A third of confirmed teacher cases of coronavirus were in north-west England at one point, according to data seen exclusively by the BBC”

[motherrunner]

I posted this in another thread but I actually think it deserves a thread of it’s own.

Worrying article on BBC this morning: www.bbc.co.uk/news/education-54695618

This is what we teachers are really concerned about - the disparity of continued education. I’m in a Tier 2 area and my school have had 4 year closures since Sept. We are not unique - I don’t know a school in my city that has gone untouched. One school closed completely as over 20 teachers tested positive. This is just the first half term and anyone who works in a school know the real illnesses haven’t started yet. Going to be a tough year.

Your logic seems to be that everyone must move at the pace of the people affected the worst.

Like we did when London was worst affected?

I don't see anywhere that the OP has suggested closing all schools.

I am so glad to see an article about this.
Living in a tier three area in the north west of reflects what’s happening here.
17 cases in dd1 school and she has done two lots of isolation , y11.
3 cases in my primary school and over 20 cases in dd2 school.
Lots of staff off not just with coronavirus but self isolating.
It’s a postcode lottery for children facing exams this year and it’s a disgrace to think this is acceptable for these students.

Noble Giraffe isn't the OP.

And you're right. In retrospect, schools in the north shouldn't have been closed when London was hit hard. At the time, when lots of people were feeling very panicked across the country, people in the north might not have sent their kids anyway. But if the situation is reversed again in the future, all schools should stay open for as long as they can.

@Hotcuppatea where has noble said - on this thread or any other - that she is anxious and wants schools to close?

She hasn't. Because that's not what she, or most other teachers want. We want our schools to be safe, for students and for staff. We want controlled closure where necessary so that students can be well supported with remote learning. We want the government to support that.

You making a personal and unfounded attack on her is not helpful.

should stay open for as long as they can.

Do you not think this is what is happening now??

@madderose

Not necessarily true. Also from BBC today about falling levels of immunity and increase chances of reinfection: www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-54696873

This is being misrepresented by mainstream media. This is normal
Antibody behaviour, doesn't mean no longer lasting immunity.

Prof Wendy Barclay said: "We can see the antibodies and we can see them declining and we know antibodies on their own are quite protective.

"On the balance of evidence, I would say it would look as if immunity declines away at the same rate as antibodies decline away, and that this is an indication of waning immunity."

I think I'd probably go with the experts thanks.

It doesn't mean we can't use vaccines, but we might need frequent injections along the lines of flu, or possibly even more frequently.

@starrynight19

I am so glad to see an article about this. Living in a tier three area in the north west of reflects what’s happening here. 17 cases in dd1 school and she has done two lots of isolation , y11. 3 cases in my primary school and over 20 cases in dd2 school. Lots of staff off not just with coronavirus but self isolating. It’s a postcode lottery for children facing exams this year and it’s a disgrace to think this is acceptable for these students.

@starrynight19 My sympathies, this is my experience too. “Postcode lottery” is exactly what this is and it just seems the Dfe are shrugging their shoulders.

As a teacher I want to do everything in my power to ensure my students have an equal chance of success as those who have had continued education throughout.

I do worry about becoming ill and the repercussions this could have - not only for me, my family but also for my students.

@Hotcuppatea

Have you considered getting some help for your anxiety? You're constantly on here trying to make the case for schools closing and hate it when anyone disagrees with you or says their experience is different.

I don't like in a 'naice tier 1 area' and it's very rude and judgemental of you to make that assumption just because I don't agree with you. Your logic seems to be that everyone must move at the pace of the people affected the worst. Why? Why should my children's school close when it doesn't need to? How does that help schools that are in a different position?

Sorry motherrunner.... not even my thread

Anxiety

Think you mean concern

You're constantly on here trying to make the case for schools closing

Lie

hate it when anyone disagrees with you or says their experience is different.

No, just posters who obviously don’t give a shit about the disrupted education of other people’s kids.

Why? Why should my children's school close when it doesn't need to?

Why can’t people read? Always responding to imaginary posts.

So what you’re saying is that you’re happy with the gross educational disparity because it’s your DC that are the winners and not the losers at the moment? That’s the only conclusion that can be drawn from smug posters who come on threads just to say how unaffected their children’s education has been so far.

Quote from Noble Giraffes post above.

So Noble Giraffe can't be challenged but she can call me smug and selfish? How come?

@Hotcuppatea

Have you considered getting some help for your anxiety? You're constantly on here trying to make the case for schools closing and hate it when anyone disagrees with you or says their experience is different.

