Secondary schools are stuffed, GOVERNMENT ADMITS

[noblegiraffe]

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

Mass testing for secondary school pupils in worst affected areas.

People will die over Christmas unnecessarily if no action is taken

Certainly there will be deaths after Christmas: the idea of the five-day easing of restrictions was bloody ridiculous to begin with. I suppose a(nother) U-turn on that issue is too much to hope for. But how about a campaign that no one with children in school mixes with other households? Or strong guidance to the effect that they should not?

I was slightly flabbergasted by the outrage and hostility expressed when I suggested (before the vaccine was approved) that teachers should be high priority for vaccination. However, that has inoculated me against the frothing the above suggestion will no doubt provoke.

I am not a teacher, btw, but am furious on the profession's behalf.

I am not a teacher, btw, but am furious on the profession's behalf.

Thank you.

I strongly doubt the government will back down on their ridiculous Xmas plan even partly because ‘Boris loses battle to save Christmas’ on top of Brexit woes would be a bit much for them.

@FriedPeach, unless I am very much mistaken that admission has already been made with the testing announcement: schools, operating in the fatuous conditions the DFE has imposed on them, are NOT 'safe'. So it seems rather foolhardy that this cohort should go on to mix over Christmas.

". This cannot happen however because the unions would then use this as an admission that schools are unsafe and keep them closed until May."

I'm sorry but that is absolute tripe.

N ireland schools closed for an extra week over half term and now haven't opened again because of unions - not what happened.

In Wales schools are online only next week so I expect you think they will stay closed until may - won't happen either.

From what I can tell the union may be able to assist individual teachers but have been pretty toothless for years. Most schools I've been at in the last 10 years don't even have a union rep.

@Happydaysandhappysmiles I have sent you a PM saying where I teach.

And agree with @middleager (I think it’s you!) that we folks in the West Mids are ignored too.

I’ve woken up at 3am and can’t sleep. I’m still angry that my school has suffered for so long - all our ill teachers and pupils, the constant isolation stress for our exam groups and then the dismissive attitude from some posters, when we who work in schools badly effected try to tell our truth, tell us ‘well my DC’s school has no cases because they have implemented XYZ’, implying my school has done something wrong.

But parents knew there was a risk of their DC catching it when they went back in September. I saw all the posts on here about how they needed normality and the risk was worth it because younger people tend to be asymptomatic or get a mild case.
So what is this thread about? Justification that teachers have been at risk? No surprise there. Confirmation that young people can spread it? No surprise there.

Eton have just closed for Christmas due to a significant number of cases. But state schools press on....

@FriedPeach

The government have finally admitted there is actually an issue

No- they haven't. What the government has said is that there is an increasing number of secondary age DC contracting the virus. This does not mean that these DC are catching it in school or that they are transmitting it to others.

As I say, I would personally be be ok with schools closing on Wednesday 16th or Thursday 17th. This cannot happen however because the unions would then use this as an admission that schools are unsafe and keep them closed until May.

This is almost word for word the justification the Scottish Government have given for schools staying open until the end of term. And it is very accurate.

Did you actually listen to the briefing? 🤦‍♀️

Sorry sent post too quick

@friedpeach
If you listening Matt Hancock said the problem isn’t for the kids as they have low risk, it’s when they pass on to family or vulnerable family.
So how can you say the government haven’t admitted it’s a problem in schools. Also just the fact that cases are high in school settings means that it is a problem in schools.
Why or who did you hear from that secondary school kids don’t transmit the virus? That’s just a bit random. They transmit just like other adults, so why would you think there was a chance that they don’t go on and spread it. You really need to get your facts right at least before posting.

Of course Eton College is shut. Can't have little Julian or the next PM in line not seeing their family over Christmas but the state sector can carry on till the bitter end.

We're in Kent in Tier 3. DD1 has been self-isolating with the rest of Y11, supposed to be back in school Monday for a few days. All the other year groups are currently self-isolating apart from Y12 and Y13, just recently 2 or 3 cases in each year plus members of staff also. DD2 hasn't had to self-isolate yet in her school, but it feels like it's just a tiny bit behind DD1's, and will be in the same position in a few weeks.

