Private schools will not have testing funded

[DrizzleandDamp]

Not sure where I sit on this one, state schools are obviously having the lateral flow tests funded by government.

Private schools have been told no funding, no help with extra staffing, ultimately a cost of around 12 extra members of staff who can’t teach (depending on size of school), and £20-30,000 a month on tests. That won’t encourage take up.

Not all private school parents are rich, some are just managing, some are on hardship bursaries and an awful lot right now are getting free schooling:help because their businesses have died from Covid or jobs lost and they can no longer afford fees. So the schools are at the moment subbing them, but it won’t last and they’ll be removed.

Around 6.5% of U.K. (c.600k+) pupils are in independents. Will the government provide those school places when parents have to pull them or private schools go under?

I’m just not sure it’s ethical when parents are paying into the NHS, and into schooling (twice) that they aren’t providing these tests.

Just wanted to have the debate!

@notevenat20

Private schools were able to furlough staff but state schools were not.

Doesn't that mean that state school teachers were on 100% pay throughout but furloughed private school teachers were on only 80%?

Private schools could only furlough non teaching staff or people like extra curricular music/sport teachers. All the teachers at dds school worked a full live timetable throughout lockdown.

Apart from the initial mass testing of secondary school pupils, how often are the pupils supposed to be tested?

If it's just close contacts of pupils diagnosed with covid, I don't think that the testing will be too much of a problem. In our area, which has been one of the worst affected, we had one case in prep and about 10 cases in the senior school in the whole term.

@Al1langdownthecleghole

Our state secondary are asking for parent volunteers to help administer the testing process.

This option is also open to private schools.

In addition private schools are likely to have
Fewer pupils per classroom
More space to maintain distancing
The ability to require compel pupils and staff to wear masks
Fewer barriers to online learning.
A very low percentage of pupils living in disadvantaged housing

The risk profile for prevention of infection is very different and it is right that private schools are not prioritised.

This is a very sensible point. The two systems are so different that provision is likely to be different too.

The point isn’t whether they are at state school or private school. The issue is ALL schools are becoming rife with covid. If, as a society, we want to put an end to this then ALL secondary children need to be tested. So of course the Government should just fund it as part of the ‘plan’ (if there is one) to rid us of this god awful situation. It’s not that private or state school kids, families or their networks are more or less of a priority, more or less likely to spread it. Covid doesn’t know whether a child has paid for education or not.

And for saying those who pay private op out of the ‘state benefits’ I hardly think a swap up the nose and in the throat is a benefit. Once out those school gates all kids could be spreaders. FFS

@Orf1abc oh good. Finally someone has said it. I hope your rebate comes soon!

Comefromaway
Teaching staff can be and were furloughed in Independent/ private schools

@tanith. Well rich and privileged are two different things aren’t they? I get paid the same as my brother who is a teacher in a state secondary school. Is he rich?! Privileged. Or both?! Many many parents, particularly women use their entire salaries to fund private education. At my DC’s school that includes teachers, social workers, LEA officer, GP’s (working part time), nurses and paramedics. Are all of those people rich?!

Op, you are right. My error, I had got lost in all the horrified posters who had misunderstood your post as private schools not being given tests. It wasn't you who claimed this.

So far, I have not seen confirmation of the funding that state secondary schools will have either but I can guarantee it won't cover the costs either.

Just to disabuse those who think everyone at private school is a wealthy banker..... our school has already set up a full mass testing programme from next week. They are expecting (hoping) tests to be delivered on Monday. They had so many parent volunteers they had to turn most down, a fantastic response. Guess what? Most of those expediting the testing are NHS workers, giving up free time (and over the next couple of weekends) to get the school tested. Those same NHS workers that you clapped for.

Sorry @Tanith That was for @Avenueofcherryblossom

@Girlyracer

All those who are over the moon about this will be pleased to know that the online teaching for the vast majority of children in private schools has been great. There will be stories of good online teaching in state, but generally the private is better. As you would expect if you're paying for it.

So if schools close, as appears to be the direction, the private school kids will do great at home.

See, we can all be spiteful

I think from my experience it was more that the private schools I know each child had an iPad to work from and or a lap top ..iPads for each child from Year three and up provided already as part of the normal school teaching ...the majority of parents could also afford to buy extra IT tech if needed . I don't know any state schools locally that provide this...also less likely to have a device per child at home

Those same NHS workers that you clapped for.

I never did that because it was performative nonsense.

And it isnt surprising at all that private school parents are nhs workers given that doctors of a certain level are usually fairly well paid. Nothing like bankers obviously, but if you have two parents and both are doctors your income is going to be well above average.

@LockdownLilly Eton may be but most aren’t Eton! I know for a fact this independent make facilities available for local schools when not in Covid, and during Covid they have actively shared all online learning resources with state schools!

They aren’t all Elitist wankers.

@cameocat thanks, that’s ok, posters do love a bit of hyperbole 😀

They aren’t all Elitist wankers

The system they belong to is and is a major contributer to continuing social inequality. Doesn't matter whether they're Eton or a small local prep.

@Lulu1919

Comefromaway Teaching staff can be and were furloughed in Independent/ private schools

None of the subjet teaching staff at dds school were furloughed. They taught a full live online timetable from Easter. Some of the extra curricular staff and Sports staff were furloughed.

@Lulu1919

Comefromaway Teaching staff can be and were furloughed in Independent/ private schools

So we’re those schools who furloughed their teaching staff not providing an education as up until July you could only be furloughed if you weren’t working.

Every teacher at dds school was working. Those with Gcse/A level classes especially so.

@Saylethewayles different debate though, and yes. To be honest BLM, private schools, the whole thing is because we have a massive class issue but it’s not a debate people seem to want to have.

@CovidPostingName

Good. If you opt out of state education then you opt out of the benefits such as they are.

Remember that we are also funding the state sector which we are not using. So we are hardly opting out. We are, rather, paying twice.

It is fake news OP. Much as that term irritates me. If you don't believe me then you can view the schedule of deliveries on the government's sharing platform which lists every school and college receiving free of charge tests, and how many they will receive and when. Independents are definitely included.

Sharing platform link

@LockdownLilly

Eton have been a total pain in the arse to PHE and the local authority and have taken up far more in time and resources than local state schools. They will make sure they are absolutely fine and won't be helping out any state schools! They got their hands on tests when there were shortages elsewhere. The kids then had to be retested using scarce at the time state resources. They can do one.

If that sounds bitter, I grew up near private school pupils, work for and socialize with them, it does tend to churn out a certain type I have never managed to warm to. The more pleasant ex private pupils tend to object to the system.

This post is unmitigated rubbish on every single count. In fact, I am going to report it as I would think it was verging on libellous.

This post is unmitigated rubbish on every single count. In fact, I am going to report it as I would think it was verging on libellous

I agree, it's a bunch of lies.

The state schools won't be getting much more funding OP. Gov have stated 'Reasonable workforce costs of state funded schools, incurred to help setup and administer the testing, will be reimbursed.'

You can bet your bottom dollar this won't be the £20k that your post has said it will cost to run. Yes, state schools will get some reimbursement but it will mostly come out of their budget too. Sad state of affairs all round I believe.

Libel: "A published false statement that is damaging to a person's reputation; a written defamation; A thing that brings undeserved discredit by misrepresentation; A false and typically malicious [written] statement".

People can say what they like about the independent sector per se, but lies about any individual school are a different matter.