Government removes statement schools are not considered "high risk settings" in guidance.

[IloveJKRowling]

Reported in the TES

www.tes.com/news/Covid-dfe-cuts-schools-arent-high-risk-line-guidance

From the article:
"The government has removed a paragraph from its Covid guidance stating that schools are not considered "high risk settings".

The Department for Education (DfE) previously stated in its guidance for schools that Public Health England (PHE) and the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) advise that schools are not considered high risk work environments, and it is "therefore appropriate for teachers and other school staff to return to their workplace setting".

But following an update to the guidance today, this detail has vanished."

I would love them to just blanket test a school and we could actually see how many staff / students are positive. They never will in case they get the same results as the uni with so many asymptomatic people.
My dc love being back in school and I agree they need to be open as I am sure do all teachers.
But not like this it’s not safe for anyone. Physically and mentally.

@starrynight19

I would love them to just blanket test a school and we could actually see how many staff / students are positive. They never will in case they get the same results as the uni with so many asymptomatic people. My dc love being back in school and I agree they need to be open as I am sure do all teachers. But not like this it’s not safe for anyone. Physically and mentally.

they did that at Eton. Year 12 tested positive and the entire year were dispersed to family townhouses and/or country seats throughout the land.

How easy it is to profess a willingness to teach a class full of children, when you're safe in the knowledge that you can continue to (probably) work from home, mixing with very few people.

www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-8827453/Pupils-Eton-College-sent-home-isolate-significant-number-students-test-positive.html

Sorry daily mail but the telegraph article's behind a paywall.

"Bosses at the prestigious boarding school also told the paper that it had paid to set up its own track and trace and testing system in order to take pressure off the NHS."

"In order to take pressure of the NHS" being a euphemism I assume for 'the shitty test and trace system our former pupils have set up is so crap we needed to do our own thing to ensure we'd get the results back in time to make any difference to onward transmission and control of the outbreak'

But not like this it’s not safe for anyone. Physically and mentally.

100% agree.

Isn't it amazing how much detail Ecosse knows about schools in the current climate considering she doesn't even work in one!

I think it would be great if Ecosse went to work as a Teaching Assistant or as a nursing assistant, as has been mooted on previous threads, when she discussed marshalling NHS staff and dispatching them across the nation.

Why not lead by example? It would be great to see!

You need to be brave and courageous to face the unknown breath coming at you everyday.

@herecomesthsun

I think it would be great if Ecosse went to work as a Teaching Assistant or as a nursing assistant, as has been mooted on previous threads, when she discussed marshalling NHS staff and dispatching them across the nation.

Why not lead by example? It would be great to see!

Excellent idea. She could be commandeered to work in a hospital at the other end of the country from her home, or wrap up un thermals and ski wear to sit near an open window in a freezing classroom, right next to sneezing and coughing children, hearing them read.

I'd pay money to witness that.

Ecosse a teacher. She has been hiding her plight under a bushel.

[quote Ecosse]@Marcellemouse

I would be more than happy to teach a class of DC as I know that my personal risk from COVID is very low to non existent.[/quote]
The issue is a lot of teachers are having to teach multiple classes of 30 students in a day in close contact which amounts to hundreds every week. They aren’t even been told when those students test positive.

Cases in my youngest child’s primary today. A huge out break in a local secondary. We are in the rural south west, with ‘low incidence’. Total joke now. Lots of stats are not being published. This government has been gaslighting everyone. The subtle changes prove it. I’m furious. I know how much we had to juggle to cover this term. Those who work in tier 2 and 3, god knows how you’re doing it. I can only see schools closing, which I don’t want to happen.

There comes a cross over point between keeping schools open and feeling safe.

I can't understand why the unions don't do more or did the shoot themselves in the foot in March?

Why arnt they grilling on other measures, are they allowed on site to witness sd measures, ventilation?.
Can they look at cases per school and do risk assessments?

Are no journalists wanting to cover it.
Will we get into the depths of winter with horror before us when it's too late?

We don't mix with other people, we are in tier one, we've had about 4 play dates with a few dc and that's it.
No pubs etc.. One restaurant and one this weekend.. No cafes.. No family we see.

I have by main shop delivery on line, I'm quite quick in shops if I need anything..

Dh works from home.
Our home life I'd say is low risk.
But it beggars belief that every day secondary dd has to join a several hundred strong bubble!

