I don't understand the opposition to mass testing in school

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I thought that's what teachers on here wanted. Won't it mean school will be much safer as you'll be able to identify asymptomatic DC plus not have to rely on parents not to send DC in even with symptoms. Why is there so much negativity?

I would not be surprised if the entire testing thing is nothing but a smokescreen. I think the government may have been advised that it is going to be absolutely essential to shut schools to keep the hospitals from overflowing. They don't want to back track on their "keep schools open at all costs" so, in order to have a lockdown that will include schools, they have invented this crappy testing fiasco.

I agree.

in order to have a lockdown that will include schools, they have invented this crappy testing fiasco

Oh god no, don't think for a second this is a cunning ruse. This is just the blatant incompetence it appears to be from a department that is lurching about in the dark.

Remember the exam results fiasco? Remember that Gav's response to it was to make a late night announcement that pupils would now be using their mock results as their real results? Remember the horror with which that was greeted and the astonishment that anyone could possibly suggest anything so stupid and problematic? The reality that it hadn't been passed by anyone who actually knew anything about schools? The rapid u-turn?

Here we are again, another fiasco. Schools in the shit and things not looking any brighter given the impending Christmas Covid Bonanza. A last minute announcement from the DfE that the solution will be for schools to set up onsite covid testing labs over the Christmas holiday and test 3.4 million pupils in the first week of January.

Again shock and horror that anyone could make such an imbecilic suggestion and the fact that it is obvious that it didn't go by anyone who worked in schools before it was announced.

Gavin Williamson really is just that shit at his job.

@AaronPurr

They may need to delay school return further. But not because they are a hotbed of spread, no, no, no. The delay will be caused by schools not doing the impossible quickly enough.

This is definitely a possibility. The sad part is a lot of people will fall for the lies and blame schools. You can see it now when posters / the public talk about schools with rising cases / closing due to cases. It's rarely the Gov who are at fault or to blame, instead it's the narrative that the school / staff didn't do enough, didn't have enough measures in place, must have done something wrong etc. When the reality is the school was following the crappy guidance, which does little to help prevent the spread of the virus.

Yes this and igniting the unions so they can be blamed too.

Thanks for that toocold

I personally cannot see how the accuracy will be improved by a volunteer in school who has watched a video doing it vs a parent who has watched a video doing it at home.
They could in fact be the same person but getting paid 10 pounds an hour but there we are.

noelgiraffe - "never attribute to malice that which is adequately explained by stupidity"

Incompetence is also a strong possibility, of course.

Gavin needs to stop posting on MN and start appearing in public to explain why exactly he can’t see the issue with his latest brilliant idea.

"never attribute to malice that which is adequately explained by stupidity"

My favourite quote of all time. First heard it 30 years ago and have probably thought or said it every week since then. It's my mantra

@SmileEachDay

Gavin needs to stop posting on MN and start appearing in public to explain why exactly he can’t see the issue with his latest brilliant idea.

No chance of him popping up anytime soon! He was on tv the other day but he drones on a lot and makes little sense really.

Blanketyblankblankety

Mass testing is what teachers and schools were asking for

but this isn't what is being supplied. (it has been two days since the announcement so it could all have changed)

What schools and teachers are getting is all the organisation etc. so that when it fails it will be the schools/teachers fault, if it succeeds the government will take the credit.

What is also happening is that this "mass testing" is going to replace SI which means that schools will be no safer than they are at the moment.

Is short schools and teachers are not happy as there is no real time to put this together properly, it will stop SI and when it all goes to shit they/we will get the blame.

There is more but I will let this stand first.

What is also happening is that this "mass testing" is going to replace SI which means that schools will be no safer than they are at the moment.

I would say that this change in policy will actually make schools less safe.

It will also result in huge numbers of hours of SLT time spent on contract tracing and organisational plans, when they could be, you know, doing their actual jobs.