Schools not having to isolate when in contact of virus

[Baileysforchristmas]

There is hope this will stop after September.

www.theguardian.com/education/2021/jun/28/ministers-set-to-end-automatic-isolation-for-pupils-in-england

I’m just wondering as a teacher whether I’ll be allowed/expected to work if I contract Covid, and whether as parents they would be happy knowing their teacher could be potentially exposing 200+ pupils a day to the virus?

Why would you think you have to work if you actually have covid? This is about isolating perfectly healthy people who don’t have covid.

@Baileysforchristmas

No one would willingly test in my children’s school. What happens is the teachers chase you down and state if you do not have a PCR your child is not allowed back on site. So you have no choice if you want your child to return.

My kids have had numerous PCRs for hayfever and asthma and they have ALL come back negative but they have had 24-48 hours off whilst waiting for the results. The tests have been unpleasant and inconvenient.

Once again CEV children completely thrown to the wolves.

So glad CEV son and his sibling is homeschooling.

Would like to hear what they plan to do about early years and primary school - daily testing seems less feasible for under 4s but those are some of the most damaging isolations because parents have to take time off at zero notice to look after them. I’ve got family members in the NHS who say half their problem at the moment is staff having to be off to look after isolating children.

Great news. And to the person who asked, yes I'm happy for DS to be exposed to Covid. He could be exposed to it anywhere.

I really hope this is true. My daughter is having to isolate again this week. Year 6. School photos and high school transition cancelled when most of them are absolutely fine. I'm gutted for them.

Thank f*ck for that. My Y10 dd is test again isolating and her mental health and motivation are at an all-time low. I hope they make allowances for this cohort next year too as they've missed so much school.

I’ll be interested in the guidance for primary kids. I thought LFTs weren’t recommended for younger kids - are they going to be testing primary ones too? I’ve only ever seen secondary discussed on the news.

Just watching Nick Gibbs on BBC this morning, he is the Schools Minister for England, stating that 'we have very effective control measures in our schools to keep children and staff safe, the extra ventilation, the hygiene measures, washing of hands, staggered breaks and so on'.

First of all, anyone here has seen any 'extra ventilation' apart from opening windows, and some classrooms that don't have have windows then nothing? Anyone in the country seen any extra air conditioning or air purifying units put in classrooms of state schools?

What will we do when it's winter, just open the windows and doors again and the kids and teachers be so cold that they can't learn? Extra ventilation my arse. This gives me absolutely no confidence that the government will do things right for schools.

And you can still get Covid with two jabs. Chances are reduced, but you still can. And you can still pass it on.

Still no change in guidance for masks in the classrooms.

We've been lucky in avoiding lots of isolations so far but I know others who have had their dc sent home to isolate multiple times- one parent had their child in isolation 3 times with a gap of a couple of days between each one.

I will be happy to see the end of isolation and for children to have their education resume without interruptions. The negative affects of Covid measures on children have far outweighed the benefit.

I understand how daily testing might work for secondary aged, NT children, but I'd be interested to know what the plan is for primary, pre school and ND children as it's not particularly an option for many of them- my own y1 DD is terrified of being tested, many of her classmates and friends are the same and simply wouldn't accept daily tests. It's also harder to enforce distancing with these groups.

@majesticallyawkward

Sounds like my year 6 in and out like a yo yo. Not only that, but he plays football for a level one team. He’s missed out on multiple matches and training sessions that will affect his sporting performance. Something that is very important to him.

@PeonyTime
You wont be getting any science experiments, Food or D&T support, the library will be closed, the maintenance will be cut to bare minimum because those staff will be testing. The the inside halls will be closed
I think you’re being very dramatic.

@PeonyTime

Have you thought about what WONT be happening at school to allow this to happen? You wont be getting any science experiments, Food or D&T support, the library will be closed, the maintenance will be cut to bare minimum because those staff will be testing. The the inside halls will be closed. It's not as straightforward as it sounds (currently in a school with 10% of Y10 having tested positive, I'm glad they have sent them all home).

