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

[pointythings]

I have no problem with introducing blended learning based on those graphs, but if they do then exams next year need to be cancelled now and robust alternative assessment systems put in place. My Yr13 isn't socialising at all and is working her backside off on all her homework and assessments, and she and her peers deserve better than a repeat of this year's disaster.

[etopp]

@phlebasconsidered

Come back to it then etopp. There are loads of vacancies round my way. Join us again. I bet you miss it.

Actually, I do. I thought that was all over 20 years ago when I had DC! Though I'm not sure I could cope with all the Covid (and other) regulations now...

[ahola]

As of today, 10% of our teaching staff are off with positive covid tests.
But as long as @etopp has her child in school, who cares eh?

[MrsWooster]

@Namenic

Maybe if you centralized the curriculum and had national online lessons plus exercises and discussion forum, that may help blended learning. Live lessons could help answering individual questions and reinforcement.

It’s kind of a shame the govt didn’t make use of time in summer to prepare. I’m pretty sure teachers predicted this and wanted a plan b.

It’s going to have to be this-a National programme, like Oak Academy, thateveryone follows -teachers teach it in school, for a better outcome, but it’s there for everyone to be accessing at the same time. It’s a hideous thought, as an ex teacher who hated any hint of top-down lesson /scheme planning, but we live in hideous times and it may be a way of getting by.

[Sweettea1]

When were we told schools wouldn't transmit the virus? I missed that hence why they were closed in the first place. Am under the understanding children will get it but no where near as bad as adults which seems true going by death figure difference between adult an children.

[noblegiraffe]

@anniegun

You do realise the case rates per 100,000 are less than for the population as a whole in every year group apart from possibly yr13 (which is about average)?

And increasing, which is important, yes?

When the infection rates increase in the community, they close pubs and ban mixing of households because they want to stop the increase (remember your exponential graphs). What should they do here?

[noblegiraffe]

When were we told schools wouldn't transmit the virus?

Oh god where were you in the summer?

[FiveFootTwoEyesOfBlue]

Another day, another scaremongering thread about schools. This is getting tedious.
In my DD's school of about 1600 pupils they have had...
1 case.
And how many other pupils and staff did it spread to?
Zero.

[skylarkdescending]

@Jrobhatch29

Because many younger children are asymptomatic and so are not being tested and included in the figures. It is spreading silently through primary schools and back out into the community.

Any evidence?

Anecdata from my own, many local and teacher friends schools mostly.

And common sense.

Children spread everything. They touch everything, they have poor personal hygiene. They play and work closely together. There is no distancing or protective measures in primary schools apart from some extra hand washing or sanitising.

My class and I are in one room for over 6 hours a day with very little ventilation.

There are plenty of recorded cases in families at school with asymptomatic children. Some have only been picked up as part of routine testing for parents work.

Why when children sit together for hours every day, 5 days a week would they be more likely to pick it up at the park or on a play date?

Lost the links now but the mn data thread had info on young children having increased viral load.

[Piggywaspushed]

Why is this scaremongering? This is public domain PHE data!

[Oaktree55]

Israel reported more on children being the cause of the spread. It seems a bit suspicious Italy was doing so well (with hospitality open) then schools open and boom. I wonder if track and trace here when gathering data from positive cases also asked “do you have school aged children?” After noting that said positive person had visited a restaurant/pub in the preceding 2 weeks.

[ahola]

When were we told schools wouldn't transmit the virus?
When we were told schools were "covid secure"!

[Qasd]

Yes secondary can shut but teachers furloughed on the same wage deal as available in the private sector when sectors have to shut (so two thirds wages)

Assume teaching unions will be happy with that deal to help the greater good! Strange because poor bar staff are not so keen to shut their workplace

Anything else is going to look desperately unfair unless teachers provide full live teaching when schools shut (so can genuinely be said to be “working from home” not “I put up a worksheet and a video on Monday that is surely a full weeks work and no of course I cannot mark anything or talk to a student in any capacity didn’t they watch the video?!”

