Schools MUST stay open.

[motherrunner]

I hear this a lot on MN.

Schools maybe ‘open’ but they’re not really depending on where you live.

I’m in Tier 2, due to go into Tier 3 next week prior to the lockdown rules.

Since Sept Yr 10 have isolated twice (4 weeks out of a 8 week half term), Yr 12 and 13 three times (6 weeks of a 8 week half term). My own DS is isolating due to being in contact with a positive until next week and I am isolating until next week as one of my pupils tested positive (and before anyone asks why I wasn’t 2m away well let’s just say, that’s school life).

Before lockdown in March my school had to close just to the numbers of staff off, at one point admin staff were supervising classes.

This morning I read a comment from a poster on the ‘lockdown my thread that teachers just have to ‘hope’ they get a mild viral load. Have we become so disillusioned with this virus that because “schools must stay open” then we minimise they health of school staff?

I am happy to be back teaching my pupils, I’m not happy that I feel unsafe. I am not happy that other workplaces have ‘Covid secure’ measures but I have sanitiser and a ‘hope for the best’ attitude.

So, if you really want schools to stay open then please email your MP and voice concerns about safety and hopefully we can stay open in a meaningful way because there’s a difference between ‘schools open’ with us delivering a quality education and ‘schools open’ with a body providing childcare.

@echt how very condescending the way you speak to teachers. Who do you think you are to speak to professionals risking their lives and those of their families in rooms with 30+ children day in and day out.

Not all of us parents are as entitled as this and actually consider teachers.

Apologies @echt!! That was meant for @ReneeRol

Schools in Northern Ireland reopen on Monday after a 2 week break, hospitality and beauty industry staying closed for another 2 weeks. The numbers of new cases have dropped significantly in the last few days

That's encouraging.

Let's hope people stick to the new rules and that cases fall. Then we don't need to worry about closing schools.

Covid is zero risk to healthy, fit people

Can't be arsed to quote and see it all printed out again....but just to say -
That whole post was a heap of bollocks with a cherry on top.

*teachers need to see their pay slashed like everybody else. That will quickly end teachers wanting another long term, fully paid holiday.

I think this is slightly unnecessary. I think most primary school teachers should be furloughed, though. Most secondary school teachers will be able to have a go at teaching online, but there is very little value in online learning for young children*

Be careful what you wish for, teachers are committed to their pupils, however many would take furlough and remain safely at home. (Furlough isn't of course offered to teachers by the gov.)

Even better, skilled teachers, you can be furloughed and stay at home to educate your own children...win,win, be ahead of the game...😇🤩😉

@Sunflowers246

The teaching unions in Germany and France would of course also prefer schools to close, but thankfully their Governments have insisted that education remains open.

My sister teaches in Germany. Masks have been mandated in corridors since the start of term and are now mandated in classrooms too. Break and lunchtime are taken in the open air except for those student who go home at lunchtime for the rest of the day, which is most of them. I'm afforded none of these protections.

If the schools shut, then teachers need to see their pay slashed like everybody else. That will quickly end teachers wanting another long term, fully paid holiday.
So you expect me to teach my 6 exam classes for free?
Or for them not to get taught?
Because I'm almost certain they'd rather I taught them online like I did from
March onwards than get nothing.

I'm afforded none of these protections.

Why aren’t your unions fighting for these protections though?

Their focus seems to have been primarily on shutting or part shutting schools, rather than these basic protections.

Their focus seems to have been primarily on shutting or part shutting schools, rather than these basic protections

Not true.

And why should the unions have to fight for basic protection?

Save your faux-indignation for the government.

Not true

Look at their latest gambit.

And why should the unions have to fight for basic protection?

That’s what they’re there for. On here, we keep being told this should come down to parents, rather than the people paid large salaries to do so.

@TheKeatingFive

The unions were vilified during the first lockdown and their requests for protective measures twisted by the media, government and fucked up groups.

Anything that they do now will be twisted in the same way.

