Secondary schools minimising positive results

[gingerbread88]

I wondered whether this had happened in other schools/areas?
Our local senior school has an outbreak that hasn't been clearly communicated.

www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-beds-bucks-herts-54146451

Especially "
The Office for National Statistics recorded at least 126 deaths of education workers involving the virus between 9 March and 25 May in England and Wales for those aged up to 64,"

And

www.walesonline.co.uk/news/wales-news/heartbroken-pupils-parents-staff-pay-19186375

And many more

@WhyNotMe40

Teachers were at no more risk of dying than the general population according to the ONS.

Of course there are going to be some sad cases of teachers dying, just as cleaners, plumbers and management consultants will.

[quote Ecosse]@CallmeAngelina

It’s not me saying that staffrooms are the biggest risk in schools. Dr Jenny Harries- the deputy chief medical officer, has been very clear that schools are COVID secure and there is a very low chance of transmission in classrooms.

Dr Harries has said that transmission in schools is actually caused by teachers and staff getting together in staffrooms and departmental bases and not socially distancing or handwashing.[/quote]
And nobody on the telly toeing the government party line ever lies, do they?

@Ecosse, and the Unions?

And that statistic was produced with data that included a period when schools were shut.
In addition to that, all other workplaces have had extra precautions put in place to stop transmission. Like care workers now have PPE and masks. Social distancing and masks in public places and transport... Etc
Teachers do not.
I wonder why they are not releasing the latest calculations eh?

If parents have received an official letter from the school saying their child has to isolate more fool them if they ignore it. Why should it make a difference if it is one child or 20 that has a positive test. I am assuming the knowledge will be out in the community anyway, with various people posting on social media.

Surely all the children will still be off after half term unless you have a 2 week half term

I think they will find that workplace exposure has dropped for all employment, except education and childcare.

@WhyNotMe40

I have been very clear that I think vulnerable DC and staff should have the opportunity to shield.

However, other staff are at close to zero risk of death or serious illness. They have nothing to fear.

@Ecosse nobody is at zero risk with Covid.

Dr Jenny Harries- the deputy chief medical officer, has been very clear that schools are COVID secure and there is a very low chance of transmission in classrooms.
Then she's an ill-informed fool peddling the party line.

@Augustbreeze

Nobody is at zero risk from anything.

@Ecosse as about 50% of my science department is on immunosuppression or chemo therapy, or near retirement - I myself have an auto immune condition and near 50 - that's a lot of teachers at risk. In addition I think 10% of fit, healthy, not vulnerable people who catch Covid end up with long Covid. I don't fancy that either, and it's not zero or near zero risk.
Also don't forget that viral dose has an effect on the severity. Classrooms with large numbers of asymptomatic spreaders and little ventilation, and no masks, are likely to result in a large viral dose.

[quote Ecosse]@Augustbreeze

Nobody is at zero risk from anything.[/quote]
Then why is nearly every government in the world doing everything in their power (except in schools) and tanking their economies, in order to limit Covid spread?

Communication is very important in determining behaviour.

There is a world of difference between saying that the head (who may have been infected elsewhere) has tested positive and so (through an abundance of caution) the whole school is being asked to isolate ...

... and being honest and transparent and saying that there is strong evidence of transmission within the school community to such an extent that the unusual but necessary decision has been taken to send all pupils home with instruction to self isolate in order to protect family members and the wider community.

The risk is that parents are being denied information to make rational choices based on individualised risk for political purposes (keeping schools open). And that the decisions made in this context may increase the risk to the community in general and that this may well lead to increased risk of morbidity and mortality of the vulnerable in the community.

It is a huge moral burden to place on the young who have no decision making rights if the stats show increased mortality resulting from decisions made 'not in their name' when adults advocating for them are denied information.

And then there are the staff in schools. There is a world of difference between ignorance/lack of knowledge or information and a deliberate mandated cover up for political purposes.

It is past time to stop treating parents as children and pressurising them to consent to risky behaviour (with the treat of fine) at the same time as using moral pressure to isolate with minimal information.

