Secondary schools are stuffed, GOVERNMENT ADMITS

[noblegiraffe]

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

Mass testing for secondary school pupils in worst affected areas.

Also in Hull and fuming that yet again we don't get the mass testing that other places get. My child's year is the worst affected one with bubbles shutting down every week. Few people in his bubble have had it but don't sit next to him so apparently this is ok.

I am seriously considering removing him next week as I believe all should be, just like Wales.

My parents have had Covid. The only people they have seen is their other grandchildren as a childcare bubble so it must be transmitting from schools. Neither of the children had symptoms. Both 70 but fortunately only got it mild. Could have been a different story as one of their friends contracted it in the same way and has sadly died.

@willsantausesantatize

There are usually a few journalists lurking on mumsnet starting threads : they need to get over onto this one ( and other similar ones) and write about the conditions the staff are meant to be working in and have to do above their normal jobs such as contact Track and trace and trying to keep everyone safe. The children and the staff are being hugely let down, yet nobody seems to care. My colleagues are so worried and dreading next week. I don't work many hours myself in my school , but I can feel the tension rising. It's a toxic atmosphere at times and some are so fearful of getting this virus despite all the platitudes.

I've just texted James O'Brien on LBC about the issue in secondary schools....

[quote napcrackleandpop]@MarshaBradyo I don't have more space in my classroom - I have 25 in a class instead of 30 but my classrooms are smaller than in my last school.
Honestly, as far as covid is concerned both state and private (at secondary anyway) are suffering awful conditions and insane infection rates.
We've also lost so much in fees (because parents' businesses have gone under) that we are running on a shoestring.[/quote]
Ah I see. That is hard. I had wondered what the net effect on private was as many posts talking about increase in demand, but lower income has opposite effect.

@willsantausesantatize

Of course they have told the media to not talk about schools. It doesn't fit the narrative of keeping them open.

I did post this last night but I think it's worth another signpost to where the Guardian is actually asking for teachers' experiences this term. I think individual stories from teachers will be more powerful here than links to threads, especially as they suggest they may get in contact before printing. It feels like a big step forward that a national newspaper is (finally,possibly) looking into this; let's take the opportunity to get our stories heard by a wider audience.

https://www.theguardian.com/education/2020/dec/07/teachers-in-the-uk-coronavirus-what-has-this-term-been-like?CMP=ShareiOSAppp_Other

To be honest event the schools press doesn't seem that bothered about the conditions teachers face day to day in the classroom.

A lot of concern about headteachers (rightly so) but not much about those in come in daily close contact and are picking up various pieces.

didn't read the full thread yet, but one thing popped into my mind.
Could it be that it's just a PR stunt? Mass testing in secondary schools as they need to stop the transmission. > by the time they find anything* the schools will have shut anyway for xmas > sec.school age infections will go down (you know: schools are off for xmas) --> the gov will pat itself on the back about how well they handled it. And many will fall for this (hook, line and sinker)
I might be just cynical.

*think of the timeline:
dec 10 - MH says things on telly
dec 11 - orders start flowing down the command chain, logistics start, but it's friday
dec 12-13 - weekend, when the high level stakeholders are not working
dec 14-15 - ppl scramble to get it organized
dec 15 - they really start en mass to test - but they have
dec 17(ish) results start to come back AND schools break up

result: ok, tested a lot. BUT given how HTs are responsible for TTR (because of having the seating plans?!) the actual result will be that HTs and teams will be working almost up until xmas on this.
And by the time everyone is actually followed up: "free for all where nothing matters" starts up.

So apart from getting data what is the point?
(and I'm all fro data, but this seems to be a waste of money in this form)

@willsantausesantatize

Of course they have told the media to not talk about schools. It doesn't fit the narrative of keeping them open.

Why on earth would the press act as an arm of government on this?

Or do you think there are injunctions in places?

(D notice is both inapplicable - it’s restricted to military issues - and also voluntary)

The media is doing articles in schools

It’s just not getting much traction or something as they are definitely there

On schools

How dot hey measure traction , though? Don't the media set the agenda?

I’d say how much we think it’s a big story - as reflected by posts on here (saying it’s being suppressed).

So the information is there but not getting picked up to create something that we would mean all posters think they are covering it. Like say Brexit is which is everywhere.

Nothing is hidden though. There’s been a few articles on number of students not in.

@noblegiraffe

I really feel for all the ECV families who were lied to about school safety and threatened with fines or forced to de-register their kids to keep them safe.

not E, just CV. I didn't send kid in since Sept. LEA called me, blabla... They asked for a letter from the doc. This is what I got from doc: "This letter certifies that TSISS is suffering from X and is at an extra risk of complications from covid if infected." X=uncurable lifelong condition

The LEA lady phoned me back asking me to get a letter from the GP on when my condition will end and if jan 7 my kid can go back to school.

I was raging after that call.....

I don't think there is a D notice (although they aren't restricted to military : national security issues generally )

What I do know is most top journos are male, privately educated, most many years ago, have children who are through and out the other side (and research says work very long hours so often have delegated childcare almost entirely to a female caregiver, which may not even be DW), and find schools frankly a bit small fry , provincial, tedious and rather beneath them. We also really shouldn't overlook media ownership and political leanings.

Of the more left leaning papers, I just looked at The Guardian. You ahve to click the education tab to find anything on schools. The dominant stories are university focused or political (eg children's commissioner appointment).

Perhaps having such an invisible, unimpressive ed sec is actually really very helpful to the government. It keeps education issues tucked out of the way.

Also reader appetite plays a part. Papers will see what is getting picked up. We are feeling differently to March. That was all a bit heightened and more on schools.

Yes, but that's what I mean. You assume they measure 'reader appetite'. THEY are the agenda setters! They tell us what matters.

I am actually surprised it isn't more prominent, given the London focus of the media.

Essentially, they don't care what women think, or worry about. this is why parental rights in this country are poor, and why teachers,TAs, carers nurses and social workers have such poor working conditions.

I think it goes both ways. They react to what is picked up, read and circulated.

So the BBC and local outlets have covered school stuff but lack of interest means it gets bumped down.

I disagree that there has been coverage of the actual conditions in schools. I read two newspapers and look at the BBC online daily and I have seen nothing on this, whereas all images show a small handful of very spaced out, often masked students in classrooms. Subliminally this is sending out a completely false message to readers.

Not sure about that isn’t the DM mostly female readers?

Yes, but it is owned by men!

Still more women read it over other papers so it must be interesting to them

We do get to choose

I mean it is very sad, but The Guardian's front page currently has the death of a pilot in a car crash in Gran Canaria and an execution in the US...

marsha I really don't think any researchers into media )or Orson Welles for that matter!) would agree with you that the readers set the agenda...

Of course they do! In the world of social media readers are constantly moving the narrative. And also responding to it. Look at what has happened to the news over last few decades.

@Piggywaspushed

Yes, but that's what I mean. You assume they measure 'reader appetite'. THEY are the agenda setters! They tell us what matters.

I am actually surprised it isn't more prominent, given the London focus of the media.

But this is East London mainly, and not the trendy parts. I teach in the borough with the highest rates and it’s a world away from central. It’s overcrowded, high density housing, multigenerational living, high levels of deprivation. To be honest the rest of London only cares now it has got to a point where it threatens all of London going into Tier 3.