Secondary schools are stuffed, GOVERNMENT ADMITS

[noblegiraffe]

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

Mass testing for secondary school pupils in worst affected areas.

Minister threatens headteacher over pre-Christmas online lessons [Guardian]

www.theguardian.com/education/2020/dec/12/minister-threatens-school-heads-over-pre-christmas-online-lessons

[quote ThrowawaySecondarySchool]Minister threatens headteacher over pre-Christmas online lessons [Guardian]

www.theguardian.com/education/2020/dec/12/minister-threatens-school-heads-over-pre-christmas-online-lessons[/quote]
Just when you thought they couldn't stoop any lower.

I had a look at the school's website, and it looks like they've been planning early closure since the end of November, hence Nick Gibbs having time/forewarning to try to force them to stay open.

"The school, Presdales in Ware, was planning to teach the majority of its pupils remotely for the last week of term, while continuing to provide socially distanced, face-to-face lessons for vulnerable pupils, children who need extra support and any other students who wished to come into school. Only about 25 pupils were expected to come in, so they could all sit 2 metres away from each other in class."

Wow, so any kid who still wanted to come into school could, vulnerable kids were catered for and the DfE still said no?

They really are super-bastards throwing their weight around. The extra deaths will be on you, Nick Gibb.

[quote ThrowawaySecondarySchool]Minister threatens headteacher over pre-Christmas online lessons [Guardian]

www.theguardian.com/education/2020/dec/12/minister-threatens-school-heads-over-pre-christmas-online-lessons[/quote]
It is unbelievable that headteachers are not being trusted enough to make the safest decisions for their school community. The government are losing the plot big time now.

That's really shit.

Because even with the required SI period to 10 days, it could knock out the entire Christmas concession for those who are in contact in the last days of term. When cases are rising within a school community, there will be more put into SI - doesn't it usually take a few days, sending home more and more, each with slIghtly later end day, before it pauses?

So unless there are enough staff absences to prevent the safe opening of the school at all, some families are going to be exposed just in time for Christmas.

Which is shit, seeing as all schools were told in October they needed to have their plans to switch to offsite ready. This could have been a good chance to put them into action, staying open onsite only for keyworkers who require childcare and for those who do not have adequate tech at home.

I don't even get who benefits from this policy, everyone who wants or needs to attend school is still able to. It just looks like bullying and if/when a group become close contacts in the last week, then the DfE becomes the Grinch who stole Christmas. Their utter lack of concern about how many children have had repeated isolations and refusal to cancel exams shows that they don't actually believe online learning is detrimental to kids, or if it is then they don't care any other time.

nutty I really wish there was a Like button there.

Oh here you go again clav blaming teachers for getting ill.

Well, personally I am going to report any threads that peddles a dangerous anti mask agenda.

I am frankly concerned about what kind of propaganda you must feed to your vulnerable and gullible pupils susan.

Well, personally I am going to report any threads that peddles a dangerous anti mask agenda.

I think teachers should wear masks!!

It's a bigger issue than I realised if many schools are having to reduce measures because of budget. That is really really worrying.

clav that was not about you.

The teacher also forgot to mention the 30 guest wedding she attended a little over 2 weeks before she tested positive - where all the guests took off their masks for non socially distanced

Regardless of what I divixual teachers did or did not do the fiddled ons data showed teachers are as likely (maybe slightly More likely) to get infected than NHS and care home workers.

It is a bit arrogant to imply that this is because education professionals as a whole must be less compliant than others in following guidance.

Are all the secondary aged kids getting infected going to non socially distanced weddings too?

Teacher boycott in place here.

This week's PHE surveillance data shows education staff as the second biggest groups after healthcare workers. Unless they lead very different social lives from every other person*, that pinpoints occupational risk.

• oh , wait, hang on they do. Massive massive amounts of contacts - in their workplace. I did duty yesterday in a small social area with a approximately 300 unmasked kids. Anywhere else that would break rules, and in fact fire regs.

It is a bit arrogant to imply that this is because education professionals as a whole must be less compliant than others in following guidance.

I didn't imply that - no need to claim the infection must have come from an asymptomatic 'under 7' though.

Are all the secondary aged kids getting infected going to non socially distanced weddings too?

Quite likely some transmission from teacher to pupil if nothing else.

the fiddled ons data

Has that been investigated yet - what was the conclusion?

We had to pitch in to do the cleaning over lockdown but extra money wasn't offered to us. It was because we couldn't do our normal job until the children went back. The cleaning items and gloves etc all came out of their budget.
I've noticed the nice anti viral spray they had has been replaced with ordinary D 10 now.

Ad hominem attack reported.

*Are all the secondary aged kids getting infected going to non socially distanced weddings too?

Quite likely some transmission from teacher to pupil if nothing else*

So 18 year olds at university transmit between one another, but 18 year olds in school can ONLY get Covid from teachers?

Are you sure about that?

This week's PHE surveillance data shows education staff as the second biggest groups after healthcare workers. Unless they lead very different social lives from every other person*, that pinpoints occupational risk.

That data is niggling at me. If the country has a lot more healthcare workers than teachers then you would expect more people who test positive to report that they work in healthcare.

It's only a tiny proportion of the population who attend school, so for that to be the highest reported activity, relatively, that means that attending school is probably way riskier than going to the shops.

It needs to be scaled.

@noblegiraffe

This week's PHE surveillance data shows education staff as the second biggest groups after healthcare workers. Unless they lead very different social lives from every other person*, that pinpoints occupational risk.

That data is niggling at me. If the country has a lot more healthcare workers than teachers then you would expect more people who test positive to report that they work in healthcare.

It's only a tiny proportion of the population who attend school, so for that to be the highest reported activity, relatively, that means that attending school is probably way riskier than going to the shops.

It needs to be scaled.

It niggles me too.

It is deliberately designed to mislead. The occupation should have been on a separate graph. However if you add up the schools/ education sections and the health care/ social care sections it is really clear where the biggest problem lies. I imagine many of the staff cases have been also included in the longest bar at the top but you can't tell.

Good point there noble.
If you had believed Michael Gove’s statements to Andrew Marr back in August, you’d have expected that bar to be zero in any case.

Guess I’m a bit of an outlier on these threads as I am neither a parent nor a teacher. Picked up on one of noble’s threads several weeks ago and have been following ever since.

I positively support schools staying open for the greater good despite it having no effect on me personally, and even though my life has been put on hold. I realise I’m in a fortunate position and so am prepared to take that hit. But I’m only prepared to take that stance if I feel that everything possible is being done to keep transmission low in schools and I know that is not the case. I could weep (and do almost daily) for people losing their jobs and businesses being shut down while the government can’t be bothered to do anything to make schools safer to reduce transmission levels in the community.

Anecdata:

• my friend (over 60) teaches in a secondary school. Had the first case two days into the autumn term and a few weeks ago she said that the best she could hope for was that as there were so many cases they would soon reach herd immunity. She can’t see her 85 year old mum because she is terrified about passing on the virus so just leaves her shopping on her doorstep;

• a friend’s child has now been sent home for the third time this term. How is that an education? Luckily he is (just) old enough to stay at home by himself as his parents can’t work from home.

And I’m disgusted by the posters on here (although unsurprisingly becoming fewer in number) who are “well there are no cases in my school so what’s all the fuss about?”. If I care, why don’t you? Not to mention the political stooges, who come on just to make personal attacks on other posters and tie themselves in knots trying to demonstrate there is no problem.