Pulling children out of school...

[monkeytennis97]

In March schools started closing as parents pulled their kids out in droves and teachers and kids went off sick or isolating. Given the much higher numbers today and sadly the near 600 deaths yesterday is anyone thinking of doing this? Schools are on their knees in so many ways at the moment. I'm a secondary teacher and really think rota learning should come in now (for secondaries) to minimize numbers in schools to keep them as open as possible until Christmas. Will parents start pulling kids out again? I am only talking in respect to secondary schools.

Don't be silly, they (teachers) don't matter. So long as there's enough left to provide hyperbolistic's dc with an education
Unbelievable that you are considered a teacher murderer for not wanting to pull out your year 11 who's about to do mocks and has GCSES next year. The world's gone mad.

Certainly living up to your name aren't you?
You said My DCs well being is my absolute priority and they thrive being back at school. They are very unlikely to pass Coronavirus onto anyone vulnerable anyway
So you aren't bothered about how vulnerable staff are, or their partners or family. No one called you a murderer you silly sausage. Just selfish.

@Hyperbolistic the world has most definitely gone mad! Guilt shamed and selfish for wanting children in school, its not like there's much other choice is there? If some random on an Internet forum wants to think I'm selfish for taking up the only education option offered for my DC then thats fine I can live with that i won't lose sleep over it

I want my children in school. I am capable both of wanting that and giving a shit about their vulnerable teachers, and their TA who is in her 60s. I accept they will need to isolate at time to protect others. Don't see why that's extreme or hard to understand.

the world has most definitely gone mad! Guilt shamed and selfish for wanting children in school, its not like there's much other choice is there? If some random on an Internet forum wants to think I'm selfish for taking up the only education option offered for my DC then thats fine I can live with that i won't lose sleep over it

I know right? It's fucking ridiculous.

@Possums4evr im not sure how saying my dc are my priority and they thrive in schools equals I don't give a shit about anybody else.

I’m a parent and don’t want my children in school but don’t really have a choice. I would be ecstatic if online education was offered as an alternative.

@Covidfears

I’m a parent and don’t want my children in school but don’t really have a choice. I would be ecstatic if online education was offered as an alternative.

The problem is for a lot of children proper quality online education wouldn’t be a possibility.

Ds is shielding so is currently getting online education. He has a full time 1-1 so she is teaching him a full timetable via teams so it’s working well because he gets the same level of education he normally gets pretty much.

However 1-1 wouldn’t be an option for most children. Trying to teach a full class via teams wouldn’t work anywhere near as smoothly as doing it face to face would.

Many children don’t have access to the technology.

Many houses don’t have space for multiple children to be working online at once.

It’s a shitty situation and there is no easy answer but I don’t think any mass level of online is a feasible option

@Possums4evr

I want my children in school. I am capable both of wanting that and giving a shit about their vulnerable teachers, and their TA who is in her 60s. I accept they will need to isolate at time to protect others. Don't see why that's extreme or hard to understand.

Quite.

[quote 3littlewords]@Possums4evr im not sure how saying my dc are my priority and they thrive in schools equals I don't give a shit about anybody else.[/quote]
My comment was not directed at you.

This post is exactly the problem
Some schools have been luckier than others.
I think it’s a mixture of lack of testing, parental diligence at both ends of the scale, and just luck. My dcs secondary has been terrible At implementing any measures, yet until this week they saw few cases.
Whilst the other local secondary have seen a consistent constant of sending home. They have been far more diligent in their rules.
My dcs school has just started to be affected and it seems to have been all at once and it does seem to be hard now (with whole pastoral departments starting to close)

@Possums4evr are you suggesting I pull my DS (who is due to sit his GCSEs in 2021) out of school until teachers have been vaccinated?

You are too ridiculous to have a discussion with. I have never suggested you withdraw your dc nor have I said anything about the vaccine. Just carry on having a debate with your imaginary friend.

@Possums4evr I said my priority was my DC being at school mainly because my Ds on an important year. You told me I was selfish as they might pass Coronavirus onto a teacher. What do you suggest I do?

@Hyperbolistic For me (as a teacher and a mum) your sentence "They are very unlikely to pass Coronavirus onto anyone vulnerable anyway. " is the 'knife through the heart' sentence as a teacher as I think about my vulnerable colleagues.

@Hyperbolistic have you written to your MP asking for masks in the classroom, increased funding for cleaning and improving ventilation?...those are things that can really help us.

[quote monkeytennis97]@Hyperbolistic For me (as a teacher and a mum) your sentence "They are very unlikely to pass Coronavirus onto anyone vulnerable anyway. " is the 'knife through the heart' sentence as a teacher as I think about my vulnerable colleagues.[/quote]
And with this report from BBC it is very concerning that secondary school pupils are recording the highest cases:

There is a higher percentage of secondary school pupils testing positive for Covid-19 than any other age group, according to figures from the Office for National Statistics.

Based on a national survey, the ONS said an estimated 1.65% of Year 7 to Year 11 students tested positive on 6 November, compared to 1.05% for primary pupils.

It comes as the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (Sage) examined more than a thousand outbreaks of coronavirus that have occurred since schools reopened in September.

Reopening schools means children aged between 12 and 16 played a "significantly higher role" in spreading infections in households, the scientific advisors said.

But they said there was no clear evidence for or against the claim that infection rates among children were driven by them catching the virus in school.

I absolutely resent being made out to be selfish. My family carefully follow the rules,.my DC are not mixing with friends outside school, My DS hasn't seen his girlfriend for a month. I meant what I said above my DC being unlikely to pass Coronavirus onto anyone as we are doing everything possible not to catch it ourselves. Yet you gang up and throw accusations.

@Hyperbolistic woah hold on I'm not hanging up with anyone. You are doing everything I am doing too, which is the right thing to do. I'm just answering why some teachers might get upset at the way you worded your initial post.

*ganging (fat fingers!)

@Hyperbolistic it's probably down to the government only ever mentioning the words 'schools' and 'children' together oh and 'safe' - NEVER is there mention of the adults in them which is why many teachers (myself included) get upset when they read statements like "They are very unlikely to pass Coronavirus onto anyone vulnerable anyway. " as if we don't exist in these schools...

I wonder if some of these schools which are performing better should be sharing what they're obviously doing right

Yes. My son's 6th form college has only had two known cases so far (I believe they are being open and honest and emailing when they have a case before anyone says they're covering it up). We are in the south but cases are increasing rapidly.

[quote Hyperbolistic]@Possums4evr I said my priority was my DC being at school mainly because my Ds on an important year. You told me I was selfish as they might pass Coronavirus onto a teacher. What do you suggest I do?[/quote]
They might. And a teacher might catch it away from school and pass i to onto a number of his or her pupils. Works both ways.

it not i

The answer isn't to seriously disadvantage children, especially those with difficult home lives, in order to protect vulnerable teachers. Both groups are equally important. I think schools need to make sure all safety measures in place to reduce risk for teachers and furlough available if it's not safe for vulnerable teachers to be at school. Not sure where their replacements would come from though.