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Original poster

How many teachers will be handing in the section 44 letter tomorrow and not going in?

840 replies

SoscaredforJan · 03/01/2021 13:00

My DSis is scared to go to work tomorrow in a private primary school in Tier 3 but lowish numbers. She is not ECV but has got chemo damaged lungs so it petrified of catching Covid.

She desperately wants to follow union advice and not go in tomorrow but she’s worried that most teachers will be in as normal, she will have a black Mark against her and will be quietly pushed out.

Are there many teachers on here planning not to go in tomorrow? What do you think will happen tomorrow?

OP posts:
CremeEggThief · 03/01/2021 14:14

All teachers and teaching assistants should support their unions in this matter. No excuse for not doing so.

As a former teacher who is originally from Ireland, the British attitude to striking and lack of stomach for a long and bitter fight, if that is what it takes, really, really annoys me.

Backbee · 03/01/2021 14:15

What's staggering is that the government have seen this coming (substantial increase in numbers) and have done fuck all, so it's now left to teachers to take matters into their own hands and look like the 'baddies', even though what they are doing is perfectly reasonable. If the government had bothered, there could be plans in place for next week, as is just another layer of shit and stress for teachers and also parents to navigate, feel for you all.

FrazzledChip · 03/01/2021 14:15

Please send them in. As a parent, I've just emailed my school to say I won't be sending my children in. I know many parents feel the same but are reluctant to risk fines (frankly I don't care). If schools are closed I'm sure many will be relieved. To all the parents out there, rather than waiting for your school to close, email them now to give them your support to close.

FrazzledChip · 03/01/2021 14:16

Please send in your letters - sorry I wasn't very clear.

mumsneedwine · 03/01/2021 14:16

@Lovemylittlebear Hi. I have taken a job with the civil service doing stuff I used to do. Boring but can do it from home and it's shed loads more money. It's not going to be teaching but it's going to be safe. I applied via an agency and it happened v fast. Was in 2 minds until yesterday but the complete lack of regard for teachers safety has tipped me over and I'm off. Sorry not v helpful.

EYProvider · 03/01/2021 14:16

No workplace is ‘safe’ from an airborne virus. Everyone knows that. You do what you can to mitigate in line with the guidance, but viruses spread and that’s just common sense.

No workplace is ‘safe’, and if teachers do this, other professions will follow and the country will descend into chaos.

Skyr2 · 03/01/2021 14:17

@Coasterfan

As a parent of a primary and secondary school child I fully stand with teachers on this. It is a disgrace they are expected to work in close proximity with so many children in such a small space with no PPE.

I teach adults. In the March lockdown everything went on line, no exceptions, no face to face visits or teaching, all zoom. As things gradually started easing I was given the choice in conjunction with the managers of the various settings/workplaces as to whether we stayed on line or I went in. Wherever I went in I wore a mask, had a large ventilated room and never saw more than 2 people at a time.

I have also just started group classroom teaching again which cannot be delivered on line. We have a stringent risk assessment in place with no more than 10 to a classroom which is the same size as my primary DS classroom (there are 35 children in there). Again I wear a mask and the learners are given the choice, most do. Why am I so protected and teachers are not? It’s disgraceful. All of my work in workplaces has gone back to fully remote no exceptions and i m waiting to find out what will be happening with our classroom delivery. I have a lot of friends who also teach adults and the safety measures are the same across the board regardless of the company they work for.

Yes I agree to a certain extent. I have 1 at uni and it has been all online teaching - virtual F2F so questions can be asked etc. Works really well.

The problem I have with schools is we had next to no teaching at school Mar - Jul (so some schools and teachers were okay with this nil provision) and they now wonder why some people have no faith or trust anymore that this time will be different ! They had their chance to prove it could work and did not use it.

I know some teachers worked very hard - I have 5 in my immediate family who worked very hard, but that was sadly not my experience with our school.

Watchingbehindmyhands · 03/01/2021 14:17

What a vile thing to say that you hope every teacher that does get sacked

Bit of an own goal - if a third of teachers get sacked, schools will be closed anyway,

manicinsomniac · 03/01/2021 14:20

MrsHercule Not all misonformation at all - some opinion, some experienxe, some stuff that to the very best of my knowlesge is true as of last night and some stuff i am wring about.

People joining the union doesn't mean other people haven't left it. NEU is known to be the more militant of the two main ones. Makes sense that this will attract some and repel others. There are only 3 NEU members left at my school. Only down from 5, admittedly, it was never a popular one for us. And those 3 definitely don't support school closure. And NASUWT really isn't recommending that teachers don't attend school without the support of their head. They want them shut but they aren't suggesting this as a way of achieving it. Fair enough re striking and the 44 thing. I wasn't aware there was such a big difference. And private schools are definitely less supportive of union action - both in SLT and other teaching staff.

LolaSmiles · 03/01/2021 14:20

I'm on inset tomorrow and I would imagine many of us will be discussing this.

I'm not in NEU, if this is relevant, but I do feel thay unions represent their members and if members expect the union to fight for decent conditions, and stand up for their members then the members have responsibilities to act as well. No union is perfect, but the whole point of collective approaches is the collective nature, though I appreciate that each school will have its own challenges right now.

noblegiraffe · 03/01/2021 14:21

@EYProvider

No workplace is ‘safe’ from an airborne virus. Everyone knows that. You do what you can to mitigate in line with the guidance, but viruses spread and that’s just common sense.

