Now we know why the govt were suppressing the schools infection data

[noblegiraffe]

...because for secondary it’s very worrying.

They choose to release it the day before we break up for half term, too late for any circuit breaker like the other U.K. countries.

They’ve quietly removed the assertion that schools aren’t high risk settings from the guidance. At what point are they going to start to be honest about the risks, particularly in sixth forms and colleges?

assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/928749/Weekly_COVID-19_and_Influenza_Surveillance_Graphs_W43_FINAL.pdf

Forthplace horrendous for all of you in school

And of course his family to care for and to support, Mr J's own children, his wife, his parents, his younger sister.

Are we responsible, did we pass it on, will this pass to yet another child and leave them ill.

We also have a very seriously ill HT locally.

This is real tough stuff. 💔💔💔

No to online/blended learning. Lockdown learning broke my happy, well adjusted, clever son who has no learning difficulties etc. He is in heat 10 and it would be disastrous for his education.

It is very sad about Mr. J.

The HT at our secondary school set out a very detailed plan before the kids went back; they were specifically planning to keep the school open for face to face teaching until they had too many ill teachers to continue. Very matter of fact, among all the other plans.

Poor bloody teachers.

[quote RonaLisa]@herecomesthsun You what, re 'posters you recognise'? I have been here almost 20 years. I NC every couple of months.

As you were.[/quote]
Yup, me too, fwiw.

@Miseryl

No to online/blended learning. Lockdown learning broke my happy, well adjusted, clever son who has no learning difficulties etc. He is in heat 10 and it would be disastrous for his education.

Then write to your MP and your councillors and tell them they need to make school safer, so there is a better chance they will stay open for your son?

I really haven’t seen anything on the news about a spike in hospitalisation for secondary school students or their teachers.

Perhaps this is a “non-problem.”

@Miseryl

No to online/blended learning. Lockdown learning broke my happy, well adjusted, clever son who has no learning difficulties etc. He is in heat 10 and it would be disastrous for his education.

Well that’s that then. Never mind any teachers or school staff that die or get seriously ill because your child didn’t do so well at learning from home. How about you write to your MP and start some petitions about getting better mitigations in schools if you feel so strongly about it.

@EmpressoftheMundane

I really haven’t seen anything on the news about a spike in hospitalisation for secondary school students or their teachers.

Perhaps this is a “non-problem.”

Apparently there is a lot of scaremongering going on in the media. I wouldn't know, because I haven't really noticed scaremongering in the BBC or in most of the broadsheets.

I would be very interested to read more stories about schools and I think we should be taking a lot of note about levels of illness in teachers.

We are hearing this anecdotally here but it doesn't seem to be reported, funny that.

Is there a body (the D of E, a Union?) that is noting morbidity and mortality for teachers?

@EmpressoftheMundane

I really haven’t seen anything on the news about a spike in hospitalisation for secondary school students or their teachers.

Perhaps this is a “non-problem.”

Independent Sage spoke about the school data and the problems with schools today. It’s an interesting watch

Yep, how dare anyone want their DC to receive an education @Starlight101.

The media is not reporting anything about schools because there is nothing to report. All schools are open on a full time basis and the vast majority of DC are in school every day learning.

Unfortunately there is a small minority of teachers trying to stir up trouble where none exists for political ends.

Schools must and will be remaining open on a full time basis across the country.

So sorry to hear that @ForthPlace. So sad for his family and very upsetting for the school community. We are on edge at our school at the thought that we could unintentionally infect our vulnerable students and colleagues.

@Ecosse

Yep, how dare anyone want their DC to receive an education *@Starlight101*.

The media is not reporting anything about schools because there is nothing to report. All schools are open on a full time basis and the vast majority of DC are in school every day learning.

Unfortunately there is a small minority of teachers trying to stir up trouble where none exists for political ends.

Schools must and will be remaining open on a full time basis across the country.

The fact that you can make that post, that ‘schools WILL remain open’ right above the post referring to a TA who has died of Covid is heartless to say the least.

How dare you demand that schools remain open as they are now! When school staff have no protection, no PPE or distancing that is provided for almost all other workers. How dare you!

