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Original poster

Secondary schools are stuffed, GOVERNMENT ADMITS

987 replies

noblegiraffe · 10/12/2020 17:42

www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-55265098

Mass testing for secondary school pupils in worst affected areas.

OP posts:
Thread gallery
21
Original poster
noblegiraffe · 10/12/2020 21:32

rather than attempting to gaslight teachers

...and suggesting that they can't read a graph or interpret data Hmm

OP posts:
Nellee · 10/12/2020 21:33

Are they actually going to start testing in schools tomorrow?

I read this story as more Boris bullshit.

They’re not actually going to get it together to properly test everyone in Secondary schools before Xmas. Are they?

Original poster
noblegiraffe · 10/12/2020 21:33

Yep, need to look at confidence intervals and the ONS sample size and geographical sampling bias

ONS infection survey data for secondary kids basically matches the school attendance data.

OP posts:
MrJinxyCat · 10/12/2020 21:34

I genuinely don’t understand why they don’t introduce mask wearing, at least in secondary schools. They all have masks, why can’t they wear them in class??
Seems so stupidly obvious, why not try it!

Zandathepanda · 10/12/2020 21:35

Meanwhile my vulnerable (but not so vulnerable as to be sent a letter) daughter was told off by the teacher for refusing to hold hands and dance with a girl who is now covid positive. No one, as normal, was wearing a mask. She was less than a metre away. Luckily my daughter refused to attend the next lesson where she could have picked it up. One of her A Level assessments is now in danger. Northern school so doesn’t matter.

Original poster
noblegiraffe · 10/12/2020 21:35

@MrJinxyCat

I genuinely don’t understand why they don’t introduce mask wearing, at least in secondary schools. They all have masks, why can’t they wear them in class?? Seems so stupidly obvious, why not try it!
Because up until now, they've refused to admit that there is any issue with transmission and infection rates in secondary schools.

Today is the first admittance that something needs to be done.

Maybe now they've acknowledged the data, we might see movement in other areas.

OP posts:
WhyNotMe40 · 10/12/2020 21:36

@MrJinxyCat

I genuinely don’t understand why they don’t introduce mask wearing, at least in secondary schools. They all have masks, why can’t they wear them in class?? Seems so stupidly obvious, why not try it!
Because up untill this evening "Schools are safe". End of. So why would schools need masks, social distancing, ventilation?
JayAlfredPrufrock · 10/12/2020 21:40

I am so fucking angry.

Danglingmod · 10/12/2020 21:40

Quite a few of ours do keep them on in lessons now as it helps keep them above freezing point.

Chestnutacorns123 · 10/12/2020 21:41

@CallmeAngelina I've never dismissed this, as it is a genuine concern. I believe teachers should be a priority group for the vaccination programme as for me, they are in risky job due to the large number of people they see. Transmission in hospitals is also high according to the data despite masks etc. They keep that quiet too.

I'm sorry I don't think schools should shut, online learning is a poor substitute for in person teaching. If you're a teacher you'll know that. If you want to save lives then all hospitality should remain shut until everyone is vaccinated across all tiers.

Original poster
noblegiraffe · 10/12/2020 21:41

@JayAlfredPrufrock

I am so fucking angry.
Amen.

I'm wondering where this is going to go. So much anger being expressed on here. Surely they can't get away with it.

OP posts:
Original poster
noblegiraffe · 10/12/2020 21:42

I'm sorry I don't think schools should shut, online learning is a poor substitute for in person teaching. If you're a teacher you'll know that

And the winner of the most patronising person on the thread goes to....GraphSplainer.

OP posts:
starrynight19 · 10/12/2020 21:42

Wonder why Eton are allowed to close when they have cases in staff and students ?

WhoLettheCatOut · 10/12/2020 21:46

I have relentlessly argued over the last few months that there is no north/south divide but this has completely changed my mind. I'm in a tier 3 area with significant secondary school closures (although seem to be settling) and our area is crying out for mass testing in schools. I'm sure there was an indication we were getting increased testing but there's been nothing yet the south is now getting these focussed mass testing which would have made a huge difference in my area 4-6 weeks ago. I'm livid.

