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?

If you have symptoms, or are a close contact, you are in a completely different category.

Crafty, I am finding this a little frustrating.

Close contacts of secondary school pupils will not isolate next term. instead they will be tested every day for 7 days and mix in school as normal. That is what we are talking about on this thread.

IN ADDITION, every pupil is supposed to be being tested at the start of the term. This is the aspect of the testing that you are talking about.

It's a shame the teachers unions are so weak as they need to stand up for their members here.

The teaching unions, head teaching unions, college union, governors union and the Church of England education authority have issued a joint letter to the government saying this is balls and they support their members putting no work into it until at least the start of next term. That they all agree is pretty much unprecedented.

neu.org.uk/media/13741/view

@cantkeepawayforever do you have a link for the info on every child having a test before they return please?

You tell me!

Noble already explained it.

noelgiraffe Fri 18-Dec-20 19:29:27

Mass testing is good. The objection to the single round of mass testing proposed is the expectation that schools set up fully resourced and staffed covid labs in the next two weeks while schools are closed ready for January. That’s just impossible.

^Then there’s the other proposal regarding testing once the mass testing is complete. That is to stop isolating close contacts of positive cases to improve attendance figures and instead have them come to school (on school buses) for a daily covid test. This would be ok, except the test only picks up 50% of positives and so instead of being at home isolating, those positive cases will now be in classrooms with no mitigation measures spreading covid.
This will make schools even less safe.^

[quote noelgiraffe]It's a shame the teachers unions are so weak as they need to stand up for their members here.

The teaching unions, head teaching unions, college union, governors union and the Church of England education authority have issued a joint letter to the government saying this is balls and they support their members putting no work into it until at least the start of next term. That they all agree is pretty much unprecedented.

neu.org.uk/media/13741/view[/quote]
I didn't know this ( I'm not a teacher) but that's good.

Crafty, again:

Proposal 1 (actually revealed second):

Testing of every secondary school pupil at the start of next term, two tests, 3 days apart, ready for return of Y11 and 13 on 4th January and all other years on or before the 11th.

Proposal 2 (announced first)

INSTEAD of sending pupils home to self isolate, from the start of next term, every secondary school is required to set up a testing procedure such that every close contact, instead of being sent home to isolate, should be kept in school but tested every day for 7 days. Teachers will be tested weekly, and i presume daily if they are close contacts, but again not asked to self isolate.

Is that clearer?

Having seen the huge logistics involved in getting the flu jab into our school - it’s really no wonder that no school wants to be landed with organises this and at such short notice. The flu jab involved the “professionals” and was a slick operation still taking a couple of months to sort.

What’s expected now is just 😳

Wow pleased to see the union's letter. It does seem pointless engaging crafty. She isn't willing to learn from those who actually do know what they are talking about.

Does anyone remember Frank Chalk’s blog? It’s a bit old-fashioned now and he was slated for being cynical about education, but he was very funny. He wrote a hilarious piece about getting a Y7 class to write their names on labels to stick in text books. It took all lesson and ended with him destroying his own text book.

Anyway. I’d like to read Mr Chalk on mass testing.

At least the press is reporting this this time!!

This plan is making me feel more like home schooling. It is ridiculous that a close contact won't be isolating.

Also I don't wanty child tested constantly by random volunteers.

This is an absolutely shit idea.

DD is in Y11. She is back to school on the 5th and will be tested.

Years 7-10 are back to school on 11th.

The school announced this at 4 pm today. The local parents are up in arms on social media and I am watching the shit show through my fingers because as ever it’s the school being blamed.

I have no idea how the school are going to staff this. DD was without a Physics teacher for a full year in Y10. She is now without a maths teacher (she has 4 different ones across the week, incl 2 that are actually MAT principals and haven’t taught for 2 years) in Y11. There are no spare staff. So I can only assume that more classes are going to be affected by this utter balls-up.

I'd like to have the choice as a parent, I don't want my child tested daily, I'd rather them stay home and isolate. I hope this will still be possible.

Gypsy
Gung ho Facebook post seen here

The actual announcement is more circumspect:
www.gov.uk/government/news/staggered-rollout-of-coronavirus-testing-for-secondary-schools-and-colleges?fbclid=IwAR1PPXH1B8yBwbrDUKoMrmG7BbdlNn3NkScRydKDRYSD5MICfg2n3q6_oc4

[quote cantkeepawayforever]Gypsy
Gung ho Facebook post seen here

The actual announcement is more circumspect:
www.gov.uk/government/news/staggered-rollout-of-coronavirus-testing-for-secondary-schools-and-colleges?fbclid=IwAR1PPXH1B8yBwbrDUKoMrmG7BbdlNn3NkScRydKDRYSD5MICfg2n3q6_oc4[/quote]
Thank you I appreciate that, I couldn’t find it anywhere!

@Hotpinkangel19

I'd like to have the choice as a parent, I don't want my child tested daily, I'd rather them stay home and isolate. I hope this will still be possible.

It definitely won’t be compulsory to have testing rather than self-isolate.

Tbh most people (press, schools and the government) are just ignoring the testing for Y11 and Y13, who if they are to return on the 4th will have to return untested.

I’m happy to test my dc at home but not a random volunteer in a school. It’s not fair on them and it’s not very pleasant! I’m testing twice a week as I work in a hospital so I know what it involves and although dd could do it, she’d need supervision as it’s like a mini chemistry set. It’s very different to staff taking temperatures! They’re all about to have their Christmas break, which I don’t doubt they’ve been clinging on for and then get this dropped on them. Bloody ridiculous dick move by the Government. Add to that Greenwich schools told if the close in December and move to home schooling they’ll be find but then government wants them to home school in January for most classes. Outrageous double standards and misjudged twatishness.

I just want schools to shut now, I've lost all hope - the government are completely useless. Schools closing would be better than people wandering around spreading the virus in schools instead of isolating.

Thank you I appreciate that, I couldn’t find it anywhere!

I tend to screenshot DfE stuff now, given their tendency to over-write / remove things that it would be inconvenient for anyone to be able to find again and use as evidence....

It definitely won’t be compulsory to have testing rather than self-isolate.

Which makes it even more ridiculous - teachers will have to deliver in-school teaching AND supervise testing AND deliver home learning, all simultaneously.....

I think teachers have had the piss taken out of them quite enough

@cantkeepawayforever

Crafty, again:

Proposal 1 (actually revealed second):

Testing of every secondary school pupil at the start of next term, two tests, 3 days apart, ready for return of Y11 and 13 on 4th January and all other years on or before the 11th.

Proposal 2 (announced first)

INSTEAD of sending pupils home to self isolate, from the start of next term, every secondary school is required to set up a testing procedure such that every close contact, instead of being sent home to isolate, should be kept in school but tested every day for 7 days. Teachers will be tested weekly, and i presume daily if they are close contacts, but again not asked to self isolate.

Is that clearer?

Super clear. Shame Crafty seems to have disappeared, hopefully the post helps highlight the issue for other less informed posters.

I hope that people don't volunteer or demand millions like ' dido ' Harding did to do their job for her and her rich mates.
The whole thing is so stupid and so unfair on the staff :(
I would write to my twat of an MP but he won't reply to any of my emails.
No wonder moral in schools is so low.

@cantkeepawayforever

It definitely won’t be compulsory to have testing rather than self-isolate.

Which makes it even more ridiculous - teachers will have to deliver in-school teaching AND supervise testing AND deliver home learning, all simultaneously.....

I wouldn’t put it past the government to say that if you opt for the ‘self isolate for 10 days’ option, then the school won’t be responsible for setting online work. Just to force attendance.