School staff ARE more at risk from contracting COVID than the general population- according to data released by the DfE yesterday.

[Feenie]

neu.org.uk/press-releases/impact-covid-school-workforce?fbclid=IwAR2ayf6jFbhEMcpICBffM5daowz8tdrIs77bqyCKFQHWaKB109Z1TktZXEk

Data that contradicts continual assurances that were still being given as late as yesterday by Dr Jenny Harries to the Education Select Committee.

It proves that the line that the government keep repeating, as linked to Nobel's picture above, is not true.

If the analysis was done by an independent statistician, rather than by a trade union who has been trying to close schools every month since the pandemic began, I would be more inclined to believe it

Difficult when the data is suppressed though, isn't it? Even this much was only published by the dfe yesterday.

I am a TA in school looking after key workers and vulnerable children. I do whatever I can to SD and I wear a mask at all time.

Unfortunately I still don’t feel very safe as the pupils do not social distance (impossible) and don’t wear masks and very few staff wear masks consistently. You really have to live it to believe it: I feel like it is business as usual other than fewer people in school.

I feel quite powerless tbh (plus I’m no spring chicken at 53) but I just carry on doing my best to keep myself and others safe. I’m quite grateful to have a job at all right now tbh. But those figures are concerning.

It is very concerning that it has taken so long to publish this data.

@MillieEpple

Those special school TAs!

I'm a SEN school teacher and I could not function without my amazing LSAs. 🥺 We're all in the line of fire in SEN but reading these stats has made me feel like I'm going to step in and take on some more personal care for the kids than I usually do.

@Naturalearth me too. My bubble burst the first week back with multiple positives. We are back in exactly the same. I feel very unsafe.

@Spiratedaway we’ve still got bubbles of 15-20 currently in my school with no expectation to social distance from the adults or each other. The day before lockdown I had 32. Social distancing in the average state school is a myth.

Comparing it to the general population lowers that comparison, as most people are working from home

Not true as ONS shows less than half working from home, and that includes anyone working from home for any number of hours (so for example would include someone working 1 day at home, 4 in workplace). Numbers from first lockdown (April).

www.ons.gov.uk/employmentandlabourmarket/peopleinwork/employmentandemployeetypes/bulletins/coronavirusandhomeworkingintheuk/april2020

@bluechameleon

Where's the line on the graph for shop workers? They aren't on this graph because it is about school staff. Nor are bus drivers or security guards or care workers or police officers or paramedics. No one is saying school staff are the only people at higher risk than the general population. What they are saying is that the government has repeatedly lied to us, saying that schools are safe and school staff are not at risk when it was abundantly clear that these statements were not true. They had their reasons for not wanting to close schools, but rather than being honest they fabricated this view that schools were safe and teachers were just hysterical and workshy.

This

@Jetatyeovilaerodrome

I wonder about that discrepancy between special school TAs and teachers. I work in a primary special school and the teachers have just as much contact with pupils and other staff as TAs. Yes, we might do a bit more personal care, but teachers do still do that as well - I don't understand how it can be so much more? I assume it's not done on just raw numbers of infections, as obviously there are far more TAs than teachers, but then robust statistics don't seem to be the NEU's strong point!

Also agree that this data is a bit useless as it compares us to the general population, many of whom will be working from home, stay at home parents, shielding etc. Where is the data to how we compare specifically with other jobs with lots of people contact eg. NHS, police, supermarkets, factories? I guess that data probably isn't as 'shocking'.

I guess what it does accurately show is that staff in special schools are most 'at risk' out of all schools.

I know where Iive a large percentage of TAs both in main stream schools and sen schools are black or Asian. Some are employed because of their extra languages. Their greater risk to the virus because of race may be part of the reason why a higher percentage than teachers.

Plus obviously the sen TAs are often dealing with body fluid in some cases. Helping the kids to eat etc, like a carer.

I do not agree that teachers should be prioritised above vulnerable people for the vaccine. The vaccine is being given to those more likely to die of Covid first, teachers may be more likely to contract Covid but unless they are also vulnerable they are not more likely than anyone else to die of it.

