We're having 2-3 teachers a day catching CV19 DFE You're not keeping us safe

[Anon12345678910]

Look at the image from www.bmj.com/content/370/bmj.m3223
I've circled where we fall in classrooms. It's time for face coverings in classrooms. I don't want to loose any colleagues or my own life.

Noble unfortunately, many schools shot themselves in the foot by choosing not to support their students during lock down.

So because a few schools didn't provide enough lessons in lockdown - do you know this was due to the government guidelines telling them not to initially?! - you think all teachers should be punished with unsafe work conditions.

Fwiw my school provided masses of remote learning, all well received, all working smoothly from the week before schools actually closed. I worked longer hours than I ever had t before.

So if I worked hard to provide a good level of home learning why did I need to be thrown into school to work with hundreds of young children, with no social distancing and no protection, whilst clinically vulnerable?

Being hospitalised with Covid seems a harsh punishment do bear just because some schools didn't provide some zoom lessons!

Of course teachers should have safe working conditions.
We’ve not had one positive case in my school, so it’s very variable and I’m very grateful my DC have been able to attend all term. It’s very worrying for the children who have had disrupted learning of course.

many schools shot themselves in the foot by choosing not to support their students during lock down

But my school did. Presumably I deserve to have safe working conditions. Whereas schools that actually followed the DfE guidance and suspended the curriculum, should put staff at risk. Super.

@Anon12345678910

I wonder if to get our point across we need to protest (socially distanced) outside parliament?

No. We should have a staged section 44 walk out - advising PHE, HSE, Unions, the press, everyone, about the unlawfulness of the working conditions in schools. Even if only for an hour over lunchtime or something.

And for those wanting to punish all teaching staff for the lack of provision duriy lockdown #1 with unsafe working conditions throughout the rest of coronavirus - give your heads a wobble and ask yourselves if that is fair and proportionate. These are the people that you hope will be motivated and caring whilst educating your children....

It is carnage here in our schools. Staff and students are being placed in danger daily and Govt is lying and withholding data and truth. Two of my teacher colleagues are now very ill in hospital.

I am so angry that my child caught Covid at school. We have no idea what the long term impact will be either. It's a hideous position to place people in.
I wish more parents would be vocal about this. I have been posting on these threads even prior to my child's Covid infection, but trust me, when your child contracts Covid at school, it brings a whole new layer to this argument.

And for those wanting to punish all teaching staff for the lack of provision duriy lockdown #1 with unsafe working conditions throughout the rest of coronavirus - give your heads a wobble and ask yourselves if that is fair and proportionate.

And also if it is entirely sensible to wish a condition on teachers that will take them out of school for a minimum of ten days but from general experience longer. What quality of education do you think your child will be getting then?

Schools have always relied on teachers dragging themselves in when ill.

The week before last there were only two year groups in school including DS's year group. This week my DS attentended (yr9) for 3 days and is now having to stay at home for another 2 weeks as too many teachers are now self-isolating.

• attended

And we are tier 2.

user1471562688
drama llamas
🤔 Really, at least one teacher on here has been left with lifelong complications from catching covid through school, others say they have collegues critically ill in hospital. They aren't asking for schools to close, they are asking for measures to be taken to increase safe practice for staff and pupils.
You idea is let them get ill, hope id doesn't happen at once and that they are quickly able to return to work or lack of staff may close the school. Education staff have as much right to a safe working environment as kids do to an education

@user1471562688 'it's just another virus'. Are you totally mad ? Yup it's just like flu isn't it. That's why the world has been turned upside down.
I've never known 3 staff member be admitted to ICU with 'another virus' or many more needing hospital treatment. And I've yet to meet another 16 year old who needs a lung transplant. And I've never lost a 48 year old colleague to flu. But I'll be sure to tell her 3 children that 'it's just another virus'. Sure it will be great comfort as they tackle Christmas with no mother.

I don't think there's ever been any pretence that schools are safe. Over half my school is now isolating or off with covid

We should have a staged section 44 walk out - advising PHE, HSE, Unions, the press, everyone, about the unlawfulness of the working conditions in schools Even if only for an hour over lunchtime or something

@WhyNotMe40 I'm up for it...I think NEU needs to do a ballot

One of my colleagues caught it (we think from a child in her class). She has been ok but has taken it gone to her FIL (multi generational household) and he has been quite poorly.

09user1471562688

And since time began we have had teachers catching flu/norovirus/any virus but we just got on with it. What is different about this? It's just another virus. I haven't heard of teachers dropping dead like flies. Please stop all the drama. All it is doing is destroying our children's education. Shame on all the drama llamas who are prepared to destroy their children's lives for a stupid virus with an IFR of 1%. You will look back in years to come and be ashamed of yourselves but your poor kids will be fucked. Well done.

What planet are you living on?? My children's school has two whole year groups closed because of staff illness 350 per year group). Some of those children were only back from their second isolation for a day before closed bubbles again. That's not including the other year groups limping along with non subject teachers working like dogs to cover their ill colleagues. We are in a previously low rate area. This school had had no cases a month ago.

