Am I missing the point here...

[kookykins]

I'm going to try and make this as measured as I can and try not to make it come across like a torrent of frustration.

Why is it that teachers are getting to say when schools go back? Why does it feel like teachers are constantly complaining about the virus? No one is an ideal situation right now so why does it feel like they are being allowed to 'opt out' of their careers now times are tough.

I work in a busy NHS hospital and It honestly sickens and saddens me that there are men and women, many parents relying on schools to open, relying on their children's education being properly resumed next week they are giving life saving treatment in dire situations every day. I haven't heard them complaining about having to come in and save lives work extra hours and a lot on low pay.

Teachers to an extent have chosen a career to support teach and mentor our children I feel when the going has got touch (very tough fair enough) they are opting out...however many of these teachers will expect ITU nurses to treat someone in their family who happens to get ill with this virus. How can this be? How is this ok?

I have friends who are teachers who don't feel like this and who want to get back to work but are very much being pulled along by the union so I don't want to paint all teachers with the same brush...

What happens to the children who need to go back to school, who need that hot meal that support that escape? Do they not matter?

Surely the children of this country are a higher priority right now?
Teachers and unions are being given insane amounts of power right now and I don't understand it. If we are all meant to 'be in it together' then why aren't we all cracking on like the next person and getting on with our jobs because we realise the impact if we don't...

Rant over...

@Chocolate4me

I haven't heard any teachers moan... But I think alot of parents feel they have been put in an unfair position, no ppe or funding for cleaning essentials, we have been asked to send in wipes and cleaning sprays if we can. They have been asked to provide online learning, in class teaching also whilst home educating their own children aswell perhaps. No ppe... Kids spread things like wild fires, the Government said schools are covid safe, absolute rubbish, they are knowingly exposing teachers to high risks and haven't moved them up the vaccine list like NHS workers

Thank you for your support. It is appreciated.

The one argument I don't understand is when teachers complain about no PPE. What's to stop a teacher just bringing in their own PPE and wearing it? I'm sure even the most hard nosed headteacher would not have a problem with that?

Haven't you read any of the teachers threads?

How about you ask ICU nurses to work without any PPE or PCR tests and then see how many of them still want to go to work? It's not about eliminating all risk, it's about reasonable risk and you can't possibly say that doctors and nurses aren't being looked after by their employers. Teachers are not being looked after, that's why the unions are bringing a legal case against the government. Look up section 44 and go read some of the other threads.

I think teachers should be high up on the vaccination list if they want it, and then the unions can’t do this

@Napqueen1234 no one anticipated a pandemic?

That’s simply not true. All NHS and private establishments I’ve worked in for the last twenty years have had a pandemic plan that’s checked and updated yearly. They have been anticipating a pandemic for a very long time. Possibly you personally didn’t imagine a pandemic but lots of other people did. They thought however, that it would be an influenza virus.

@onedayinthefuture clear directive from management via DFE that it is NOT to be worn in classrooms

@Fortherosesjoni70

The whole point of schools closing is: To protect children from the virus To protect their families from the virus To protect it from spreading out of control To stop it mutating. To protect the nhs!! Remember the place that YOU work for!!

This ^

@Redbrickwall

I’m a teacher and I agree. Tesco workers seeing thousands of people a day, staff in nursing homes, they haven’t walked out. Teachers get away with this due to their unions.

I’m sick of it. But I love teaching

Tesco workers wearing ppe behind a screen seeing ‘thousands’ for a few seconds at a time. As you’re a teacher I’ll let you spot the differences to a teacher’s workplace.

I really hope you never need the assistance of a teaching union.

Do you really think teachers decide whether to open or close schools?

The majority of teachers are doing what they're told to do by managers who are doing their best to interpret and follow the ever changing guidance from government.

OP, my sister is a teacher in a school nursery class and she agrees with you.

Teachers are people and being forced to risk their lives to provide childcare so if they refuse I don't blame them. I wouldn't really blame NHS staff who didn't want to risk themselves or their families. Even though in that case you did kind of sign up for that.

On the other hand those people saying that closing all the schools would be a good thing are stupidly not seeing that without that child care other services will stop. I almost hope it will happen so I can watch their reactions.

Not enough people are seeing pros and cons. People pick a side and support it blindly. It's easy to say "but that is bad because..." Yes we know it is. None of these situations is right. We're just trying to do the least worst thing each time.

God, I didn’t realise I had this much say in things! Better get to making all the changes I’d like to see in the curriculum...

I’m absolutely astounded that you say you work in the NHS, almost certainly not on the frontline.
Most of the people I know who work for the NHS are absolutely clear that the more we do to stop the spread of Covid, particularly at the moment with many hospitals at breaking point and the new variant, the more lives will be saved.
Teachers have just experienced the worst term imaginable, yes many are frightened for their most vulnerable pupils, but they know if schools open in the areas where the cases are out of control - they will almost certainly need to close again after just a few days.
It is madness that we are considering schools should be fully open.