No workplace is ‘safe’, and if teachers do this, other professions will follow and the country will descend into chaos.

No, because other workplaces will presumably be able to, unlike schools, demonstrate that they have followed the scientific advice and put mitigation measures in place.
jessstan1 · 03/01/2021 14:21

@BernadetteRostankowskiWolowitz

I hope my kids teachers all hand theirs in. I would fully support them.
I no longer have a school aged child but agree with your sentiment.

Op, your sister should not go in to school. She will not receive a 'black mark', neither will she be the only one.

TheHobbitMum · 03/01/2021 14:22

I fully support teachers not going in next week. Why on earth are we all not in arms about the awful treatment of teachers and the lack of safe practises offered to them.
You all have my support and would absolutely prefer my 4 DC to be at home learning

noblegiraffe · 03/01/2021 14:23

The problem I have with schools is we had next to no teaching at school Mar - Jul

So you think that they should work in an unsafe workplace as punishment?

Everyone has the right to health and safety at work. Even if they did fuck all during lockdown.

Achristmaspudsskidu · 03/01/2021 14:24

There were over 100,000 people on the NEU Zoom this morning-I would imagine large numbers of them will be writing to their head.

EnemyOfEducationNo1 · 03/01/2021 14:25

@EYProvider

No workplace is ‘safe’ from an airborne virus. Everyone knows that. You do what you can to mitigate in line with the guidance, but viruses spread and that’s just common sense.

No workplace is ‘safe’, and if teachers do this, other professions will follow and the country will descend into chaos.

As I asked earlier - what precautions have you put in place to keep your employees and charges as safe as possible? Because as the owner and employer you can be held personally liable you know
Viviennemary · 03/01/2021 14:25

I think very few will resign. Will the unions back people who don't go in and face disciplinary action. Even if they do back them it's still a risk.

IamHyouweegobshite · 03/01/2021 14:26

@manicinsomniac

An awful lot of teachers have left the NEU over the Covid stance. They're just too militant and don't speak for the majority of their members.

My school is closed despite being in a tier 4, non closure area because the head thinks it's too risky. I am not in support of this but obviously have no choice. If my school was open, I certainly wouldn't support strike action. But I'm in NASUWT who aren't, I don't think, recommending that teachers not go in without headteacher support.

In a private school, I'd be very wary. Unions and striking don't go down well, generally.

It is not strike action, many times on this morning's NEU call it reiterated the point, that will be working from home, therefore not in strike, those who will be in schools, as they are open, will be teaching kw children and vulnerable children.
SansaSnark · 03/01/2021 14:26

@DayBath

Are TAs in the same unions as teachers? Hopefully they are being supported if they don't want to go in.
The NEU is for all school staff. Most other TAs are in Unison and they are supporting the section 44 action as well.

I'm secondary, but our rep has sent a joint letter to the head, and our INSET tomorrow has been moved online.

MrsHerculePoirot · 03/01/2021 14:26

@RaffertyBear

So, who looks after the front line workers kids then? Or are they expected to take time out of their intensive care shifts because their kids cannot go to school... just curious.
"..just curious"

No you're not, you are being deliberately goady as you well know schools will remain open for KW and vulnerable students as they always have before. FFS.

SansaSnark · 03/01/2021 14:27

@manicinsomniac

MrsHercule Not all misonformation at all - some opinion, some experienxe, some stuff that to the very best of my knowlesge is true as of last night and some stuff i am wring about.

People joining the union doesn't mean other people haven't left it. NEU is known to be the more militant of the two main ones. Makes sense that this will attract some and repel others. There are only 3 NEU members left at my school. Only down from 5, admittedly, it was never a popular one for us. And those 3 definitely don't support school closure. And NASUWT really isn't recommending that teachers don't attend school without the support of their head. They want them shut but they aren't suggesting this as a way of achieving it. Fair enough re striking and the 44 thing. I wasn't aware there was such a big difference. And private schools are definitely less supportive of union action - both in SLT and other teaching staff.

So, you know 2 members who have left, and the union are reporting record numbers joining, and you think these two things are comparable?

Unison are also supporting the action.

mrshoho · 03/01/2021 14:28

I'm a TA in Unison. We are in tier 4 with primary schools closed next week but I fully support the action. Ours is a SEN school so will be open but very few students expected.

MrsHerculePoirot · 03/01/2021 14:29

@MellowYellow101

Out of curiosity, what would it mean for the vulnerable children and keyworker children if all schools closed again & teachers refuse to go in?
Teachers aren't 'refusing to go in' they are refusing to teach in full classrooms as it is not safe for them, their students and their communities.

KW and vulnerable students will be welcome into school and supervised throughout any period of remote learning.

Cameron2012 · 03/01/2021 14:29

@FrazzledChip

Please send them in. As a parent, I've just emailed my school to say I won't be sending my children in. I know many parents feel the same but are reluctant to risk fines (frankly I don't care). If schools are closed I'm sure many will be relieved. To all the parents out there, rather than waiting for your school to close, email them now to give them your support to close.
Yes this.
insancerre · 03/01/2021 14:30

@EYProvider
No workplace is safe, agreed
So why is Boris saying that schools are safe?
He repeatedly said it on the Andrew Marr show