So are they preparing schools for LFTs for close contacts?

[Regulus]

It's been said that U18 and the double jabbed won't have to isolate if they are a close contact from 16 August.

This has been taken at face value.

This new report from Oxford says testing for close contacts is a successful way to avoid isolation and that

Prof Paul Hunter, from the University of East Anglia, said schools would probably still need some controls on their return

"At least daily testing... will have less harm on children's education than the current exclusion policy, whether or not it has real benefit in controlling the epidemic,"

So what is the plan, close contacts of primary get tested daily?
Senior school children get tested daily but if they don't agree/can't will they still need to isolate (and therefore will teachers still need to be prepared with online work?)

Why tout the idea of normal school in September when this is not possible?

[quote BustopherPonsonbyJones]@palacegirl77
If theyve had 2 vaccs, they shouldnt get that ill. If they do, once theyre better they will have antibodies and it wont happen again. Funny how teachers are in such a perilous situation yet somehow theyve not caught it in the last 18 months (Thought schools were riddled?)

Crikey, you are very certain about Covid and the vaccines. You didn’t answer the question about your job. Perhaps you are a scientist? When you state teachers haven’t ‘caught it in the last 18 months’, are you referring to the whole teaching profession? So you believe that not one teacher has ‘caught it’. Interesting. Are you quite sure about this?

In simple words (yet again), being doubly vaccinated will stop most people dying (which is fantastic). It does not stop people getting ill. Being ill means you can’t work. A ‘mild’ case of Covid might mean you can’t work for days. If teachers can’t work, schools won’t open as classes are taught and supervised by adults. This means parents will need to stay at home with their children. Children will not have ANY work to do as ill teachers won’t set work, not even worksheets. As I suspect you are a parent of a non-vulnerable child, I won’t even begin to mention the impact on CV children but staff sickness will affect the asymptotic, non-vulnerable children who are barely affected by Covid too

Basically, parents will be the ones picking up the pieces next term. I hope your job pays you to stay at home so you can supervise your children. I hope your children are motivated enough to work independently. Good luck.[/quote]
Im guessing youd had a few merlots when you typed this? I havent said that no teachers had caught it - have a look on here, there has been uproar that teachers should have to go to work for the last 18 months on this site. My point is why are they in more jeopardy now than before they were vaccinated?

Your tone discussing my children is disgusting to be frank. No, my job doesnt pay me to stay at home. Whether or not my children are vulnerable is absolutely non of you business.

And no, im not certain about the vaccines, but (having had both doses) im choosing to listen to what the scientists and statistics are saying, which is if youve had both doses you shouldnt get seriously ill.

@BustopherPonsonbyJones

I beg to differ. I refer you to the comments posted by palacegirl77 as a perfect example of strange things to say’ and someone who thoroughly deserves to reap what she sows.

She is happy to allow school staff and children (who may be more vulnerable than her own) to be infected, I am happy for to take her chances with her job and financial position if schools have to close because of staff shortages. She has her viewpoint and I have mine. As I wrote previously, good luck - to us all!

Wow. How rude. So because I have a different opinion youre chucking stuff like that at me. Dont know why Im going to respond but here goes....Youre saying I have to take my chances if schools have to close because of staff shortages? You mean like I did for 7 months last year when my children didnt go to school? How exactly am I happy for people to be infected? Im simply pointing out the situation isnt the same as a year ago because teachers have been vaccinated. Seriously I really believe some people would like us all to revert back to living in caves and not come out! So thanks for your comments, and inferring myself and my chidlren deserve to catch covid. Lovely person.

@sherrystrull

I agree *@BustopherPonsonbyJones*. The casual disregard of the concerns of school staff for themselves, the children in their care and the wider community has been a constant theme by many posters.

I am still amazed by the arrogance of anyone who tells school staff that they are wrong when they share concerns whilst they themselves are working from home or in a socially distanced office.

Are we allowed to have an opinion if we arent working from home or in an office? If we are critical workers providing medical devices and dealing front face with patients? Can we have an opinion then? I can assure you I had plenty of regard for schools and their staff when, in spite of being key workers, we switched to working shifts so we could keep our girls off school and do our bit. Thanks for that.

