“Encouraged” to test twice a week - final straw.

[motherrunner]

I have just read an email from my Head where PHE are recommending teachers take twice weekly lateral tests.

This is because:
-1 in 20 asymptomatic people in my city have tested positive
-my school has not been fully open since last week in Sept (we have fully closed on multiple occasions)

I am on my knees with exhaustion and stress. I teach full time, I leave the house at 7.15, drop my children at their breakfast club, work, collect them at 5.30 and then it’s home, tea, bedtimes and then planning/marking. How am I to find the time to go to the test centre twice a week? The email says we it is “voluntary” but we are “encouraged” to do so and focussed a lot on community responsibility etc.

I have slowly felt more undervalued at time from the ‘schools are safe’ propaganda, to ‘stressed teachers want to close a day early at Christmas’ (that’s another headache, my school not closing but my children’s school is). I haven’t seen my mum since March as she is a nursing home and I won’t be seeing any family at all over Christmas due to my job.

Is it unreasonable of me just to say ‘sod it, I’m not having the tests’ or is that irresponsible?

You can’t test in your own time, explain to your Head /SLT. As a single parent they can surely give you time to test once a week.

Feck that and I say that as a teacher who has already had covid

@BiscuitDrama

As a compromise could you go round once at the weekend? Go early and there will be less of a queue I would imagine.

Losing your weekend, and your sleep to go early is absolutely not a compromise for a very very overworked and exhausted teacher at the end of a hideously stressful term and year. It would be worse than going after work. Weekends are sacrosanct. (Im a teacher and this suggestion as a compromise did actually make me laugh, sorry!)

My school is planning on administering tests weekly and at school-which will be time consuming enough for the member of staff that has to monitor it all. I completely understand your predicament-plus it is eating into your personal time. Time should be given out of your school day, e.g PPA from home with an expectation that you’ll be taking a test on that afternoon? Twice weekly seems excessive, maybe you could do once a week as a compromise?

If you don’t feel you can manage it (tho once a week at the weekend is a sensible compromise as suggested by PP) then why bother coming in here to post? Just don’t do it! What a pointless thread.

@Susanwouldntlikeit

If you don’t feel you can manage it (tho once a week at the weekend is a sensible compromise as suggested by PP) then why bother coming in here to post? Just don’t do it! What a pointless thread.

Oh here's Susan, here to demonstrate what a paragon of teaching virtue we should all aspire to be.

If LF tests at introduced in the LA where I work, I will have to either pay an extra hour's childminding twice a week or do a 65 mile round trip at the weekend by your suggestion.

Answer is no. Why aren't teachers extended the small convenience of testing onsite or a box of tests to take hike, as PPs in the NHS have described?

Don’t get annoyed @SaltyAF. I had read the post a couple of hours ago and chose not to respond. If this thread is so pointless, what is the point of posting? 🤔

I was trying to be restrained there @motherrunner Salty by name ...

Oh goodness op, that is not great. I thinknit is really important that teachers and pupils are part of this testing but asking people to go to a site for it is unrealistic at best, obstructive one might say I would suggest go when/if you can and accept that they haven't made it accessible for you which is on them not you. Utter madness abounds at the moment bloody government

@SaltyAF Well, I didn’t want to point that out 😉 😆

YANBU - if they arrange lateral flow tests for you fine. If not, it is absolutely unreasonable for them to expect you to travel and queue for testing given your schedule.

This is your schools responsibility to coordinate if they want it done.

They need to either find cover to free people up to be tested in school hours or they need to access the home testing kids on mass and ask admin staff to coordinate twice weekly tests

Personally I’d chuck this back at the head and say that you’re run ragged at the moment and don’t have time to breath in between work and home responsibilities. You’re not able to facilitate twice weekly testing in personal time but would be keen to support testing in work hours if it can be organised.

Leave the ball in his court

I feel annoyed on your behalf.

Work want this. Work need to coordinate this and it needs to be done in work hours.

I would test once a week at the weekend as a middle ground. I wouldn’t go midweek in the evening as v limited time. They should provide you with tests if they want that imo.

OP shouldn’t give up her limited personal time at weekends: the state should organise it, they haven’t, it’s not compulsory, and the request is unreasonable. OP is fully fulfilling her professional obligations.

Thanks everyone for the input and support. I’m going to go to the test centre tomorrow and see how busy it is. I know that sounds selfish putting my time over community responsibility but I’m just so tired. Hopefully the new year will bring better news!

Good idea. Hope it went well.

A relative told me you an order antibody tests on the government website now if you meet the criteria. It might be worth seeing if you can order one? If you have antibodies it might take the worries away a bit?

My reltive got one because theyre a doctor. I couldn't get one because I'm on mat leave. Worth a try though maybe!