Couldn't make it up...1500 military personnel to support testing in schools...

[ByersRd]

...virtually!

Not even on site, from behind a screen.

Maybe they could deliver my remote lessons whilst I teach in school, clean everything and everyone, test kids, administrate tests, contact parents AND ensure all children “catch up”.

Haha, I did think it strange that 1500 soldiers were supporting...trying to work out how many that would be per school....as if.

I'd imagined army medics administering tests.

It's hilarious in a terrible dystopian way.

You couldn't send soldiers into school! Schools are dangerous!

So the madness continues!
There’s probably a You tube video.

School staff are in school, soldiers ain't! They are safe behind a screen.

Wtf I have heard it all now

My husband has been having to tell some of his personnel over the past few days that they are being deployed to do this....they are mechanics and electricians etc.

this won't actually happen, surely!?

Just keep the kids at home for a few weeks ffs until the crisis calms down.

Yep. 1,500 military supporting 3,400 schools remotely. As if that’s going to do anything!

I have a lot of admiration for the armed services but what on earth are the going to achieve by zoom?

'So er head - have you got your test kits
Yes, half of them.
Have you watched the video on how to test
Yes
Have you seen the paper work to fill out
Yes
Have you got a non porous floor to create distanced testing zones and then a waiting area for people to wait for their results
'Maybe - can you support with creating this'
'No, not by zoom. Sorry. Have you got enough staff to supervice the testing. In dover there were 150 medics/armed forces, plus 40 from france and 60 from poland - it took 2 hours to test 200 people then more help arrived'
'Erm, we have me, the deputy, the 3 office staff, 1 TA and 8 parent volunteers who can only do half the week'
'Right - crack on'

I feel really sorry for both the armed forces making the support call and the head.

How can they support remotely? Have they said what they’re actually meant to be doing virtually?

Left a bit... Right a bit... That's it

@MillieEpple

I have a lot of admiration for the armed services but what on earth are the going to achieve by zoom?

'So er head - have you got your test kits
Yes, half of them.
Have you watched the video on how to test
Yes
Have you seen the paper work to fill out
Yes
Have you got a non porous floor to create distanced testing zones and then a waiting area for people to wait for their results
'Maybe - can you support with creating this'
'No, not by zoom. Sorry. Have you got enough staff to supervice the testing. In dover there were 150 medics/armed forces, plus 40 from france and 60 from poland - it took 2 hours to test 200 people then more help arrived'
'Erm, we have me, the deputy, the 3 office staff, 1 TA and 8 parent volunteers who can only do half the week'
'Right - crack on'

I feel really sorry for both the armed forces making the support call and the head.

Brilliant! Roll on Monday!

Makes a great headline though doesn't it, think of Churchill, sending his men to the front line call centre, keeping our children safe from the call centre, something about fish and brussels...

BBC News reported 'virtual support'.

Can't be much else really, 1500 personnel aren't going to go far across all schools.

Report was that pupils will self administer the test overseen by a staff member or volunteer. Military personnel will be available virtually for support and advice.

what a joke! I use these tests on myself twice a week for work (NHS) DD (14) recently lost sense of smell so I used a test on her. The positive line was really, really faint and I would definitely have missed it if I hadn't been used to doing them on myself and reading the results already. I was peering at it with the torch to be sure. (Positve result subsequently confirmed with pcr test) Can you imagine waving the lateral flow tests to the camera asking remote army mechanics if they can see a second line or not?!?!

I do not understand how on earth this is supposed to help!!?!?

Why on earth are they not giving vaccines to the poor teachers?

I can see LFT becoming the new POAS.

Can you see the line?

"Yes, it's faint but definitely there. Test again tomorrow with freaky snot"

"No sorry (or in this case yay!) - I can't see a line"

"You've taken the photo too far away"

"Wait 24 hours and try a different type of test"

@TingTastic

Yep. 1,500 military supporting 3,400 schools remotely. As if that’s going to do anything!

Aren't there 22000 secondary schools in England?

I work with the army and, honeatly, I'm not sure what remote help they are supposed to be able to give?
They like to work through processes using actual physical resources according to a well rehearsed and coherent plan. It feels a bit like trying to use an iPhone to open a yoghurt.

@MillieEpple

I have a lot of admiration for the armed services but what on earth are the going to achieve by zoom?

'So er head - have you got your test kits
Yes, half of them.
Have you watched the video on how to test
Yes
Have you seen the paper work to fill out
Yes
Have you got a non porous floor to create distanced testing zones and then a waiting area for people to wait for their results
'Maybe - can you support with creating this'
'No, not by zoom. Sorry. Have you got enough staff to supervice the testing. In dover there were 150 medics/armed forces, plus 40 from france and 60 from poland - it took 2 hours to test 200 people then more help arrived'
'Erm, we have me, the deputy, the 3 office staff, 1 TA and 8 parent volunteers who can only do half the week'
'Right - crack on'

I feel really sorry for both the armed forces making the support call and the head.

That sounds like my school! Except we are Tier 4 and the deputy and two office staff are now shielding again so it might just be the head!

I know...by webinar! Total joke. Thousands of at risk 50+ teachers on the front line, and healthy young military personnel hiding behind a screen. What heroes! (I know it's not their decision obviously, and I imagine many would like to help, actually help in person).

Teachers testing all secondary pupils in a week is, obviously, a logistical impossibility.

This is the biggest load of shit I have ever heard in my life. Coupled with the fact the Karen’s on Facebook think the army are actually going IN to schools.

Speechless,