@sunflowers246

I'll try again:

Ok I can see it now, sunflowers, but as I said before, the massive spike in cases in 10-19 year olds could well be due to mass testing of university students which we know flushed out huge numbers of asymptomatic cases.

The ONS survey data which is random sampling shows the infection rate as steady in that age group.

The ONS survey data also shows a drop in Y7-11 infection rate, but a rise in primary school infection rate. God knows what is going on there.

We need more data.

@Starlight101

As I’ve said previously, I do not think vulnerable staff or DC should be expected to attend school and I think it’s disgraceful that they are being forced to.

All schools are open on a full time basis

No. Almost all schools are open to some or all of their pupils.

However, about half of secondary schools are shut to some of their pupils, and some are shut completely. At least 400,000 students per day (and rising) are not in school. Some areas have no schools that are 'open on a full time basis' to everyone.

Schools must and will be remaining open on a full time basis across the country.

Do you have a level of teacher illness and death that you regard as reaching 'unacceptable collateral damage' to achieve this? Or do you genuinely think that it really doesn't matter how many staff (and students) become ill, schools should remain open and should continue to have no effective mitigation?

Would you say the same about NHS staff?

Forthplace I remember you posting before. When we casually talk about risks and death rates we should take time to remember that there's a real person with their own story behind every piece of data.

@cantkeepawayforever

I don’t think vulnerable staff should be in school. The rest have far more chance of being run over on the way to school than dying from COVID transmitted in it.

[quote Ecosse]@Starlight101

As I’ve said previously, I do not think vulnerable staff or DC should be expected to attend school and I think it’s disgraceful that they are being forced to.[/quote]
Well that would close all schools down immediately then. Staff over 50, obese staff, diabetes etc. So how exactly would that work?

Do nurses who aren’t vulnerable not have to use any sort of PPE? Or are masks required by EVERYONE now? Why do you think that is? And why the hell shouldn’t all school staff be affording the same courtesy. And if parents don’t like their little darlings to wear masks then they need blended learning so there can be more distancing.

I honestly wish all teachers would go on strike. Bring the country to its knees for how they have been treated. I would support them 100%! But they won’t because they care about your child’s education as much as you do. They just know that things can’t carry on like this.

Ecosse are you upset about the TA that died? Or the educational impact on the children they worked with?

How do you feel about home education generally?

[quote Ecosse]@Piggywaspushed

Would you accept a Nazi on ‘independent’ SAGE? If not, why on earth can we trust a supporter of an authoritarian ideology that has killed millions of people.[/quote]
WTAF now Eccose.

I notice you didn't answer any of the questions I put to you.

You have even less understanding of communism than you do of public health and epidemiology.

It was you dear who suggested decreasing the availability of tests, and hiding the true extent of covid to the population in order to avoid hysteria. The only likely result would be more deaths.

So who here is murderous? you or me. And I'm a commie.

Don't bother to answer, I'm just going to ignore your ridiculous comments and go back to listening to Independent sage. herecomesthsun thank you for the link.

Absolutely @StartingOver2020, my condolences are with the TA’s family and friends.,

My children can take and use masks if they wish to at any time (primary). They are completely normalised. Some do, some don’t. Unless parents ask that they do, the school leaves it up to the child. My 8 year old child always puts one on for her geography lesson. When I asked her why she said it was because her teacher was old like grandma and she didn’t want her to die because she loved her Imagine how she would feel if her beloved teacher died from Covid. Lots of children would feel guilty. What a tragedy for everyone. Exactly how some of the children who Mr J taught are feeling no doubt.

If testing were “removed from schools” (which presumably actually means that school-age children would not be allowed tests), or if my own headteacher was hiding positive cases from us, I would remove myself from school.

Me too. People like Ecosse are deluded if they think teachers would just carry on going into school under those conditions.

Already in my school staff are voting with their feet. We’ve got more cover teachers in than we’ve ever had.

I believe children’s education is important, but I wouldn’t risk my life for it. So either the government starts thinking about how to make it safe, or I’ll be joining our other 11 teachers on long-term sick leave.