Anti-lockdowners pretending to care about kids again

[noblegiraffe]

So it's all over the news about how nearly 400,000 kids are having to isolate because of covid cases in schools. Complaints about how disruptive to education it is and to the mental health of the children involved. This disruptive isolation must end as soon as possible.

Contrast to last November when nearly a million kids were self-isolating in a week. Do you remember the headlines, discussions and outrage about that?

No, of course you don't. Because back then, the solution to so many kids isolating was to put more mitigation measures in schools and attempt to stop so many kids catching it.

Now they can argue that it doesn't matter if all kids catch it, they're all over the 'terrible' isolation figures which are less than half of those last year.

I'm SO done with people only caring about kids and education when they think that they can use them for their own benefit.

If these loud voices could be used to talk about things like the cuts to pupil premium, the pitiful covid catch-up funding, the critical shortage of teachers, the unsafe state of schools, the massive waiting lists for CAMHS and SEN services, then maybe I'd believe them when they claim to care about children.

Interesting how eager some are to twist my words.

Like I said before, they love posting shit and pretending I said it.

It's a hobby for some.

That's rubbish WouldBeGood

Vaccines are not 100% (AZ particularly), and many parents and teachers (and other school staff) are CEV or CV, and therefore possibly less protected.

Teaching (and other school staff roles) is the second highest risk occupation for Long Covid. (Just behind Healthcare).

www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2021/jun/28/health-systems-should-be-prepared-doctors-brace-for-tsunami-of-long-covid

www.itv.com/news/2021-06-29/covid-two-oxford-vaccines-produce-low-level-of-antibodies-against-delta-variant-study-shows

Delatron it’s weird for sure.
I was certain the test would come back positive.
But no. Both negative. Plus 4 negative LFTs.

Also, if I wanted to get away from 'germy kids' ( ) I'd have clearly been out campaigning with the fuckwits who wanted no mitigation measures in schools. That's what led to schools being closed and two months with me at home away from them at the start of the year.

As it was, I wanted mitigation measures to keep kids in school for longer.

But why can’t you accept that some of your mitigation’s are not realistic in the short term? Ie. Improved ventilation across the country?

We are just more realistic than you are.

Gosh, where's your can-do attitude? Other countries have managed it.

wanted mitigation measures to keep kids in school for longer.

It's a shame the UK government doesn't want to follow WHO advice on mitigation measures for schools (and opening up in general). Simple cheap mitigation measures such as masks would make so much sense. Unfortunately sense seems lacking in government right now.

Although I notice they do implement the recommended measures for themselves, in Parliament.

I think building assessing, financing, organising and carrying out works to thousands of schools in a matter of months needs more than a “can do” attitude. It would take a miracle.

Or you can buy air filtration machines, Nicky, like they've done in Germany and the US.

Although I notice they do implement the recommended measures for themselves, in Parliament.

Yes, I do hope to see a packed parliament on July 19th.

Excellent, so why haven’t the schools done that? Let’s guess. Because of the cost….how much exactly would it be to install them in an average sized school?

That’s what I mean about being realistic.

Masks are a massive barrier to learning. Bottom line is covid hardly affects kids , mitigations, isolations, school closures are all for the protection of others, Don't you think they have done enough for other demographics now?
Last autumn we didn't have the vulnerable vaccinated and last November was 8 months ago. Our kids have suffered a lot more disrupted education since then

@noblegiraffe

Although I notice they do implement the recommended measures for themselves, in Parliament.

Yes, I do hope to see a packed parliament on July 19th.

Yes.

Or you can buy air filtration machines, Nicky, like they've done in Germany and the US.

And this.

Spend a bit less on the arms trade for a few years, Nickynacky, that should do it.
There are pupils at my school who have lost parents to Covid. I don't think anyone could claim that hasn't affected them directly.

So it's realistic for kids in other countries but too expensive for English kids.

Why do people keep accepting this undervaluing of our children? The catch-up funding only being a tenth of what's needed and drastically less than other countries is another example.

@Rainuntilseptember But that’s exactly my point, as a long term issue then no doubt it can be done but not in a few short months.

Masks are a massive barrier to learning.

Children in East Asia have been wearing masks at times for years. They have excellent academic records.

Masks are a barrier to learning, but so was being home from Jan to March. So was millions of kids isolating then and now.

The anti-mitigation lot were always comparing mitigation measures to classes in non-pandemic times as if people thought they should be introduced for no reason, instead of them actually serving a purpose.

[quote Nicknacky]@Rainuntilseptember But that’s exactly my point, as a long term issue then no doubt it can be done but not in a few short months.[/quote]
We're 18 months into this hell and nothing has been implemented with regard to school buildings and learning environments by this government. Says it all about their values to state education and our children.

They really don't give a shit about schools or kids.

Don't forget they've allowed Grenfell cladding on new school buildings and decided against mandating sprinklers.

@Nicknacky

Excellent, so why haven’t the schools done that? Let’s guess. Because of the cost….how much exactly would it be to install them in an average sized school?

That’s what I mean about being realistic.

Even just a small percent of the 33.1 billion on PPE contracts to mates, would have solved this issue in a matter of weeks, but that would have meant that the government’s mantra of ‘schools are safe’ would have fallen rather short…

They wouldn't even need to install them in every classroom, just the ones with shit ventilation.

They should be doing this anyway, kids are really struggling to learn in hot stuffy classrooms every summer.

I think its fair to say I'm also very disappointed in the help, or lack of, that schools have been offered to deal with this.
And I think there will be very little coming their way in terms of funding to recover, ditto social services etc who will also be left picking up the pieces for years.
Schools will do their best with the resources they have, because most people involved in education really do put the children and families first. But it will be children who suffer, and their families, worst of all in the poorest areas. As usual.

I also think a lot of teachers are weary of this treatment by DfE because it didn't just start with the pandemic. And have become so fed up that they have lost any love for the job - I'm not saying that about anyone in particular I'm really not - but certainly friends I have who are teachers, one or two feel that way. And in order to protect themselves from becoming totally overstressed and exhausted they're just going through the motions really.
Then the pandemic happened and those people, I feel, have not had it in them to respond in the kind of positive can do manner we as parents might have hoped.
I can understand. Its as if they were fed up of it all before COVID.

So yes, Noble, you are right the response could have been so much better, it didn't have to be this way. But whilst I'm disappointed I'm not surprised.

In regards to why I accepted the bubble system in Sept to Dec term, but hate it now.... well, I hated it then too. But when the other option was total school closure I'd rather take the chance and in fact my kids got quite a decent amount of time in school. I know there was a third option of better mitigations, but it wasn't ever really going to happen.

And I did write to my MP last summer to express my wish for a cohesive plan for education to continue with the least disruption. So I didn't just moan on here.
I will admit to saying things like schools could/should do xyz but i didn't mean teachers or heads in particular not doing enough, I meant schools in general with government support. I understand now that phrasing pissed teachers off on here but it wasn't intended as a personal slight to any individual. More a general frustration at kids and schools (and mothers) being left to get on with it.

Thanks RubyFowler and that does make sense.

It was and is a horrible time and I have struggled with balance my own family/child self isolating and working too and it’s not right but my ire is definitely focussed on the Dept for Education.

But then, as soon as you see some hope with it maybe being over soon, you read in the Press and social media today that the government are passing the blame of self isolations onto Headteachers misinterpreting the guidance, when Headteachers have never and still don’t, make the decisions and instead, phone the Dept for Ed and PHE every time and follow their instructions and templated letters, and it just gets you down more and more and more.