No longer a national priority to keep schools open

[noelgiraffe]

The government has surreptitiously dropped its priority to keep schools open.

It has replaced it with a priority to “keep education open”.

Remote learning is now a viable alternative to keeping schools open (as opposed to last Monday when it was a matter for the high court).

In the DfE media blog, tweeted earlier today regarding the delayed start to term in January they say:

“ Is this an extension of the Christmas holiday?

No, this isn’t an extension of the holiday and we haven’t asked that the start of term is delayed.

All students will return to education from the first day of term. Secondary school and college students should learn remotely for one week except those in exam years, vulnerable young people and the children of critical workers. It remains our national priority to keep education open and we are not closing education for any period other than during the set holiday periods.”

Interesting development.

It is extraordinary to threaten to take one Labour council to the high court and not the Tory council, both trying to take safety measures to protect their communities, both who are now in Tier 4 a mere week later, so both in the shit, covid-wise.

Greenwich will have seen further, unnecessary spread as a result of Gavin throwing his weight around and as you can see from a pp, put more children into isolation over Christmas, and more families at risk.

And the court action was threatened because Gav was insistent that schools had to stay open.

Then a few days later, he himself closed schools.

It’s an indefensible position.

DonnaScozzese

We can agree that schools should stay open.

but do we agree that it is luck that is allowing this, not a calculation of any risk.

@FrippEnos

DonnaScozzese

We can agree that schools should stay open.

but do we agree that it is luck that is allowing this, not a calculation of any risk.

For me it's a combination. It's not true to say that schools have not put mitigating strategies in place. Some schools will find that easier than others depending on the structure of the building etc. Some of it is absolutely luck. Either way, I still want to take my chances and go to work.

DonnaScozzese

It's not true to say that schools have not put mitigating strategies in place.

I haven't said that schools have not put mitigating strategies in place.

If that is what you are taking from my posts then you are reading them wrong.

I have said that what is keeping schools open is more luck than anything else.

Either way, I still want to take my chances and go to work.

Good to know that you are willing to put others in the firing line so that you can do that.

It is extraordinary to threaten to take one Labour council to the high court and not the Tory council, both trying to take safety measures to protect their communities,

From what I understand, LB Greenwich instructed all of its schools to stop face to face teaching early, Essex CC left it up to individual head teachers to decide. Also, only secondary schools in Basildon were affected? Were head teachers in Greenwich consulted before the council's decision?

"A blanket closure of secondary schools to limit the spread of coronavirus in one of Essex's worst hit areas has been ruled out by Essex County Council."

"Infection rates are especially high in the secondary school-age demographic, which has prompted calls from Basildon Council leader Gavin Callaghan for a blanket closure of all schools within the borough."

"But Essex County Council (ECC) has ruled that out."

"Instead, head teachers will be allowed to revert to remote learning from Monday, December 14 but it is not compulsory and won't be enforced by ECC."

"It follows a meeting between headteachers and council representatives."

www.essexlive.news/news/essex-news/essex-covid-basildon-schools-allowed-4784374

@FrippEnos

DonnaScozzese

It's not true to say that schools have not put mitigating strategies in place.

I haven't said that schools have not put mitigating strategies in place.

If that is what you are taking from my posts then you are reading them wrong.

I have said that what is keeping schools open is more luck than anything else.

Either way, I still want to take my chances and go to work.

Good to know that you are willing to put others in the firing line so that you can do that.

Jeezo some people love a fight.

I didn't say you didn't say schools hadn't put in mitigating factors.

Lose the attitude in criticising me for wanting to work. I'm extremely careful. I have not bent a single rule. Lots of people take their chances to keep their industry going so bore off.

@Musicaldilemma

I have a DD in Year 7 who hasn’t had to self isolate yet. She is in a private schools with loads of Covid secure measures in place.

She was tested for Covid in September at our cost in school, they tested the whole school (all teachers and pupils and support staff). One case all term right at the end of term in Year 11. Surrounding area is a Covid hot spot.