@Whatelsecouldibecalled do you seriously think any parent or child would have a problem with staff wearing PPE? Teachers could just ignore that message surely. Make a stand and wear your own PPE. Why be so obedient to a rule you don't believe in?

I work in a school in a tier 3 area (non teaching) and I am happy to go back.

@Redbrickwall

*I’m a teacher and I agree. Tesco workers seeing thousands of people a day, staff in nursing homes, they haven’t walked out. Teachers get away with this due to their unions.

I’m sick of it. But I love teaching.*

You are amazing. We are lucky to have you in the classroom. You are a credit to the profession.

@onedayinthefuture

The one argument I don't understand is when teachers complain about no PPE. What's to stop a teacher just bringing in their own PPE and wearing it? I'm sure even the most hard nosed headteacher would not have a problem with that?

Believe me, they would.

Today, I have emailed my Head to ask him to consider allowing us to wear face masks. His reply was the government advice hadn’t changed and we are not permitted to wear face masks in the classroom.

@onedayinthefuture

The one argument I don't understand is when teachers complain about no PPE. What's to stop a teacher just bringing in their own PPE and wearing it? I'm sure even the most hard nosed headteacher would not have a problem with that?

Where i come from we have been eventually able to wear masks. It has taken forever for this to happen. We started school and the expectation that everything was fine. To a large extent, the community transmission was low at the time so not too many cases circulating. 30 plus children in classes. We were expected to SD -2m. Children find it hard to do this and to a certain extent you felt you were rejecting them by asking them to move back. They constantly come up to your face because the forget. We were expected to do things in class as if things were normal that put us at more risk. Marking jotters, marking them when children are present meaning that we had much less than 2m, some pregnant teachers were put to work with the younger children that clearly could not SD. A huge risk. At first we were also expected to attend face to face meetings. You have to understand that teachers very often feel pressurised by SLT to do these things! Teachers were turned away from wfh even if they were vunerable and had a note from the doctor! It has ALWAYS been a lie that children do not spread the virus. With that in mind, tell me if you think this environment is safe?

@SmileyClare

There does seem to be a narrative that we should shut schools to protect teachers and keep our children safe. The schools that are being shut in tier 4 areas are shutting to prevent spread to the wider community; the very vulnerable and elderly. These are the people who are filling our hospitals and suffering life threatening complications.

Once the vaccination programme has provided immunity to the prioritised groups in our society then will parents still want to keep children off because the virus will still be present in society?

I think people are overestimating the risk to their children rather than considering that school closures are to protect wider society.

I agree with this. I don’t think all schools should close - only the ones where there is a risk due to full hospitals. We need schools to stay open so we can all continue to work

With the greatest of respect I think you are missing the point, yes, although I understand your concern.

Firstly teachers as individuals are not calling the shots, but they have been advised by the largest union not to attend work to teach whole classes under Section 44 of the Safety at Work Act, because schools are unsafe when all students are in attendance. All individuals regardless of their profession have this right. Teachers have been advised that they must teach from home or attend school to teach small groups of vulnerable children or kw’s children because this is safe.

The reason that schools are more unsafe than other professions are lack of ventilation, no PPE, as well as the fact that they are at the heart of every community, so if the virus spreads in schools it spreads in communities. The NHS’s own data shows that schools were at the heart of the virus spreading before Christmas.

Therefore if we close schools until they can be opened safely, this will protect the community and the NHS.

I think people are afraid that this will take a long time, but if the Unions can pressure the government into organising testing and and vaccinations efficiently, rather than denying that schools are unsafe, schools will reopen fully ASAP, which is what everyone, including teachers, wants.

Last thread on this hot deleted, you mustn't criticise teachers in any way

@Themanofmydreams

I work in a school in a tier 3 area (non teaching) and I am happy to go back.

Quite frankly an unhelpful attitude to all your fellow teachers. Some that may be vunerable. Not everyone in teaching is young and able to make this sacrifice.

@onedayinthefuture believe me we would if we could. It doesn’t work like that. Specially told that the DFE says no in lessons. It’s a barrier to learning apparently therefore you as a teacher are preventing learning from happening. This is from the government There are lots of rules I don’t agree with but have to follow. (Cramming kids into lessons and calling it safe for one)

Why is it that teachers are getting to say when schools go back? Why does it feel like teachers are constantly complaining about the virus?

Teachers and unions are being given insane amounts of power right now and I don't understand it.

Are they fuck!

I'm not even a teacher - but get your head out of your arse! I'm a parent and utterly sick of the posters who come on here claiming to work for the NHS and slagging off teachers. And I have a DD who has nursed right through this.

It's the spreading of this sort of bullshit and lies that is getting to me.