Exclusive: DfE considering delay to start of next term

[herecomestheSon]

www.tes.com/news/exclusive-dfe-considering-delay-start-next-term?fbclid=IwAR1QLOa7VrpJz2QeOpMo90R45SfwOfIPsr9pI_SMYEoClaJwJuAjbGB9cB8

According to the Times Educational Supplement.

Yesterday the NEU teaching union urged the government to move teaching online for the first week of next term to give schools enough time to train staff in administering Covid-19 tests.

The Department for Education is expected to make an announcement about the potential later start tomorrow, according to sources close to the DfE.

I thought it would interest you lot.

@PurpleDaisies

School nurses? Haven’t seen one of those for years.

There are over 1600 staff and students in my local secondary. One school nurse is going to struggle, especially given they cover multiple schools.

Many schools have in house therapists. What about kitchen staff could they help to do it?

@Humbersausage

It’s mildly irritating that many of the same people who have been for months pushing for testing in school to be now turning round and trying to kill exactly what they asked for in the cradle. It’s almost as if this has nothing to do with safety and everything to do with certain left wing elements of the teaching profession trying to undermine the government because they don’t agree with then ideologically.

1) These tests are not accurate enough to replace isolation 2) Therefore schools will be even more unsafe 3) I have a PGCE and a degree in my subject which is not science or health and social care or anything related to health... I am not a HCP. 4) The rules for administering these unreliable tests are unworkable (down to staff needed, floor material, space) in schools who have not got the resources human or otherwise to implement this. 5) Christ as well as a teacher, social worker, policewoman, terrorism prevention worker we've now got to do this! And lose isolation as one of the only protective things we have.

Mass testing scenario that I and other teachers would like: 15 close contacts sent home, others in class (or better still, year group) tested to pick up other cases allowing better control of spread.

This is it in a nutshell.

Are there people out there who don’t think this suggestion is a good one?

Do you not think kitchen staff may be busy making lunches. Why do you think they would be happy to conduct tests on students?

I work in a secondary.
Admin. Quite likely they'll ask me to do these tests.

I shall respond with, "Not a chance in hell".

Can't see me getting the sack for refusing seeing as no one else is answering the phone or telling students to self isolate.
I'm a single parent. I have asthma. I'm not risking me and mine to stick swabs up infected teens noses.

And my teaching staff are exhausted plus providing cover in every PPA and break for isolating staff so there's no time to administer. And there's no money either because we blew it all on supply teachers, gel and masks.

And our students are quite deprived backgrounds. They will say Fuck Off and their parents won't consent because they don't want positive results in their homes - they can't afford to isolate from their zero hour contracts.

And around we go again.

Kids at my school are losing out for not being in school. But the ones who need to be in the most haven't been seen for weeks.
Our kids will lose out by the enforced exam season going ahead. A new way of thinking is required instead of shoehorning education into an ever tighter hole.

Will refusing to get swabbed lead to unauthorised absence even?!
That was something I immediately wondered.
Does refusing a test mean no access to education?
My two sixth formers had to be tested a few weeks back. My gentle, shy introvert one got swabbed nose and throat, no problem. My tough, bolshy, fearless one, nope, couldn’t do it. I had to do it in the end but by God it was awful. Never had anything shoved up their nose ‘til it meets resistance’ before and turns out, well I can only describe the reaction as borderline ‘phobic’, and that was with me, their Mother , doing it. Afterwards, there were tears and upset at being a ‘wuss’ (their words), but doesn’t change the fact it was bloody awful for all of us. So, when they refuse a swab done by Kevin’s Mum, does that mean no more access to school?

Many schools have in house therapists. What about kitchen staff could they help to do it?

Never in any school I’ve worked in.

Who will work in the kitchen while the kitchen staff are doing tests. Obviously deboning a chicken means they’re ideally qualified for this procedure.

Our school won't even administer antibiotics on a spoon but somehow now its OK to swab kids' tonsils?!

[quote Humbersausage]@StaffAssociationRepresentative it’s not Kevin’s mum who has cor months been pushing for mass testing of teachers want safer schools then they need to be at least willing to go some of the way to make that happen[/quote]
Have you actually ever spent any time in a classroom, Humbersausage? Between behaviour management and bloody Ofsted attainment form filling, teachers have to teach. They don't have time to be medical professionals too. This should not fall on just their shoulders – the Govt has a responsibility to provide schools with medical support.

It is a lateral flow saliva test.

dfemedia.blog.gov.uk/2020/12/15/mass-testing-in-schools-your-questions-answered/

@User27aw

My ds in y11 has his mocks the first week back, so that's not going to be a good idea for his school

Perhaps the school could move them back a week. It would be an extra weeks revision for your son

Obviously deboning a chicken means they’re ideally qualified for this procedure.

I'm sure there are parallels to be drawn with the qualifications of those running the country...

I'm a TA in secondary and an ex HCP, I would be willing to do it if given full on PPE and it helped keep kids in school. Online teaching is great, but isn't accessible or suitable for all students, the EHCP and school concern pupils for one in some instances really struggle to engage and assisting them is very challenging online.

My gripe is that you are infectious prior to having a sufficient viral load to test positive. Not sure how daily testing will help in this situation.

@PurpleDaisies

Why aren’t the NEU pushing for not school staff to be doing these tests? Surely this is not a teacher role?

It will more likely be admin or support staff.

Sadly the government will never let it happen. Too sensible.

@Humbersausage we've ALL stepped up in education. Stop being so goady.

@Humbersausage

they just aren't trained to do this

Many people have made huge changes to their roles this year so many groups of people have massively stepped up its just disappointing that teachers have time and time again (on MN at least) refused to step up to the mark when called upon

They are busy doing their own jobs which are massively more difficult due to the pandemic.

Catering was out-sourced in most secondaries long long again as were cleaners.

In house therapist? They tend to be shared within MATS. Private schools may have their own in-house therapist.

Now maybe student services .....

@thebabewiththepower

As I said, I work in a secondary school and would happily come in earlier to do this or to supervise or whatever, as long as the kids stay in school. I don’t expect to be paid extra for it.

This is fantastic of you to offer but it shouldn’t be up to you. It’s not fair on you or any other staff to have to get so close to god knows how many kids (nearly 2000 in my dds school) I don’t understand why secondary school children can’t do it themselves? Dd has had a drive through test and managed to stick it down her own throat & up her own nose. I feel so sorry for school staff, constantly the bad guys in the media & with a lot of the parents - you all deserve better.

Really Humber?! Thats what you take from this 🤦‍♀️. MAaybe read, listen and ask some insightful questions to help you understand.

For starters they are teaching 30 kids all day....

[quote Anon22]It is a lateral flow saliva test.

dfemedia.blog.gov.uk/2020/12/15/mass-testing-in-schools-your-questions-answered/[/quote]
Using a swab from the back of the throat and up the nose.

Look at the guidance linked to earlier (as I have already suggested).

Maybe the teachers could do it in their lunch break after they have finished cleaning the toilets.

@Waxonwaxoff0

I can't see testing in primary schools being a success. Getting children as young as 4 to do those tests isn't going to be easy!

In Wales, that could include 2 and 3 year olds as well, if its a flying start area. Most children here go to school nurseries at 3 rather than private nursery provision, no idea how this would work at all.

Maybe surgeons could start testing 180 patients at the same time as performing surgery!?