@BarefootHippieChick

Why would it be front page news? Whole classes and year groups have been isolating on and off for weeks now. In my kids large secondary by the last day there were more kids at home than in school. Newspapers aren't interested, they stopped reporting on school closures ages ago and moved onto the next topic.

Isolating yes. But Ive not heard of a class of 30 kids all testing positive have you?

I very much hope that if double vaccinated people in society as a whole don't have to self isolate but do daily testing, that schools don't treat pupils who are double vaccinated as if they were vaccinated.

By September many sixth formers will be double vaccinated.

CEV and CV over 12s will hopefully be vaccinated (and hopefully double vaccinated too).

Schools need to take this into account. The government is planning to treat the double vaccinated differently to unvaccinated people (rightly IMHO), so schools will need to ensure that they reflect this.

*schools don't treat pupils who are double vaccinated as if they were UNvaccinated.

www.theguardian.com/world/2021/jul/23/daily-covid-tests-for-students-found-to-be-as-effective-as-group-isolation

[quote BustopherPonsonbyJones]@Wellbythebloodyhell
Again, not sure why that is relevant on a forum where the whole point is viewpoints are discussed and she made her viewpoint known and therefore up for discussion. But if you want to go down that route, she seemed to think she knew a lot about the vaccines and schools and never confirmed where she worked. Her attitude is such she would fit in very well with Gav and other Tory ministers. It is very bizarre that any parent condones actions which will lead to further problems next term. Very bizarre.[/quote]
Sorry for having a life an not instantly logging on the reply! But here goes....Im not a teacher no, my kids go to school. I am a critical worker working in a dental laboratory which includes dealing with chairside work with patients, dealing with contaminated impressions etc. So no I dont "work from home" and I do work in an environment which is risky (its peoples mouths!). Im talking about the vaccines being effective after 2 doses at keeping people out of hospital. I believe this is what the chief medical officer and scientific advisors are saying (Im happy to listen to what they say). Im not sure what exactly you think im condoning which will lead to further problems next term? Happy to clarify if you want to elaborate (but - due to having a life it might not be immediately!)

@greygrass

I very much hope that if double vaccinated people in society as a whole don't have to self isolate but do daily testing, that schools don't treat pupils who are double vaccinated as if they were vaccinated.

By September many sixth formers will be double vaccinated.

CEV and CV over 12s will hopefully be vaccinated (and hopefully double vaccinated too).

Schools need to take this into account. The government is planning to treat the double vaccinated differently to unvaccinated people (rightly IMHO), so schools will need to ensure that they reflect this.

Greygrass, as i have said on another thread, this is misinformed (to be fair, so is the BBC).

If you look on the government's own website, it states:
"From 16 August England
If you’re fully vaccinated or under 18, you will not need to self-isolate following close contact with someone who has COVID-19. You’ll still need to take a PCR test and self-isolate if it’s positive."

The "detailed" guidance for schools says the same. So no children at all will ever have to isolate except if they actually test, and test positive.

Secondary school pupils are supposed to LFT twice before returning to school, and then do twice weekly LFTs until the end of September, and probably not at all thereafter.

Primary school pupils never have to test unless they have the outdated 3 classic symptoms - which many didn't have even with previous variants, and almost none have for Delta.

The people that I know who have recently had a positive test result have all had 2 injections and passed it around each other so I’m not entirely sure how it will work if those who have had 2 injections will not need to self isolate.
Transmission from and to people who have had 2 injections seems on the increase.

@palacegirl77

Well I've been to the dentist every 6 months so clearly I'm fully qualified to tell you about how a dentist works and make judgements on their risk...

I'll say it again, people who have no clue about how life works in schools making judgements on school staff is arrogant.

@palacegirl77

Of course you can have an opinion. However you do not have the right the make judgements about a working environment you know nothing about. I have no right to make judgements about working environments I have experienced either, so don't.

I wouldn't dream of going into Tesco about making judgement on their staff as despite visiting regularly I don't work there and that's very different.

*haven't

[quote sherrystrull]@palacegirl77

Well I've been to the dentist every 6 months so clearly I'm fully qualified to tell you about how a dentist works and make judgements on their risk...

