'Unsustainable, overwhelming' Covid burden on schools

[LastGoldenDaysOfSummer]

Ofsted finds school staff 'exhausted' from ‘firefighting’ amid Covid crisis – and that 'last-minute' DfE decisions aren't helping

www.tes.com/news/unsustainable-overwhelming-covid-burden-schools?fbclid=IwAR0hhEWbw0JML_n__3WxhgzxkTNjQs6Pnc_0GEC1rVf5Y5ddWvT-5d1sR-c

Yes, another schools one. But evidence of what teachers are going through in the face of a total lack of support from some parents, the LEAs and the government.

Compared to whom? What about everyone else working through Covid?

Seriously- why does it have to be a comparison?

Why do people assume that any comment about a problem in schools automatically means that people are claiming that other workplaces don't have problems?

Literally nobody thinks that schools are the only places where Covid has caused problems. That does not mean we are not allowed to talk about the specific problems relevant to schools. Start a thread about Covid issues in care homes or the hospitality industry and nobody will shout "Compared to whom?!"

Infection rates now highest among the secondary school age group, overtaking universities.

But sure, let’s talk about something else

In terms of schools, a friend locally had symptoms, contacted the schools, the one (secondary) said she had to send him whilst awaiting results (other two schools said to keep at home) She was positive, so he had been at school at that point.

So no wonder it is spreading in some schools.

I feel so much for teachers.

My ds secondary is sending out a message approximately every day of a new positive case. They self isolate thise in close contact. Not the bubble. They should be shutting the bubble at least imo but are following guidence.

They have no protection. I do not envy tgem at all

Exactly. Total silence from the media on this topic. I am emailing the BBC and my MP daily about this.

@AlexaShutUp I'm going to do that now, I think school staff are really under valued.

Today I took my Dd to the hospital for a check up. We had to be temperature checked, sanitise and fill in a Covid questionnaire before entry. The doctor had to put on a mask, gown, visor and gloves in order to feel her stomach and listen to her chest.... on the other hand teachers are in small rooms with children / teens all day. It is no wonder numbers are rising in schools.

But, let's all turn a blind eye to this.

I'm really concerned about the safety of teachers and school staff after Christmas.

Everyone will be taking their kids to visit family all over the country, then risking bringing it back to schools.

Teachers and school staff are so unappreciated and it's awful to not care about their safety.

Stellaris22

Writing to your local MP about school safety is also a good idea if you can. The more pressure we apply, the better.

@PudseyPatch

Exactly. Total silence from the media on this topic. I am emailing the BBC and my MP daily about this.

Thank you

From BBC news:

“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.”

If there’s a higher percentage of secondary kids with it and a dip over half term AND secondary schools are a high risk setting with no mitigation measures you’d be a bit of a dimwit not to think maybe it’s spreading in schools.

@AlexaShutUp

I'm also grateful to dd's teachers for all that they're doing to support the kids in very difficult circumstances.

For anyone who does appreciate what teachers and schools are doing at the moment, I would really encourage you to take 5 minutes to write and tell them so. I did this recently, and got a lovely response back from the head, who seemed to be really glad to have all the hard work of the staff acknowledged. As parents, we can't take away all the stress, but we can at least show our support.

@AlexaShutUp my DS1’s teacher is off with Covid at the moment. We have sent her as a class a huge bunch of flowers and as lots of money was collected a box of goodies for the staff room with a lovely card about how appreciative the parents are. I think school staff are doing a brilliant job in trying circumstances and I actually left our class WhatsApp group briefly the other week as I was so cross a parent kept bleating about how the school ‘should be doing more about covid’. Not surprisingly, said parent is now home schooling her child.

@noblegiraffe

If there’s a higher percentage of secondary kids with it and a dip over half term AND secondary schools are a high risk setting with no mitigation measures you’d be a bit of a dimwit not to think maybe it’s spreading in schools.

too many on mumsnet with their fingers in their ears going lalalalalalala.

Don't confuse them with facts, they've proved time and time again that they don't want to know.

Teachers just need to get on with it. According to a few fools.

I will be getting on with from home. Just found out that my school will be closed to all years next week due to high staff absence. Was supposed to be moving to a rota but there isn’t even enough staff to do that.

@gottakeeponmovin

People in care homes aren't complaining though - it's always the teachers. If they had been doing a teaching role throughout the first lockdown I would have less of an issue - but they weren't. Whilst everyone else was doing a full time job at home and helping their kids with their school work teachers were nowhere to be seen. Therefore teachers can not work from home and have to be in the classroom in the same way as store staff have to be in store. They need to just get in with it and stop moaning

I was ‘nowhere to be seen’ as I was at home teaching live to timetable. My pupils saw me virtually and so did their parents at the two parents evening I held.

Oh it’s ‘I wasn’t happy with lockdown provision therefore teachers don’t deserve a safe working environment’ again.

What utter nonsense @gottakeeponmovin

My DDs teacher (and assistants) were teaching online, providing quick and personalised feedback and doing phone calls to check in on each child.

This is the disgusting attitude to teachers I despise.

@noblegiraffe

Oh it’s ‘I wasn’t happy with lockdown provision therefore teachers don’t deserve a safe working environment’ again.

@noblegiraffe As I taught live throughout does that mean I can have an extra bottle of sanitiser?!

Well that's brilliant. I have three kids and none of them saw their teachers live at all during the lockdown, I sent their work off and they didn't mark their work - instead they sent the answers so parents could Mark it. They also set a tiny amount of work for them to do which took less than an hour a day. When I challenged it I was told they were finding it difficult due to childcare - well the rest of us had to continue to work without childcare unless we were furloughed so I am afraid that one fell a bit flat on me. If I had experienced what you are describing I would have a different view but I don't believe that is the norm

So you think teachers should be punished with an unsafe working environment because you, individually, were expected to mark your children’s work?

This is the disgusting attitude to teachers I despise.

It's the facts of what happened to my children during lockdown nothing to do with my attitude

I didn't say they don't deserve a safe working environment however I don't know what you expect anyone to do. Kids are wearing masks in class, one teacher has a plastic barrier in front of her desk. They are kept in bubbles, use hand sanitiser. What more can be done because ultimately whilst some of you had a good experience many of us were left with kids not getting any level of education, and lots of kids can't work remotely so they have to be in school

@noblegiraffe
No because my kids were not getting an education and the teachers were not doing what they are paid for. I I was working from 7am to 9pm every day covering my work and some of my furloughed colleagues. Teachers were being paid full time so why am I expected to mark their work? That's not my job it what they are paid to do?

So, just to clarify @gottakeeponmovin , that because you are unhappy with your children’s lockdown provision, you don’t care that school staff are being put at risk?
That is fucked up.