Secondary schools are stuffed, GOVERNMENT ADMITS

[noblegiraffe]

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

Mass testing for secondary school pupils in worst affected areas.

*Personally I think it is misleading to state that secondary schools are 'responsible' for a rise in infections. What the government have said is that there is an increasing number of cases in secondary DC- this does not mean that the DC are then transmitting the virus to others.

There is also no evidence that any of these DC are catching the virus in school as opposed to Tesco or scouts or wherever*

Hmm so how do you explain the massive dip in the ONS random sampling study of infections amongst secondary Y7-11 pupils during half term, when they would have been hanging out and in eg Tesco's MORE.
Then infection rates escalate again once half term is finished?
Ok, it's circumstantial, but looks fairly like evidence to me.

"This clearly did not happen- 50% of DC had no contact at all from school during lockdown"

Evidence?

There is also no evidence that any of these DC are catching the virus in school as opposed to Tesco or scouts or wherever

Yes, of course they are much more likely to catch it in Tesco where they spend a few minutes wearing a mask than in a small room where they are spending hours on end squashed in with loads of other maskless people who currently have the highest infection rate.

@FriedPeach - do you always make up bollocks, or just on this thread?

There is also no evidence that any of these DC are catching the virus in school as opposed to Tesco or scouts or wherever.

Except for this graph, you mean?

The curriculum was suspended. No other advice was given.

Teachers worked throughout with key worker children. I personally worked more hours that normal setting up for and working with the children who returned in June, trying hard to make sure the key worker children, the returning children and isolating children received as close to the same provision as possible. This was all done without any guidance from the government.

What evidence do you have that 50% weren't contacted at all? I know many schools and children and this was true in 0% of the cases I know. I also know that my personal experience is not necessarily representative of other schools and wouldn't state it as such

Scouts are closed and conducted via zoom.

[quote Walkaround]@FriedPeach - do you always make up bollocks, or just on this thread?[/quote]
I agree, why is it bollocks? I speak as a parent whose children’s educational needs were woefully neglected by their schools during the first lockdown. Maybe @FriedPeach and many other posters had the same experience doesn’t make it bollocks does it!

Personally I’m dreading January. I live in a small town which so far has managed to practically escape covid with only one case so far in the High school & very few generally. We know we are extremely lucky but also know we can’t stay safe for ever. I don’t feel safe at work as I have various health conditions. I’ve already lost my mum this year & haven’t seen my dad since August as he is too afraid of seeing us, (I work in a school, one at secondary & 2 at uni) but as he lives in London, I don’t intend to go & see him anyway.
I am no longer surprised by anything this government does & don’t believe a word they say. I just don’t understand how they have managed to get away with it all.
I have been following you for a while now Noble & agree with everything you have said. Thanks for all your posts.

Yep, now Eton is so infected with COVID cases (includes staff as well), suddenly the government has realised schools can and do catch/transmit the virus.... Didn't listen to anyone before this but now London and the South East has a problem it matters.
Poor show.
And at some point they will realise the same applies to younger children too, not just secondary schools....harder to see as the young ones are often asymptomatic. And teachers, who deserve better, haven't been listened to for many months....

@Whyisitsodifficult

The reason it is bollocks is because @FriedPeach is sharing her opinion as fact. It is bollocks as far as I'm concerned as it's completely different from any experience I've had or anyone I know. I realise that my experiences and opinions are mine alone and not representative of others. Something @FriedPeach seems not to realise.

I do have extensive knowledge of schools as a teacher, a relative of other school staff, a friend of many teachers and a parent of schools children. @FriedPeach hasn't shared where she has gathered her opinion

@Whyisitsodifficult - I await to see evidence of the claimed 50% before I withdraw my claim of bollocks.

@Nellee

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?

I agree. I'm the SLT member who is designated with Covid response in one of the highlighted London boroughs. Have heard nothing - either before or since the announcement. Can't see how they're planning on rolling it out without even telling us (I can believe they think they can...)

Or @Whyisitsodifficult, would you accept a teacher’s random claim that 50% of parents don’t give a toss about their children’s education and can’t even be bothered to log in to online learning, without calling bollocks???

I have to agree that in our case the woeful provision provided during lockdown one does make me very concerned about closing schools again.

I think I maybe we were unlucky, and I'm not going to bash any teachers on here.

Our experience makes me assume that if schools close again my DC will receive zero education or support again for that period of time during which the school is closed- which is a huge shame. That not withstanding I'm not claiming schools should stay open- because this is about more than my DC's education.

Oh wow, mrsanflowerpot, it's like they're making stuff up as they go along! Let us know if you hear anything tomorrow.

I have to agree that in our case the woeful provision provided during lockdown one does make me very concerned about closing schools again.

No one is arguing to close schools again. Moving to remote learning (which is a different kettle of fish to what went on in lockdown as the government has now set standards and legal requirements) particularly in badly affected schools for one week should be considered as a sensible way to prevent unnecessary deaths this Christmas.

I can confidently state that every parent who complained about lack of work set by myself during lockdown hadn't actually looked for the work.
When I proved that I had been both emailing and setting work in showmyhomework, and asking for it to be submitted for marking - did I get an apology?
I'll give you one guess

I'm wondering too when and how this mass testing will take place? A testing site is currently being set up in our local park? Does that mean local schools will all go and queue up there? In school time or out of school time? How did Liverpool do the schools does anyone know? Can't see this being as simple as Matt Hancock suggests.

However, this cannot happen because the unions would use it to try and show that schools are unsafe and then keep them closed until easter

This ‘closed until Easter’ sound bite is almost word for word like a poster a week or so ago-how funny.

It wasn’t true then and it isn’t true now.

All these posters with their very similar sounding anti-union agendas.

Appuskidu
It has echoes of all the posters who read teachers saying "be aware of A B C before we open schools fully, it would be good to do D E F to make schools safer for everyone and reduce disruption" and claimed "teachers want to close the schools".

For some on here they seem to think if a soundbite is repeated enough then that makes it true.

In the briefing Hancock said more details about testing will be given on Friday.

Surely even if the government weren't incompetent it just isn't possible for testing to happen in schools, samples to be analysed and results issued before the end of term? Plus the issue of parents having to provide consent for testing before it can go ahead, and presumably results will have to go to parents anyway rather than to children or schools?

This makes me think that maybe the plan is for testing to be done outside of the school set up- maybe parents will be asked to take their DC to be tested?

I realise that the most likely scenario is for this to be bullshit and for nothing at all to happen this side of Easter in London- and for us in Leicester probably never!

@Appuskidu

However, this cannot happen because the unions would use it to try and show that schools are unsafe and then keep them closed until easter

This ‘closed until Easter’ sound bite is almost word for word like a poster a week or so ago-how funny.

It wasn’t true then and it isn’t true now.

Ah, but they think people are so dim, you see, @Appuskidu, that they will fall for the line that Covid 19 is actually just an invention of “the Unions”which are trying to close the whole of society down in some bizarre plot to ensure that everybody should be uneducated and unemployed.