Although Kent is tier 3, our area is below national average. I don't know whether I'm allowed to get DDs tested now without symptoms.

I also hate the implication that the spread is because teenagers haven't been keeping to the rules and mixing outside school. They could have been sticking to all the rules and guidelines and still have caught/spread it.

@FriedPeach

What is coming through from your posts is that you are anti union, the rest is just happenstance.

There's another thread running about how much people are witnessing pupils who should be SI out and about .

That's only a series of vignettes, but it does show why transmission persists.

But at least the 'children can't transmit it' line of argument seems to have quietly dropped away. It was so prevalent in Aug/Sept when the calls for 'schools must be open' were most strident, and anyone who said 'hang on, they need to be safer if you actually want DC in school, and you need good online options for when they're not'

We were the ones being accused of wrecking DC's education, wellbeing and social lives. Whereas if we had bad back then, we could have been in such a different situation right now. Because switching to online only at times of high absence rates, or high risk would have been so much easier (rather than still being such a mess that DIfE/LAs are seeking to prevent it - so good to see even anecdata of heads acting more independently and closing more than the miminum when they thing that's best for the community)

@willsantausesantatize

Of course Eton College is shut. Can't have little Julian or the next PM in line not seeing their family over Christmas but the state sector can carry on till the bitter end.

Eton College is a private concern, they can do what they like.

I assume Eton would be closing soon for Christmas anyway, private schools will have a longer holiday.

Now that most(?) Uni students have gone home, there must be thousands of unused tests sat at universities around the country that could be couriered round to at least some of these schools with high transmissions TODAY to enable asymptomatic kids to isolate in time for Christmas.

A half-hearted effort on Monday/Tuesday/Wednesday will be too late for people planning to meet up at Christmas.

I wonder how many kids will simply be kept home to avoid having a test.

Luckily we've just had a handful of cases and just plan to hunker down for a very dull Christmas.

@ineedaholidaynow

I assume Eton would be closing soon for Christmas anyway, private schools will have a longer holiday.

Yes, most close today.

@PassataQueenofBritain

Yes, but only when their own precious children are the ones being affected, eh?

I don’t think government ministers have children schooled in Barking or Newham! 😊

@DianaT1969

But parents knew there was a risk of their DC catching it when they went back in September. I saw all the posts on here about how they needed normality and the risk was worth it because younger people tend to be asymptomatic or get a mild case. So what is this thread about? Justification that teachers have been at risk? No surprise there. Confirmation that young people can spread it? No surprise there.

Wow. You really need to read my previous 16 threads.

If you think it is unsurprising that children transmit covid and that teachers are at risk, why has the government been claiming otherwise for months (and fudging data to back themselves up?) Why are there no real effective mitigation measures in schools? Why has this only been admitted 3 months into the school year?

I teach in a boarding school - independents are generally under pressure to match the state sector in terms of full classes, no masks in lessons, going up til Christmas (because that's what parents want), and contrary to lots of people on mumsnet, do in fact still have to follow the DfE covid guidelines, including the crap t&t where we are only allowed to send home pupils sitting directly next to the infected child.
But, PHE do step in quicker in residential schools (whether state or independent) and once covid is rife in a boarding setting most parents will accept slightly early holiday closure.
I think Eton have done the right thing, but I'm furious that state schools have been denied the same option.

@DianaT1969

But parents knew there was a risk of their DC catching it when they went back in September. I saw all the posts on here about how they needed normality and the risk was worth it because younger people tend to be asymptomatic or get a mild case. So what is this thread about? Justification that teachers have been at risk? No surprise there. Confirmation that young people can spread it? No surprise there.

"Kids are 'more at risk of flu or being run over' than catching coronavirus at school," Deputy Chief Medical Officer for England Jenny Harries said.

10 per cent of my child's form currently have Covid. 10 per cent of his year have had it. My son caught Covid at school, as did his friends.

Oh and that's 3 out of a class of 30 mentioned in my previous post.

@ineedaholidaynow

I assume Eton would be closing soon for Christmas anyway, private schools will have a longer holiday.

I've been the nerdy one who checks (term dates are published online) and Eton's half was due to end on 17 Dec

Many other private schools were breaking up yesterday/today anyhow