monkeytennis97 · 10/12/2020 21:47

@Zandathepanda

Meanwhile my vulnerable (but not so vulnerable as to be sent a letter) daughter was told off by the teacher for refusing to hold hands and dance with a girl who is now covid positive. No one, as normal, was wearing a mask. She was less than a metre away. Luckily my daughter refused to attend the next lesson where she could have picked it up. One of her A Level assessments is now in danger. Northern school so doesn’t matter.
Whereas today I told at least 5 students to stop hugging/touching each other for their own safety (that's not a one off it's pretty much every day). It's in the guidance that we should encourage distancing so I do every day and every day the reaction is the same "why Miss?". Most kids I talk to about it all are oblivious. I really feel for those with vulnerable relatives they know I've got their back.
MrsHamlet · 10/12/2020 21:49

@PassataQueenofBritain

We tried to send a child with a hacking cough and temperature home on Monday. Parent wouldn't collect until 3.30. Told the head they don't believe in Covid so won't test. We asked them to keep him home. He's been in every day, and every day we keep him away from everyone else because the parents refuse to collect him or test him. We can't lock the doors to keep him out *@MrsHamlet* You do have powers to deal with that- the head can exclude them for breaking public health procedures, this is now a valid reason for exclusion.
Which is all well and good as long as the patents actually keep the child at home. Which they haven't so far. You can exclude as much as you like but when the kid turns up, the first anyone knows about it is when they get registered in the morning.
Chestnutacorns123 · 10/12/2020 21:51

@noblegiraffe wow, rude. If you don't like it, ignore and scroll on. No need to be nasty. Others including you use the data to support their POV, a different opinion is expressed on your conclusions and you belittle them. Nice.

ThrowawaySecondarySchool · 10/12/2020 21:55

Our school, which had a sudden explosion of cases in both students and staff last week, has closed for online tuition as of tomorrow. Thank fuck.
Huge support from parents for this.
A few staff in to help students without tech at home access their lessons from the school computers. (If they were lucky enough to not be self-isolating.)
I wonder if the DfE has any say over what happens in academies, or we just got lucky, or the head ignored them.

PassataQueenofBritain · 10/12/2020 21:58

You can exclude as much as you like but when the kid turns up, the first anyone knows about it is when they get registered in the morning
We have an E in the register, so the class teacher would know not to register them...but tbh, my HT has been on the front gates every single morning since we went back in September, and that child would not be allowed on site. My HT has banned certain parents from the site prior to covid, with full backing of governors.

Original poster
noblegiraffe · 10/12/2020 22:01

Chestnut what’s also rude is coming onto a thread and suggesting that posters can’t interpret data, that you with your two science degrees (but no clue what you’re talking about) actually knows better and then no acknowledgement when you were wrong (or even thanks for the dataset you requested).

Secondary school children are the most infected subset of the population, mixing freely in what the government has finally admitted are schools where covid can run riot. They have another week of school, 5 days after which the government has announced free household mixing for three households for 5 days. So these infected pupils are being allowed to mix with other members of their extended family, possibly elderly and vulnerable.

This would appear to be a recipe for deaths.

Now explain why the option of moving to remote learning for what is usually 4.5 days, for the last week of a term where kids, if in school and not already isolating, are really not doing their best work is actually worse than those deaths?

4.5 days.

OP posts:
WhenSheWasBad · 10/12/2020 22:08

Thank you again noble for your posts. I’m trapped between being pleased that the government has finally admitted Covid is spreading in schools. I’m also furious that it’s only happened once London boroughs have been affected badly.

I also have a theory Boris is going to dick around with schools. In order to take the focus of the shit Brexit deal he’s attempting to negotiate. to be fair my theory is massively skewed by my hatred of the current bunch of liars we have in government

Viviennemary · 10/12/2020 22:08

Of course there is a north south divide. Thats why London is in tier 2 when it should be in tier 3. (Or even tier 4 if there was one.)

SquirmOfEels · 10/12/2020 22:12

I wonder if the DfE has any say over what happens in academies, or we just got lucky, or the head ignored them

I think some heads are ignoring elements of the guidance now, are doing what they think is rightnfor their community and will risk the consequences (whilst serious doubting there will actually be any).

One school near here had to send several hundred into SI (most/all of three year groups and several teachers), returning last week; and then had to send a large number of pupils home again this week after only 4 days back in. They've switched the school to online only, other than any pupils who need to attend (key worker provision and anyone else with exceptional need). That sounds to me to be against the guidance (unless they have far more staff off than they have stated).

But it also sounds the right thing to do.

And I'm guessing it's easier for the remaining staff to have everyone online rather than a mixture

FriedPeach · 10/12/2020 22:15

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sherrystrull · 10/12/2020 22:18

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