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.

Pigs might fly...I'll believe it when I see it chiselled into the side of a large slab of rock.

@FurForksSake

www.sodexojobs.co.uk/jobs/job/Test-Operative-COVID19-Rapid-Test-Centre/57311

You know that the people at drive through test centres that swab people aren't medically trained? They've had basic training to carry out swabbing, but they are not medical professionals. I think people may be under the impression they have more expertise than they do.

But that is the job they are doing and paid for doing.

Expecting school staff to do 100% of their existing job PLUS this, is rather different.

FurForksSake True, but that's all they do - they stand in test centres swabbing all day. They're not teaching for six hours, doing lesson planning, marking, covering playground duty, preparing online work for the inevitable lockdown that's coming in Jan, having staff meetings, etc.

I’m already an unpaid first aider. I’m not adding testing ffs.

@Benjispruce2

Staff administering tests? No thanks. Do schools have to do everything?

Certainly feels that way.

It's the thing that pisses me off in normal times.. I just want to teach my wonderful wonderful subject but I suck up all the other things in normal times but during this pandemic my wonderful wonderful subject barely features and all the other stuff is suffocating me. I just want to teach.

Wow so not to extended the safety break of Xmas, not to make sure the boosted cases will work through in a reduced setting....

Because they want to train teachers to test

What the hell is going on. I think we need to start a call for gav to get into school for a photo call.

Several.

We need to see him in a normal packed class without his mask, students without theirs... In the shop floor.. Oh and jenny harries too explain her neck theory in person.

Don't a lot of the drive through test centres expect you to do the swab yourself.

Children won’t be expected to test themselves though @ineedaholidaynow

I'm not saying teachers or staff (I am a TA in secondary) should do it, but that if they insist on doing it then the money will have to come to employ people to do it, we don't need medical professionals to do it at all.

I expect it will be something that the SLT think is a suitable thing to ask me to do along side the many other things we've done recently that are not part of our role at all.

I'd be willing to do it to find asymptomatic cases in the population to keep us all safer. I don't think to avoid self-isolation it will work.

Good luck with testing primary kids! Those bloody enormous swab sticks are bigger than reception kids heads!!

My 7 year old has had 2 and they both hurt. No way would he happily let the school receptionist ram one up his hooter!!

children will test themselves

dds school is in the ONS study and all kids from year 7 test themselves just under supervision - don't forget these are asymptomatic kids

This is the study liverpool wad due to start - daily testing for covid contacts. It's a good thing.

I teach in a secondary school.Head of department. I don't even have time to eat lunch or go to the toilet. I work solidly from 7.30am to 6pm. The stress right now is immense. When, just when, am I supposed to administer tests.

@FurForksSake

www.sodexojobs.co.uk/jobs/job/Test-Operative-COVID19-Rapid-Test-Centre/57311

You know that the people at drive through test centres that swab people aren't medically trained? They've had basic training to carry out swabbing, but they are not medical professionals. I think people may be under the impression they have more expertise than they do.

They don't do under 11s, though - the instructions we got when I took DS for a test said that even if it's one of the ones where they do the test for you they won't do it for an under 11 and the child's parent/carer has to. Presumably because they think that's a more skilled job.

Aside from the obvious logistical issues this will cause school staff, I’m concerned that:

1. The kids who are getting tested will be the ones who should be isolating. That means the teachers would have to be in full PPE to get near enough to them to test.
2. Of the test is only 50% accurate, wouldn’t it be just as accurate to just stand and look at each child and guess “positive “ or “negative” at random?
3. How could a non-medical professional feel safe inserting an object into a student’s nose/ throat without any medical training? What if the students themselves are too uncomfortable with this?
4. What will happen when parents inevitably don’t give consent? Those parents who can’t afford time off work due to a positive result.

Leflic
Get over yourself.
Humbersausage is entitled to make and debate any points they want without this sort of bollocks. Stick to the points raised rather than slagging off the poster.

How about you don't police threads and stop supporting posters that are spouting bollocks.

@ineedaholidaynow

Don't a lot of the drive through test centres expect you to do the swab yourself.

Our local one did. They were there to offer guidance if needed but we were in our car with doors and windows shut.

Having taken both my teenagers there this week I can’t see how they would have the ability to do the testing properly themselves.

If kids test themselves, how can we be sure they are swabbing properly? Surely if they don’t do it properly then it reduces the chances of finding the positive cases even further. If the chances are any less than 50% anyway, what’s the point?!!

The majority of drive in places you do your own test. The few where they do it for you, I thought they were trained but I have a feeling they get you to do your own child rather than them doing it anyway?

Before they spend all the time and effort on training perhaps they need to ask how many parents will give permission and how many staff will be willing to do it. It’s voluntary

The tests only detect 50% of positives. So you are very likely sending positive students into classrooms.

www.bmj.com/content/371/bmj.m4848

Using the tests for genuine "mass testing" to look for asymptomatic cases, or testing wider year groups (not close contacts) if there have been positive cases - not a bad idea.

Using the tests instead of isolation for close contacts of positive cases - a bad idea.

The studies show that the tests are considerably more accurate when done by a HCP

The test centre tests are PCR tests. The school ones are lateral flow tests which are particularly poorly accurate when not administered by someone who knows what they’re doing.

@BungleandGeorge

The majority of drive in places you do your own test. The few where they do it for you, I thought they were trained but I have a feeling they get you to do your own child rather than them doing it anyway?

Before they spend all the time and effort on training perhaps they need to ask how many parents will give permission and how many staff will be willing to do it. It’s voluntary

You do your own child. In our case dc had to do it.

@lunar1

I'm a nurse and will volunteer at my children's school if that's the way it goes. I'd rather people doing the tests had time to do them properly and carefully rather than poor bloody teaching staff who are run off their feet already!

Thank you lunar1 hugely appreciated

Furforksake
but that if they insist on doing it then the money will have to come to employ people to do it, we don't need medical professionals to do it at all
Nope. They’re after free volunteers from the parent group amongst others. This from schools week.co.uk

Yes thank you @lunar1