The reason why the government would prioritise any occupation (teachers included) for the vaccine is for business reasons not for health reasons. Teachers will generally not die from Covid but enough of them needing a couple of weeks off sick or isolating causes at the very least partial shutdowns in schools. So it is just one measure of mitigation which could be taken (but isn’t the total solution).

I think everyone’s a bit hung up on which occupation is the worst affected, when the real question should be what measures should the government be taking to make schools safer (not completely safe, we know that’s not possible).

@Itisasecret Apologies if my post was snappy earlier,I assure you I do not hate teachers.
I think better data would actually give teachers better leverage and my comment about teachers I know saying they are not saying they will only go back when totally safe was more of a point that some think teachers are refusing , So I think we both misinterpreted each others post, as I want schools to be open asap but in the safest way we possibly can

@itisasecret you said about leaving them open to legal action earlier do
You mean schools that have introduced masks against dfe advice? And in what way legally ?
Because I have wondered why more schools haven't gone down this route with secondary age ?

My mum is a TA in a special school and is over 60 and vulnerable, so this isn’t very reassuring! They’re operating a rota to take it in turns to be in and class numbers are very low. No cases in the school yet so let’s hope it stays that way 🤞

Meet Us4Them, done

Is there any other workforce who have a campaigning group actively trying to make their working environment more unsafe? Us4them disgust me.

@sundowners

Sorry OP - you’ve not had the result you’ve wanted. You’ve not had the working parents amongst us, particularly the parents of primary age kids - currently all going stir crazy - all suddenly change our minds and agree that keeping schools off is a good thing. Next-

Wow.

@Truelymadlydeeplysomeonesmum also regarding TAs they are up close to the children helping them with their work. They will do the first aid. They tend to be a Councillor and deal with the upsets and tears. They deal with the behavioural issues while the teacher is teaching. I am regularly spat at, biten, kicked and hit. I have no space that's mine in class so nowhere to ever SD.

I love it when people who don't work in a school come and tell me that SD totally happens.

No clue whatsoever.

Were I am the ta definitely gets closer, although depends on the teachers.
Some sit with pupils and some of don't have, no judgement but in every single class the ta will be sat closely working.

To achieve sd in school you would need the army in to martial each student to keep in line and design special boxes 😂😂, threats of drop and do 100 for insubordination.

Can anyone imagine the court, one side of arguing that dear Tommy must not be asked to wear a mask, and the opposite side saying, but Toms breath could kill the 60 year old ta?. Or the 30 year old tas mum?

Reading this is so disturbing. Not everyone obviously but you get the odd poster who really is saying I don't give a shit about risks to school staff or the community so long as I can send my child to school.

It's sickening. Luckily most of us are used to those parents who refuse to have or to teach their children to have any respect or consideration for anyone but themselves and we are used to the staggering levels of entitlement.

Still disgusting reading it here though in light of 1800 deaths yesterday. Total narcissistic entitlement and rage at being told no for once.

@HalfShrunkMoreToGo

I think it's interesting that TAs and support staff are higher risk than teachers according to this data and yet in many schools right now teachers are working and teaching from home while TAs and supposed staff are the ones in school supporting the keyworker children.

I am all for providing additional measures, I think my DDs primary school have done a fantastic job, the SLT support mask wearing for anyone who wants to do it and enforce mask wearing for all parents at pick up/drop off. Strict controls are in place to make sure only 1 person is allowed in the office/reception area at one time and the staff have a Perspex screen to separate from any visitors. Each individual class is a bubble and they are kept completely separate from all other bubbles which means the few cases we have had have been able to isolate a small group and stop the spread.

I do not agree that teachers should be prioritised above vulnerable people for the vaccine. The vaccine is being given to those more likely to die of Covid first, teachers may be more likely to contract Covid but unless they are also vulnerable they are not more likely than anyone else to die of it. The CEV and vulnerable groups need to be first, this will include any teachers, TAs and support staff that meet those criteria.

This just isn't the case in SEN settings there is more teachers going in but we have higher staff ratios I'm in 2 weeks in 1 week at home my TAs are doing 1 week in four

I'm in special and we're in two home two. Pretty sure we're in more than the teachers too. It is what it is though.

@Monkeytennis97

Is there any other workforce who have a campaigning group actively trying to make their working environment more unsafe? Us4them disgust me.

I completely agree with you. They are disgraceful.