Is it right that Teachers/support staff are expected to carry out testing?

[CheltenhamLady]

Just that?

Is it right or fair?

@Achristmaspudsskidu

I’m nit clear on the detail here. So the kids do the test themselves ie sticking it up their nose

Is that you, Gav?

*It's not right, it's not fair, it's not acceptable and frankly it's utterly bizarre.

It's WEIRD. We're supposed to be this big economy, so amazing, can make it on our own without Europe and yet we can't do something like test schoolchildren during a pandemic except via volunteers and already overstretched (and in this instance, unqualified) teaching staff?

I don't think any other country has done anything in such a weird, half arsed way. It's not surprising our death rates are higher than anywhere else.

It's like the Dad's Army of the pandemic. Everyone should just say no. Serco got some ridiculous sum like 22 billion of our taxpayers money, they've got the money, they should do the job.*

Had to highlight the whole lot because this is all so spot on and also made me laugh.

Our head has already emailed to ask if parents can take students to the local test centre the week before we go back.

The email said this would be better because the lateral flow tests at school are less accurate. Plus will save them some time at school. Parents to email head the results. Anyone not tested will get tested at school if parents consent.

This only applies to 11s and 13s so far because rest may not be back for sometime.

They will be using the lateral flow test for cases that pop up after that though. It doesn't sound like they have a set plan for who is doing the testing yet.

The email had attached a letter showing the government funding various sized schools would receive. Inner city London 1000 students twenty thousand pounds. That type of thing.

Dads army of the pandemic

true

I wont be consenting to the tests www.bmj.com/content/371/bmj.m4950

Its a disgrace that these inaccurate tests are to take the place of self isolating close contacts. Ive always wanted schools to stay open, but now I would rather my children stayed at home and continued online learning until numers of positive cases come down. It makes me sick that we do not have the choice to keep our children home without the risk of a fines and prosecution.

Maybe its time for all of us parents and teachers to take a stand!

I agree. I am not consenting to this and would rather resent isolated and got a PCR test.

So basically, if a child is a close contact of someone with at school with Covid they have a 50% accurate test for 7 days INSTEAD of isolating. So my child could be a contact of someone and not contract it from that person but could then (along with others) become positive from being with his friend who was also a contact of the original person. So now two kids or more have Covid from the initial infection instead of just the one person.

Seriously, which muppet thought this was a good idea for a virus that has mutated to be more easily transmitted through children.

Just got word that my daughters secondary ( sen for severely autistic pupils) are being made to do the testing. Teachers really are being made to go above and beyond here

Our HT has confirmed that we will not be using tests as a replacement for isolation for close contacts - so the 10 day stay at home requirement remains. This appears to be his (correct) decision.

Our school (independent) has also asked for parent volunteers stating that the government has refused extra funding for private schools to help staff this and facilitate it.

I have volunteered. I feel quite anxious about it but i want to support.

I am still struggling to get my head around this idea and have some questions about it. So will pupils be tested next week? Even though they’re not returning until 18th? And is it true that if they are positive then they isolate but their contacts don’t isolate any more? How often are they going to be tested? Is this going to be a regular thing?

My sons secondary school has sent out an email asking for parent volunteers to go in and do testing. My sister has also received the same email (different secondary school)

I don't think its right to expect school staff or parents to have to do mass testing at schools. The email even states no medical experience necessary!

@SmellsLikeAHamsterCage

What happens when children that have already had Covid get a positive test? Just thinking, that if they have had it recently they will still test positive, even though they're no longer infectious. 🤷🏻‍♀️

Schools have to work out who has tested positive within 90days and not test them.

They also have to come up with a plan for the medical waste disposal.

It's a bad idea in a sea of bad ideas.

In a word. No.

Hardly part of the job description is it!? Not a teacher myself, but anyone can see teachers have been totally dumped on during this year. And it was already a job that involved tonnes of hours of work outside of pure teaching time. It's disgusting how school and teaching staff are treated atm.

@Achristmaspudsskidu

I am starting to suspect it will never get up and running-there are just too many problems.

If teachers aren’t doing it, as they are teaching, who will be?
If it’s TA/admin/site staff, who will be doing their job?
If it’s volunteers, without dbs checks (not apparently needed) they will all need to be supervised. By who?

When Alfie tests positive, his close contacts are notified. What happens then? They are all picked out of class and told, then either their parents are phoned (if consent for the crap tests isn’t given) or put back in class and told to carry on. I would imagine levels of concentration will not be high and there will be much illicit texting of parents and pupils feeling unwell. Having been identified as a close contact myself, you do end up symptom spotting!

