have I seen a truer statement on MN than what is above. 25 years plus in this game now

@TheEmojiFormerlyKnownAsPrince

The whole thing is a waste of time Noble😭

The government don’t give a shit about kids, parents, school staff or education.

But they increasingly can't hide the data, and parents are increasingly cottoning on.

Remember the threads started only a few weeks ago when schools went back where parents didn't realise there wouldn't be any social distancing?

Less and less resistance to masks in schools too, I think.

Bubbles popping all over the place has brought things into focus.

"And lol at long terms grin my job is also hard but I go more than 7 weeks without s day off regularly!"

Perhaps you get weekends off though. And time to eat lunch/go to the loo during your working day? Maybe you are fortunate enough not to have to continue working once you have left your work's premises (assuming you're not working from home) long into the night?
And perhaps also, your holidays are all paid?

[quote monkeytennis97]@Hailtomyteeth

You know, schools are not essential. Most of what goes on there isn't education, it's containment and busywork. I had over 20 years in secondary schools, I've seen it in action.

Life, on the other hand, is fairly important. Health, too. Close the fucking schools.

Never have I seen a truer statement on MN than what is above. 25 years plus in this game now[/quote]
Schools are not essential?

What new jobs y'all planning to get then?

@TrustTheGeneGenie oooo been planning that for years and saving up towards it

@CallmeAngelina

"And lol at long terms grin my job is also hard but I go more than 7 weeks without s day off regularly!"

Perhaps you get weekends off though. And time to eat lunch/go to the loo during your working day? Maybe you are fortunate enough not to have to continue working once you have left your work's premises (assuming you're not working from home) long into the night?
And perhaps also, your holidays are all paid?

Fairly certain teachers get weekends off.

I do work when I've left works premises.

My holidays are paid but I get a damn site less than teachers Oh, and I get paid much less too. .

It's like you genuinely believe teaching is the only challenging job.

[quote monkeytennis97]@TrustTheGeneGenie oooo been planning that for years and saving up towards it[/quote]
Have you? Not many jobs out there now. Certainly not enough for lots of unemployed teachers.

@noblegiraffe

And lol at long terms grin my job is also hard but I go more than 7 weeks without s day off regularly!

Thought you were leaving the thread, Trust due to all the bullying

And yet here you still are plopping in shit like this. Your agenda is showing.

You did bully me. You know you did.

What agenda?

Not saying teachers don't have a hard job. Just saying lots of other jobs are hard. Is that not true then or?

@TrustTheGeneGenie oh well guess I'll keep cracking on then seeing as you know exactly what I am planning on doing

[quote monkeytennis97]@TrustTheGeneGenie oh well guess I'll keep cracking on then seeing as you know exactly what I am planning on doing [/quote]
I don't give a shit what you're doing, but closing schools because they are not essential would make thousands of teachers unemployed...... That's not great is it?

Holidays not paid.....