I'll say it again, people who have no clue about how life works in schools making judgements on school staff is arrogant. [/quote]
What else do I need to understand? You teach in a classroom. With children. Ventilation is an issue. Teachers being off sick is an issue and will cause disruption - I get that. But teachers have been vaccinated now so we have to be in a better position than we were previously? Or do vaccines really have no positives, only in schools? Schools are workplaces - theyre really not some mystical world that is that hard to read. Does it suck for teachers during a pandemic? Yep. But its sucked for so many people, and the fact you have the reassurance that, should you get ill, you will be able to isolate and take time off recouperating whilst being paid must be a better position than some poor people.

[quote sherrystrull]@palacegirl77

Of course you can have an opinion. However you do not have the right the make judgements about a working environment you know nothing about. I have no right to make judgements about working environments I have experienced either, so don't.

I wouldn't dream of going into Tesco about making judgement on their staff as despite visiting regularly I don't work there and that's very different.

[/quote]
OK, so when any thread about schools is ever mentioned only those that work in one can comment? The fact my children go to school (and are therefore in the same position as you, in fact worse because they arent vaccinated) still means I cant comment. They should all be moved to the education forum in that case. Honestly there really is such a horrible them and us attitude on here.

Unless the school polices lat flow testing assume it won't be done.

You're not hearing what I'm saying.

You can comment all you like but implying you know what it's like to work in a school because you have children who attend children is laughable. I have children at school. I have no idea what it's like to work there because I don't work there!

I can't imagine how stressful it is to work in a dentists during a pandemic and would respect the experiences of people who work there.

Can you not see how you are dismissive? Your opinion is your opinion but stating how school staff should feel is so arrogant. You told a poster that they were talking nonsense.

I'm not sure what you mean about an us and then divide. I'm not into being divisive. I will share my experiences and speak out against anyone dismissing them.

I absolutely agree that I'm lucky having a secure job and will be paid if poorly. I don't think my situation is the worst. Why would you think I do? I would support anyone explaining their concerns about their working conditions.

Don’t bother, sherry.

@sherrystrull

You're not hearing what I'm saying.

You can comment all you like but implying you know what it's like to work in a school because you have children who attend children is laughable. I have children at school. I have no idea what it's like to work there because I don't work there!

I can't imagine how stressful it is to work in a dentists during a pandemic and would respect the experiences of people who work there.

Can you not see how you are dismissive? Your opinion is your opinion but stating how school staff should feel is so arrogant. You told a poster that they were talking nonsense.

I'm not sure what you mean about an us and then divide. I'm not into being divisive. I will share my experiences and speak out against anyone dismissing them.

I did yes. Because they said every single child in a class of 30 and the teacher tested positive. That's never happened! It would be on the news. Some people, I'm afraid, do speak absolute nonsense. Ok you win, I take it all back, I have absolutely no knowledge of working as a teacher in spite of having 2 siblings that teach, best friend that teaches, previously working in a school and having kids in school. I have no idea about anything related to teaching so I take it all back - only teachers should comment. I hope that will also apply to every other topic on here that if you're aren't there, if you're not qualified as a scientist, epidemiologist, government official or similar you should absolutely not post any opinion. I'm glad the teachers I know and are related to are so positive because the way they come across on here is really sad.

@noblegiraffe

Don’t bother, sherry.

There it is. Nothing if not predictable.

You're still not getting it. You're not a teacher. You might know thousands but you can't possibly speak about how teachers feel when you aren't one!

I absolutely won't be giving my opinion about any other job apart from teaching as I am a teacher! I wouldn't be so arrogant.

I'm hugely positive. I'm glad the teachers I know are respectful of other peoples experiences.

@sherrystrull

You're still not getting it. You're not a teacher. You might know thousands but you can't possibly speak about how teachers feel when you aren't one!

I absolutely won't be giving my opinion about any other job apart from teaching as I am a teacher! I wouldn't be so arrogant.

Ok no probs. I just won't comment on anything which relates to school, is that ok? Would you like me to just be quiet? No problem, will do.

@sherrystrull

I'm hugely positive. I'm glad the teachers I know are respectful of other peoples experiences.

Fine love. Don't worry about it. I just won't comment on anything teacher or school related or anything to do with kids testing in schools or anything else I'm concerned about in relation to education. There you go, you win, hope that makes you happy.