But again are teachers now happy with a full live online teaching timetable-they def said they were not in March to July!

We are now facing an economic crisis in this country expecting parents to give up work to teach children while still paying teachers full wages to not “teach” children because that is the job of parents is economically unviable in the situation we find ourselves.

[ahola]

@qasd so you don't want Y11 and Y13 to actually pass their exams?

[echt]

Another day, another scaremongering thread about schools. This is getting tedious.In my DD's school of about 1600 pupils they have had...
1 case. And how many other pupils and staff did it spread to? Zero

So what? That's your comfy little story (which could go tits up very quickly). This data

[noblegiraffe]

But again are teachers now happy with a full live online teaching timetable

There again with the assumption that parents would be happy with a full live online teaching timetable.

A lot of families would have to pick their favourite kid to get access to the laptop.

[Oaktree55]

@FiveFootTwoEyesOfBlue what you’re missing is that children don’t show symptoms but likely spread the virus on. Just because they’re not being tested doesn’t mean they’re not contributing to community spread. If you don’t look you won’t find.

[skylarkdescending]

@Qasd

Yes secondary can shut but teachers furloughed on the same wage deal as available in the private sector when sectors have to shut (so two thirds wages)

Assume teaching unions will be happy with that deal to help the greater good! Strange because poor bar staff are not so keen to shut their workplace

Anything else is going to look desperately unfair unless teachers provide full live teaching when schools shut (so can genuinely be said to be “working from home” not “I put up a worksheet and a video on Monday that is surely a full weeks work and no of course I cannot mark anything or talk to a student in any capacity didn’t they watch the video?!”

But again are teachers now happy with a full live online teaching timetable-they def said they were not in March to July!

We are now facing an economic crisis in this country expecting parents to give up work to teach children while still paying teachers full wages to not “teach” children because that is the job of parents is economically unviable in the situation we find ourselves.

Just give over with the teacher bashing will you? There's a hell of a lot more to good quality teaching and learning than streaming a 'live lesson'.

[noblegiraffe]

@FiveFootTwoEyesOfBlue

Another day, another scaremongering thread about schools. This is getting tedious.
In my DD's school of about 1600 pupils they have had...
1 case.
And how many other pupils and staff did it spread to?
Zero.

I'm sure that it's heartening for the hundreds of thousands of kids off school isolating to hear that your DD is ok. So long as she's in school, right?

[anniegun]

Here are the heat maps from the daily briefing showing infections by age . Its really not schools that are the main problem - certainly up to YR11

[Ecosse]

@noblegiraffe

A lot of families would have to pick their favourite kid to get access to the laptop

And that is exactly why schools need to and will be remaining open on a full time basis.

[echt]

We are now facing an economic crisis in this country expecting parents to give up work to teach children while still paying teachers full wages to not “teach” children because that is the job of parents is economically unviable in the situation we find ourselves

Parents aren't teaching, they are providing the setting for learning to take place. The teachers are teaching. That's why they get paid.

[Starlight101]

What do people think will happen with schools? Will this tier thing work enough and schools will just be kept open regardless and we will be expected to just plough on? As a vulnerable parent I’m petrified.

[noblegiraffe]

@anniegun

Here are the heat maps from the daily briefing showing infections by age . Its really not schools that are the main problem - certainly up to YR11

You'll notice that they lumped data for secondary kids in with primary kids, right?

And uni data is skewed by the mass testing done. If they mass-tested in schools, what do you think would happen to the data?

[noblegiraffe]

[quote Ecosse]@noblegiraffe

A lot of families would have to pick their favourite kid to get access to the laptop

And that is exactly why schools need to and will be remaining open on a full time basis.[/quote]
My school isn't open on a full time basis at the moment.

Nor are lots of others.

What about those kids?