This whole thing of you have all the information you need, do as your told, when you are told doesn't really wash when parents can communicate directly with each other. This authoritarian style only really works if schools can absolutely control information flow.

I go so far as to say that there is a politically motivated conspiracy of silence regarding teens to actively suppress known contagion to keep things open (because infection leads to mild symptoms) even though this is highly likely to spread to the vulnerable population. We have never been contacted by the orthodontists where DS2 became infected. Probably because symptoms like COVID toes don't count and present too late for testing.

That's where individualism has got us. No understanding that the individual is raised by and lives within a a multigenerational community. No reciprocity - all take, no give.

I go so far as to say that there is a politically motivated conspiracy of silence regarding teens to actively suppress known contagion to keep things open (because infection leads to mild symptoms) even though this is highly likely to spread to the vulnerable population. We have never been contacted by the orthodontists where DS2 became infected. Probably because symptoms like COVID toes don't count and present too late for testing.*
Agreed

And there we have it. The OP criticising schools for not taking control of community transmission and Ecosse claiming there is no transmission in schools (but if there is, it’s the fault of staff)

🙄

Perhaps the time has come for the government to issue a national directive that all staff rooms and subject based must be locked until further notice, with staff instructed to stay in their classrooms during breaks.
I, like many other teachers, don't have my own classroom. Where should I spend my break? The toilets? Staff bases are where we keep our files and folders and where the printers are. Not sure how we'd do our jobs without access. You really haven't a clue, so you, and what is worse you don't want to learn.

Got a note from DCs secondary this week saying the whole school will be closed until at least next Friday due to increase in cases across all year groups.
Before half term there hadn't been a single case reported in that school but a few cases in the other school in town.
The school is well set up for remote learning and I fully respect the decision - and we ar ein a low risk area.

I do have my own classroom, and have set myself up with a mini-fridge and kettle (risk assessed usage). Have barely set foot in the staffroom all term, but when it has been wet lunchbreak (and we do take the kids out in all but the very heaviest of rain), I have resorted to sitting in my car to have lunch.
I'd like a gold star from @Ecosse, please.

[quote WhyNotMe40]@Ecosse yeah and she also said that the WHO advice to Test Test Test was aimed at developing countries without a good healthcare system. Look how that turned out. She also says it is not spread by aerosols....[/quote]
Actually, some of the developing countries are doing a good deal better than us with managing covid. Possibly because they followed WHO guidance.

Think Dr Harries is yesterday's woman. In other news Sir Ian Diamond, the national statistician and Sage member, said he was "fairly gloomy" as the virus was "moving very quickly".

"I think we need to be absolutely tireless in everybody across the country following the rules around safe distancing, hand washing, wearing masks, because if not, then I fear that the virus is going to exponentially increase," he said.

This seems to be spinning out of control again and we will all have to refocus our efforts to get the virus back under control.

Actually, some of the developing countries are doing a good deal better than us with managing covid. Possibly because they followed WHO guidance

Exactly. Who would have guessed that the organisation that has the most experience in novel epidemics and coordination of pandemic responses, would know what they are doing?
Now, maybe we could look at following their schools advice?

@KeepOnKeepingOnAgainandAgain - what a load of old tosh in this specific instance. If the school had just advised a handful of children to isolate, that would be one thing, but the school was not remotely secretive about the entire school community being at risk. More children predictably getting coronavirus doesn’t change the risk already made explicit, and why on earth would a school update the whole school community every day of the school holidays with reports of parental claims that their child caught coronavirus at school? Surely the school should follow the advice of test and trace, not parents telling them something they have provided no proof for?

Well said @KeepOnKeepingOnAgainandAgain

Is there any point in lockdowns when you have all the mixing in schools? Mixing on public transport, shared lifts, staff moving around the school, parents mixing outside. Now we have planned trick n treating and bonfire night parties .... How many are sticking to the rules and how many are doing their own version? There are bound to be an increasing number of sick kids at school so of course it will spread.

Logic innit