@PeonyTime that's rubbish.

My DC school has been trialling this and they aren't missing any of the curriculum.
Everything carrying on as normal. Testing in school twice a week. Any positives sent home, close contacts testing daily.

Yeah, and who do you think is do the tests?
Because I can promise you here it was the technicians and librarian. And it was all done in the sports hall.
If I'm processing 150 lateral flow tests a day, there is absolutly no way I am also preparing the practical lessons for your child. I cant physically do both.

@PeonyTime

Agree that children may miss out, but it is still the preferable option to repeated isolations. The current fiasco cannot continue.

@PeonyTime I’d be fine with my kids school library being closed and them not doing science experiments if it meant they can attend school solidly without the ever looming full class isolations.

@Baileysforchristmas the whole response to the pandemic has been adult male focused, this is just one example. Golf clubs opening before open air swimming pools is one of many examples.

Note the Prime Minister unlike Tony Blair or David Cameron has no school age children in his household.

What about Primary? The BBC article just mentioned Secondary? DD (in primary) hates the tests. I can't imagine having to put her through them daily for 10 days. Yes it's preferable to isolating and the disruption to her education, but she just finds them so traumatic!

What about CV and ECV children? Especially those in primary. Some have been vaccinated but less likely the younger they are.

My son is CV and only 7 so no hope of a vaccine at present, Covid is likely to life changing and possibly life limiting for him. What about the guilt his siblings would feel bringing it home if they gave it to him?

Once again this feels very rushed and ill thought through, especially given how cases are rising.

Feels like an alternative way to achieve herd immunity as the JCVI haven’t given the go ahead yet to vaccinate 12 plus.

I naively assumed all the school self-isolation would end on the same day legal restrictions were lifted (ie July 19th). It seems nonsensical to continue them past that date - I can go to watch a band in a packed room without a mask, but an entire year still has to isolate for 10 days because one child gets Covid?

What will we do when it's winter, just open the windows and doors again and the kids and teachers be so cold that they can't learn? Extra ventilation my arse.
@QwertyGirly

I understand that it isn't optimal and it seems very basic, but pupils could always just wear a coat inside. I went to uni with no central heating and winters that are comparable/ colder than the UK and had to wear a coat in my classroom. It's a worthwhile trade off for pupils being able to attend school.

@dippymootoo

What about CV and ECV children? Especially those in primary. Some have been vaccinated but less likely the younger they are.

My son is CV and only 7 so no hope of a vaccine at present, Covid is likely to life changing and possibly life limiting for him. What about the guilt his siblings would feel bringing it home if they gave it to him?

Once again this feels very rushed and ill thought through, especially given how cases are rising.

Feels like an alternative way to achieve herd immunity as the JCVI haven’t given the go ahead yet to vaccinate 12 plus.

I'm sorry that your son is CEV, it must be incredibly stressful. But as gently as possible, surely that is the case with any virus? We dont lock close contacts away for norovirus/flu?

I really feel for the ecv and cv children but the risk of covid is going to be around for years, especially with any vaccine for under 12s likely some years off. We’re not going to get zero covid now in the U.K. so how can we manage this. I don’t think children can keep doing ten day isolations to protect the cv children for the next however many years until herd immunity is reached in children. What do you think should happen? Isolation for the next few years, license to vaccinate cv children? It’s very tricky and I understand the worry but what would you see as the endpoint when self isolation for school children should stop?

@Chillychangchoo

Seventh period of isolation. Two jobs lost, third one about to go.

I am royally fucked off. In fact I’ve never been so fucked off in my whole entire life.

I bet. One isolation made me mad not sure how you’re not going postal completely.

I’m hoping for a clear run to end of term. Primary so no student testing. Yr11 thankfully done. Whole school doing PCR again this week.

@TweezerMay

I’ll be interested in the guidance for primary kids. I thought LFTs weren’t recommended for younger kids - are they going to be testing primary ones too? I’ve only ever seen secondary discussed on the news.

Crazy at this stage no idea for primary,