My dd is a very bright sensible girl, extremely rational and carful and even she can't do masks properly! Keeps touching it.

Every day between myself and two dc we are linked directly one person removed (?) TO hundreds perhaps over 1000 other families?

Apparently cases here are tripling. They want us go to next tier or 3. I've just learned a bubble burst where I work and someone who was doing extra work with the students doesn't have to isolate however I had a long convo with this person too!

The issue work the unions is that if you give them an inch they’ll take a mile. They were obstructive in regards to online learning- remember their stance was that no live online lessons, marking or phone calls home should take place during lockdown.

They didn’t want schools to reopen at all. They have certainly shot themselves in the foot now and simply cannot be taken seriously by the government or parents.

The issue work the unions is that if you give them an inch they’ll take a mile. They were obstructive in regards to online learning- remember their stance was that no live online lessons, marking or phone calls home should take place during lockdown

Unions can only issue advice, not instructions.

They didn’t want schools to reopen at all

Not true.

They have certainly shot themselves in the foot now and simply cannot be taken seriously by the government or parents

Not sure what you mean by this, but unions are there to defend the pay and conditions of their members, not court the good opinion of non-members.

@Ecosse you say you would issue fines to schools that close windows, what about schools that have classrooms where windows don’t open or indeed classrooms that don’t have windows. What will you do with them?

@ineedaholidaynow

I would send contractors to every school in the country to make sure that every window is capable of being opened.

I would also put a lot of money into improving ventilation in school buildings through vents and air cleansing systems. Personally I would also offer funding to venues like bars and restaurants to do this.

Haven't read the whole thread but agree that the government gaslighted saying 'little evidence of transmission in schools'. And yes, there's been cases in schools and no, not many, if any teachers and pupils have been severely affected so far. But these things ramp up.. it's probably not that risky to the majority of the school population, but if they are mixing in ways that allow the virus to spread, its increasing community transmission, which will 'invevitably' lead to more elderly family members THEN getting infected, then, a few more weeks to get sick and possibly die. So it's not just one transmission for schools, the effects of it spreading take quite a while to be noticed in the more vulnerable population. But the point is, the conditions which encourage the spread of the virus are there. We're not there yet.

I would also put a lot of money into improving ventilation in school buildings through vents and air cleansing systems. Personally I would also offer funding to venues like bars and restaurants to do this

Why them? You do know they don't install it themselves.

@echt

Because we should be doing everything possible imo to reduce transmission that does not involve lockdowns and closing things.

If we can give businesses money to operate more safely, we can perhaps keep then open and staff employed.

Vitamin D is another thing I’d like the government to be looking at.

Because we should be doing everything possible imo to reduce transmission that does not involve lockdowns and closing things

We certainly should, which is why it is baffling that the government said schools were safe, when they weren't, and told teachers not to wear masks.

I do agree that vulnerable staff and DC should not be in school

When statements such as this are made, it would be really helpful if a) 'vulnerable' was defined and b) there was at least some sort of outline about his DC who are affected will receive their education, especially in years 10-13

I teach in Victoria, and the DET have published criteria that define what they allow as vulnerable staff. Staff then have to produce a medical cert that say they satisfy the DET criteria and teach remotely.

It goes like this:

1.Anyone 70+

1. Indigenous/Torres Strait Islanders 50+
2. 65+ chronic health condition
3. Anyone with immune-suppressed conditions.

It's 3 and 4 that would cover the greater number of staff, and it's notable that there is no more detail than this, e.g. what chronic health condition?

I have to say none of it includes care of the vulnerable.

Actually house what you are learning now is that the teaching unions aren't at all as the media (and the government portrayed them in the spring and summer). That was all spin spin spin. The unions are weak, flaccid and passive.

[quote Ecosse]@ineedaholidaynow

I would send contractors to every school in the country to make sure that every window is capable of being opened.

I would also put a lot of money into improving ventilation in school buildings through vents and air cleansing systems. Personally I would also offer funding to venues like bars and restaurants to do this.[/quote]
What would you say to my SLT who emailed around to say no coats in classrooms and that when children say they are cold, you should close the windows and door. There will be no external body monitoring this as few schools have had an Ofsted Covid inspection and when they do, inspectors can’t come round to see classrooms.