Every other school has cases now locally. As a parent of 4 and a school worker myself it is very worrying everyday we all go in.

@Anon12345678910

We should have a staged section 44 walk out - advising PHE, HSE, Unions, the press, everyone, about the unlawfulness of the working conditions in schools Even if only for an hour over lunchtime or something

@WhyNotMe40 I'm up for it...I think NEU needs to do a ballot

I still can't work our what the unions are doing. I did say this a few weeks ago on here that they're staying alarmingly quiet, and that I was surprised by this .

Someone replied to me here - I can't remember who, sorry - that the unions didn't really need to do anything as schools would ultimately end up having to close anyhow because of lack of staff / case numbers.

But still.... I have found them to be very ...very ... Quiet.
Whilst I'm not actually bothered by the covid situation myself (despite being CEV), I do still feel confused why the unions aren't being way more vocal about this. I truly would have expected them to be....
Can anyone who is smarter than me as to the way these things work explain to me why they're all but silent ,bar a couple of emails that I've got telling me that there's an app that I could report unsafe working conditions on. (But no link)

Why doesn't the schools decide that the kids shouid wear face masks if it's that bad?

Our secondary have decided kids have to wear face masks even though cases were low they did take a jump from a few to 13 in a week so they now have face masks.

Ok be interested to see if this works.

Funny how you never get these threads about other public sector workers. Care workers, police officers, doctors nurses etc.

It's tough it really is, but public sector is exactly that - service to the public.

@user1471562688

And since time began we have had teachers catching flu/norovirus/any virus but we just got on with it. What is different about this? It's just another virus. I haven't heard of teachers dropping dead like flies. Please stop all the drama. All it is doing is destroying our children's education. Shame on all the drama llamas who are prepared to destroy their children's lives for a stupid virus with an IFR of 1%. You will look back in years to come and be ashamed of yourselves but your poor kids will be fucked. Well done.

Ashamed of ourselves for what? Asking for safer worker conditions?

@converseandjeans

You won't get much sympathy on here. So long as people can send their kids into school they're not fussed. Teachers are considered to be moaning & need to just get on with it. If they mention that school is responsible for transmission of covid they're accused of wanting schools to close

Agree. And yet next year they'll have their next moan prepared for them due to the situation.

"My child is in a classroom of 45 children" because their aren't enough teachers. Recruitment and retention are already dire.

They aren't going to recruit easily when everyone with an interest in education knows schools are covid secure and have no funding to be so. That the stats are being hidden from the public and the government don't give a shite about them. All because they won't admit it spreads in schools.

@charlieclown

Funny how you never get these threads about other public sector workers. Care workers, police officers, doctors nurses etc.

It's tough it really is, but public sector is exactly that - service to the public.

Sorry what? I must have been missing something earlier in the pandemic where there were a lot of threads, very very rightly, about medical staff not having adequate PPE. It is not just us complaining. Just because we are public service does not mean that you can roughshod all over us, pay us peanuts and leave us in bloody risky situations, and then expect everyone to sit quiet about it and take it? Medical staff complained and I wouldn't be at all surprised if teachers supported them in their threads. I know I certainly did.

@Favouritebauble

Yesterday a letter went out to all parents in my area from our local authority. It stated that there is "very little transmission between pupils" and "schools are safe places". Basically the same letter they sent in September. 50+ cases in my kids school so far this term.

They do seem to keep trotting this out whilst refusing to comment on how come the age group with increasing cases is 11-18 (yr 7-12) when the rest is decreasing.

I mean surely that actually cannot be possible if that age group do not transmit it? Or maybe they do but not not withi the magical covid free school walls

There is a poster on these threads who repeatedly says that she literally does not care about the risks, as long as her children are able to go to school. I believe said poster has had a nasty case within the family, but still does not care about the risks to school staff. That is the level of vitriol we are dealing with on Mumsnet.

The best thing we can do is vote with our feet, if at all possible (of course, easier said than done; I haven't managed it, much as I want to). I suspect I'm not alone in having lost my enthusiasm for the job and am going through the motions at school and getting out as soon as I possibly can. Unless I'm able to fine something else on equivalent pay, I will continue to do my job as demotivated and unvalued as I feel. I'm not just leaving my family destitute because Mumsnetters say that having concerns is a sign of mental illness / incapacity and I should quit.

So there we have it. For the foreseeable future, schools will be staffed by teachers who know their low worth and who will commit themselves accordingly. I intend to relish every minute of the holidays and every penny of my pension. Bitter? Absolutely.

@user1471562688

And since time began we have had teachers catching flu/norovirus/any virus but we just got on with it. What is different about this? It's just another virus. I haven't heard of teachers dropping dead like flies. Please stop all the drama. All it is doing is destroying our children's education. Shame on all the drama llamas who are prepared to destroy their children's lives for a stupid virus with an IFR of 1%. You will look back in years to come and be ashamed of yourselves but your poor kids will be fucked. Well done.

Re read the above. There are teachers in hospital and on ventilators from covid.

Can you point to the stats that show where this is the same for those who have caught flu and nuro?