Then, they all spend the day as normal in 5 different lesson with 30 different children at a time and then get the bus home. Then get the bus in the next day and wait in the hall for half an hour with all the other contacts and teachers and do their own tests. After half an hour of waiting, 5/60 come back positive. They are pulled out and kept somewhere separate (not sure where yet, there are no spare rooms) and told they are positive. 2 go white and one faints and two more cry. No one is free to cam them down as they are on the phone to their parents. Their parents are phoned but have gone to work and can’t collect them for 4 hours.

The rest of the ‘negatives’ go back to class and rinse and repeat the process whilst the school now have to go back and find the close contacts of the 5 new positive children. 2 teachers also test positive and have to go home. There is nobody to supervise their lessons now. Obviously once home, they are still required to teach remotely despite being covid positive, but all classes still need to be supervised.

The next day, 14 people and 4 teachers test positive.

The next day, another 15.

What a lot of work and it doesn’t seem to be containing the spread...

Just my thoughts.

This is the best description I've seen

@LegoAndLolDolls

It's not a snooty comment. It's a SEN school so hardly there to serve the elite.

They cope better as they have less students per staff and more money. It's not rocket science surely?

I dont pay the fees as its SEN. But it does go to show how the gap between the rich and poor works. Why is that shocking?

Indi means independent surely? Private, independent whatever. I am sure you do know that really?

It's a world away from how my state dd in year 1 is being handled. You dont have to like it, for it to be true

It absolutely was a snooty comment. Of course they have more money and resources. That's why your comparison was completely unjustified.

And also when schools are trying their absolute best to be as safe as they can be , with very few measures. We are now inviting in lots more people to mingle with the students and be in the school building as ‘volunteers’ surely this is just upping the risk as well ?

Can headteachers collectively just say enough is enough and put a halt to this crazy half baked scheme? Is it time for their union to step up and ballot? I keep thinking that the government will surely see how disastrous this is going to be but they appear blinkered. This is the strangest of times. We are all watching in slow motion a car crash and all going along with it.

@starrynight19

And also when schools are trying their absolute best to be as safe as they can be , with very few measures. We are now inviting in lots more people to mingle with the students and be in the school building as ‘volunteers’ surely this is just upping the risk as well ?

yes all true. :(

When we all had a test my 13 year old did her own as best she could. I'm a "rough -tough-used-to-medical-tests-no-nonsense " sort and I was nearly gagging doing mine and couldn't help her. It is absolutely ridiculous to expect teachers to do it.

I think it is right for schools to do lateral follow tests but not right to use teacher time for it. I have emailed or HT saying DH and I are both happy to help with testing. I am using lateral follow on myself twice a week and they are incredibly simple and only involve nasal swab. The logistics of keeping everything sterile and waiting 20 mins for result etc are more tricky. If the plan is to just test the kids known to have been in the bubble of someone positive that might make sense rather than them all miss 2 weeks school. I think there should be an army of volunteers overseen by one member of staff so that DBS not essential or could ask for volunteers who have current DBS for other organisations. I have a work and church one. The school governors would ask have current DBS so could help as would all other normal school volunteers who presumably at present are not coming in for extra reading sessions etc so may have time on their hands

@vdbfamily

I think it is right for schools to do lateral follow tests but not right to use teacher time for it. I have emailed or HT saying DH and I are both happy to help with testing. I am using lateral follow on myself twice a week and they are incredibly simple and only involve nasal swab. The logistics of keeping everything sterile and waiting 20 mins for result etc are more tricky. If the plan is to just test the kids known to have been in the bubble of someone positive that might make sense rather than them all miss 2 weeks school. I think there should be an army of volunteers overseen by one member of staff so that DBS not essential or could ask for volunteers who have current DBS for other organisations. I have a work and church one. The school governors would ask have current DBS so could help as would all other normal school volunteers who presumably at present are not coming in for extra reading sessions etc so may have time on their hands

An army of volunteers coming into school and mixing with students , can you not see how that is potentially upping the risk ?

The normal school volunteers are not coming in at the minute so try and minimise the risk of more contacts spreading this virus.

The unions joined together and issued an announcement before Christmas detailing the obvious problems with the government's scheme. But this was on the basis that it was an offer rather than a requirement and they would fully support any school that was unable to set up the testing. Since then the government have suddenly announced that it is a requirement of schools. Sinister.