I don’t think my DD’s school should be mandated to do online learning. Our headmaster will tell everyone when he thinks that would be necessary and I trust him more to know the school than the government. Just as we have trusted him to tell us which classes our DD should have to wear a mask in due to either a vulnerable teacher or other child etc. Just as we all paid up for the test in September- a few people grumbled about it, but then did it.

I do not understand the fuss so many people are making to introduce Covid secure measures or tests. The teachers in our school all helped out with the tests. The school community came together. Parents, teachers and heads need to work together on this one and trust each other. In our school, if the vaccine were privately available, I bet the community would come together to ensure the teachers got it by paying for it.

It wouldn’t be too hard to test everyone in a school once, as a big one off event where everyone works together, with help from Public Health. What they’re suggesting though is using daily testing INSTEAD of self-isolation, and telling the general public that it’ll be up and running from 4th Jan, when schools STILL don’t actually have the guidance.

DonnaScozzese

If you see this as a fight then fine.
I see it as a discussion about luck.

I haven't criticised you about wanting to work, I have critcised you for putting others in the line of fire without any real mitigating measures.

As for bore off, really! grow up.

Don’t worry everyone the DfE are handing out £1,000 awards to those staff willing to work over Christmas to ensure that all secondary schools have the necessary resources and guidance so that the testing runs like clockwork.

They had better not fuck this up in the same way of results days, laptops promises and catch-up promises. After all they are being paid extra to sort it out.

So standby for 8am on 4th Jan when each secondary will have sufficient test kits for all, along with all the training etc ....

I've no doubt thatthere are many criricism to lay at many doors - but I honestly don't think that helps anyone right now.

Policy change or not - it is a good move to start mass-testing in Secondary/post-16 Colleges via a staggered start system. We already know that the efficacy of the Tests isn't great, but they do pick up some asymptomatic cases, which is better than nothing.

Even if calling Schools/Colleges "Open" whilst all they are doing is Testing is a perfectly acceptable use of language and semantics to me.

Whilst I don't expect any Teaching Staff to carry out the actual Testing, unless they are individually happy to, it would seem reasonable that they could make themselves available to help with supervising the Class Groups that they would otherwise be Teaching, during the Testing Process.

I think it does come under the Job Description of HT and SLT to support the facilitation and planning of a Testing Programme within their Schools and comes with being in a Leadership position.

Don’t worry everyone the DfE are handing out £1,000 awards to those staff willing to work over Christmas to ensure that all secondary schools have the necessary resources and guidance so that the testing runs like clockwork.

Shame Matt Hancock didn’t think head teachers needed any payment to work over the Christmas holidays when he said that it would be necessary this morning just like the NHS have to.

I haven't criticised you about wanting to work, I have critcised you for putting others in the line of fire without any real mitigating measures.

The implication that me wanting to work without mitigating measures is both insulting and inaccurate. We have many mitigating factors in place in my school, and I'm comfortable with the risk to me and more importantly the children. You have literally no idea what happens in the school I work in. Since you want to keep schools open too presumably you are willing to put up with some risk? Also, how do you feel about any other work? Should care workers not want to work despite the risk?

But we are teaching hate? It's not semantics. we are expected to teach years 11 and 13 in person and the other years remotely. Where is this imagined gained time coming from?

It wouldn’t be too hard to test everyone in a school once, as a big one off event where everyone works together, with help from Public Health.

1,751,078 people were tested at least once between 3rd and 9th December by Serco who have been given billions to do this.

The DfE want schools to test 3.4 million children twice in a week, with one working day's notice and will be providing testing kits and a powerpoint to do this.

@FrippEnos to be clear when you say I am happy to put people in the firing line implies I am careless about other peoples' health. That was unnecessary in my view.

@noelgiraffe

It wouldn’t be too hard to test everyone in a school once, as a big one off event where everyone works together, with help from Public Health.

1,751,078 people were tested at least once between 3rd and 9th December by Serco who have been given billions to do this.

The DfE want schools to test 3.4 million children twice in a week, with one working day's notice and will be providing testing kits and a powerpoint to do this.