I don't like in a 'naice tier 1 area' and it's very rude and judgemental of you to make that assumption just because I don't agree with you. Your logic seems to be that everyone must move at the pace of the people affected the worst. Why? Why should my children's school close when it doesn't need to? How does that help schools that are in a different position?

She's not trying to make the case for schools closing.

Why not try reading her posts properly?

There have only been six confirmed cases of reinfection out of 43 MILLION cases.

Please stop scare mongering. Leave your job if you think it’s unsafe.

Did she call you smug and selfish? No. She referred to "posters", of which there are many.
Did you call her "anxious" and allege that she wants schools to close - which is the opposite of what she wants? Yes.

None of us wants schools to close in an ad hoc Hokey Cokey. We want students in and safe and educated. If they can't be in, we want them to be educated as well as possible. That's it.

So Noble Giraffe can't be challenged but she can call me smug and selfish? How come?

What other conclusion can be drawn from a poster coming onto a thread about how education is screwed for many, many children only to say that their own kids’ school has 97% attendance?

I’m sure that’s a great comfort to those in Manchester.

If you had a point to make, you didn’t make it did you?

Don't be silly Coldwinds (re the second part of your post). You would honestly suggest that every teacher who feels their job is unsafe (it is) leaves rather than requesting more action from the government to make it safe(r)? One leaves schools up the swanny and the other could make them safer for staff and students alike.

Please stop scare mongering. Leave your job if you think it’s unsafe

Honestly if every teacher who currently thinks schools are unsafe left the profession tomorrow - there would be virtually no one left.

@Coldwinds

There have only been six confirmed cases of reinfection out of 43 MILLION cases.

Please stop scare mongering. Leave your job if you think it’s unsafe.

Who is scaremongering?

I started this thread about my concerns that pupils in my city (many already disadvantaged due to levels of deprivation) will be at even more of a disadvantage next year cone exam time as they are suffering repeated bouts of isolation.

In defence of @noblegiraffe, it’s always the loudest voices who are tried to be drowned out the most. Noble and I (& many other on the Staffroom) are ‘old hands’. I’ve taught 20 years and it’s all I’ve wanted to do. I grew up in poverty and thanks to Blair’s ‘education, education, education’ I got to be where I am now. I know this is a side track but society needs teachers like us who will fight for our pupils.

I’m not quite sure why people in Tier 1 areas are so confident their schools will remain open.

My local area had seriously low levels of Covid in mid August. Now it’s rampant, year groups are closing and we are at Tier 3.

It IS smug and selfish to say that because your children are not being affected, we don't need to take action to protect the ones who are.

The government's election promise was to level up society and their focus was on that Red Wall.Time for it to remember that pledge and appear to care.

"What I do know is that there will be students who are more disadvantaged than others through no fault of their own."

This has always been the case. Lots of pupils with sen are forced onto part time timetables, constantly excluded or are without school places for months or years.

We need extra money and extra measures in schools to keep them open.

Without that, with levels rising as fast as they are, without routine testing in schools, with the best will in the world it's only a matter of time until the majority of children are affected one way or another.

I never understand why people are against lobbying for more resources for their kids. It's as if they want kids to be educated in shit conditions and want teachers to be so stressed and overburdened that they can't give their best.

We've wasted 12bn on Serco - think what that kind of money could do in schools.

I'm willing to bet anyone several hundred quid that my friend's child in the US who has to wear masks all the time, has a socially distanced desk and is in half time in small class sizes with a state provided laptop with everything ready for the days home learning, is going to have a better, less disrupted education than my kids in England this year.

@Piggywaspushed

Tbf, 97% (which probably masks some X coding) isn't even all that good.

If you dug, you'd probably find it was lowest in years 10 to 13, too : this is certainly the national picture.

Do you think as well as the unideal school settings yr 10-13 pupils outside school are less likely to "social distance " shall we put it 😉 making it even more likely to spread?

Have you considered getting some help for your anxiety? You're constantly on here trying to make the case for schools closing and hate it when anyone disagrees with you or says their experience is different.

If that was aimed at noblegiraffe, I can't think of a more comprehensively untrue statement, as she consistently argues that schools should be open and safe. The little touch about her "anxiety" was especially condescending, well done.

@Piggywaspushed

The government's election promise was to level up society and their focus was on that Red Wall.Time for it to remember that pledge and appear to care.

Someone should have mentioned that before they all voted to let kids go hungry.

Not the best look. Very Tory though.

We need extra money and extra measures in schools to keep them open

What are the extra measures?