@Itisasecret it's not wanting childcare. We work full time, how are we supposed to do that with kids at home full time. Not do our jobs? Who does them then. Both of us do government work although not key workers. This is replicated up and down the country. Schools are staying open for wellbeing of children, bit recognition that working age parents are a huge chunk of the population/economy and we can't work with kids around.

@MessAllOver completely agree. I have up last time after 6 weeks. I'm not homeschooling again, I've got a full time job. If I have to teach it won't be what the school send. After 4 months of that we were all completely miserable and the kids no more educated than when I started.

Not true

Look at their latest gambit

You were talking about past actions. This is now.

And why should the unions have to fight for basic protection

That’s what they’re there for

No it isn't. The government is the employer who need to provide it.

On here, we keep being told this should come down to parents, rather than the people paid large salaries to do so

Don't know where you get that from unless it's a timely reminder that if a parent is so concerned about getting their child in a building to be taught, they might give thought to those who are actively prevented by the government from protecting themselves. And do something about it.

Kind of thing.

we can't work with kids around

Teachers with children did this during lockdown.

@echt

we can't work with kids around

Teachers with children did this during lockdown.

Alot of people worked with kids around during lockdown, I cant comment for others but in my house the home learning was near non existent due to said full time job and the work level I gave my employer was sub standard. It was a shit time all round and not sustainable for any of us long term.

If we’d locked down two weeks ago with an early half term then schools could go back tomorrow with much lower levels of risk than they will have now that everyone has been galavanting all over the place at half term.

It’s shit. These measures will make virtually no difference because schools and universities are such a huge source of spread. They’ll end up closing all schools in December now imo, but not before thousands of them have had to send people home and worse just because they were too scared to announce something sooner.

@3littlewords same here. I love my kids but homeschooling (and all her extra housework associated with having all of us in the house all the time) on top of work nearly broke me.

I agree with you conifer.

I think the message this still sends out unfortunately is carry on as normal. You can close everything else down but keeping schools, colleges and universities open will spread the virus to people in the community who are vulnerable. Parents are incredibly dependent on grandparents for childcare, pick ups, etc.

I also worry this will lead to more household mixing as play dates happen indoors. I’m in Tier 3 and no one has obeyed the current rules and I can’t see this new set of rules making any difference.

@NannyMcphee39 that’s so worrying but yes I’ve heard the same, people saying “well they’re in school together anyway”.

I think you’re right, people will ignore it. It’s not gong to make enough difference and thousands will die because it wasn’t properly addressed two weeks ago. Then measures will be harsher still.

I hope employers make it clear to parents this time round that they will not allow them to work from home while also looking after young children.

The burden last time was put on parents to 'muddle through' - the children suffered and the parents' work suffered. Parents were put under huge mental stress. I was sleeping 2-4 hours a night for a month trying to combine work with looking after a little one. I'd finish at 2am and set my alarm for 4.30am to try to get a few hours in before DC was up.

Definitely not doing it again. If our pre-school shuts, we'll get a babysitter or temporary nanny. We're lucky that we can afford this option. We've been hit financially this year but we have enough to muddle through. Many aren't that lucky and live much closer to the edge. If furlough is available for childcare reasons, that would help somewhat (although it should apply to the public sector such as teachers as well as private sector employees). However, it doesn't change the fact that parents are coming to be regarded as unreliable employees and are at the top of the pile for redundancies. This is going to cause a huge increase in child poverty.

Totally agree we can’t be asked to do it again @MessAllOver. There have to be protections in place for parents (usually mums) who are having to do so much that job prospects don’t suffer

I hope Employers make it clear to parents this time round that will not allow them to work from home while also looking after young children

You do realise this time round nurserys, schools, childminders, even child care support bubbles are all open and available as normal?
The only time you may not be able to use them is if your child needs to isolate then presumably you'd take annual leave or unpaid leave like you normally would if your child wasn't able to attend their usual childcare setting.

You do realise this time round nurserys, schools, childminders, even child care support bubbles are all open and available as normal?

Sorry, I meant if schools etc. shut. The argument here is for schools (and presumably nurseries etc. by analogy) to shut because they are a source of Covid spread.