Wow-when you put it like that, it sounds just bonkers.

[quote DonnaScozzese]@FrippEnos to be clear when you say I am happy to put people in the firing line implies I am careless about other peoples' health. That was unnecessary in my view. [/quote]
It was unnecessary to put in words in my mouth and it was unnecessary to tell me to "bore off".

but if want to try and take the moral high ground feel free.

As for the rest, you have done nothing to convince me that schools remain open because of anything other than luck.

If:
Sufficient tests arrive at, say, more than 50% of secondary schools (in England) on or before Jan 4th;
At least 50% of schools manage to recruit and train sufficient staff and volunteers by that date;
At least 50% of schools identify suitable rooms in which to run these tests and are able to set them up as per guidance;
At least 50% of schools go on to successfully carry out the initial mass testing -

Then I’m one of Santa’s little elves.

What I actually think will happen is that schools in many places won’t open at all because so many staff and students will be unwell; the south east (and much of the rest of the country) will be paralysed by Brexit; and the Government will abandon the testing plan and think of some other irrational and unworkable wheeze to distract everybody.

@FrippEnos and I remain firmly convinced that if my school went back to how we behaved in February our COVID rates would be higher. The same applies to everywhere else I go. Think it's best to agree to disagree on that.

*1,751,078 people were tested at least once between 3rd and 9th December by Serco who have been given billions to do this.

The DfE want schools to test 3.4 million children twice in a week, with one working day's notice and will be providing testing kits and a powerpoint to do this.*

Don’t panic those DfE staff who are getting a £1,000 award will ensure we have all the resources etc so it will run perfectly!

What could possibly go wrong 😂

We have many mitigating factors in place in my school

So do we in my school , didn’t stop the six cases in my class testing positive including me.

I'm losing my shit because of people like you. We are in a fucking pandemic, not a spa.
We need to get this under control. Either advocate loudly for making schools safer (ppe or rotas or online - pick your flavour) or shut up.
I am sick and tired of people moaning and being over-dramatic because they have to actually spend time with their kids!
If people could have behaved with little common sense after looking around for themselves in the world we would be in a much better place. There was no need to go on holiday in Spain/France/Canary islands.
And I'm sick and tired that this country is doing everything in it's power to make it worse. You should not need gov to tell you that you should not be socializing when their is an airborne virus. Or from the other side: just because gov tells you that for 5 days over an imaginary holiday it's going to be fine. Anyone with 1 brain cell should see how idiotic that is. And yet people made plans to meet up. Parents and teachers should have stood up in september and collectively said fuck you to the gov.

I have been cooped since March. Juggling work (until mid-october redundancy), housewife duties and teaching my son. This winter could have been prevented. Most of society didn't do their bit, so they can go and suck it up. It is their doing.

Two positive endorsements here;

Hamid Patel, CEO of Star Academies, a trust with schools participating in the autumn testing trials, said:

Testing was arranged to be as unintrusive as possible, and the benefits have been tremendous.

Attendance has improved as fewer close contacts have been required to self-isolate. Parents who may have been wavering have gained confidence to send their children to school, and staff have been reassured by the availability of testing.

Testing has allowed us to refocus on teaching and learning. I am heartened that the scheme is to be rolled out nationally: it is a game-changer for the sector.

Gerard Garvey, Principal of Newcastle Sixth Form College, a college participating in the autumn testing trials, said:

Testing at Newcastle Sixth Form College has given all of our students and staff the reassurance that the college is a safe environment for them to work and study.

The testing process is smooth and has minimal impact on teaching and learning.

The daily testing of close contacts has enabled students who would normally have had to self-isolate to continue to attend and enjoy the benefits of face-to-face teaching.

www.gov.uk/government/news/secondary-schools-and-colleges-to-get-weekly-coronavirus-testing

We finished last Friday and a member of staff tested positive by Tuesday even with all our precautions such as masks, windows open, one way systems, vats of hand gel, daily temperature checks and the school being fogged twice a week.

We are tier 4.

Excellent to here the trials went well but let’s see what happens with the national roll out