What do we do if cases rocket in September?

[ncnoclue]

If schools etc being closed means that cases massively drop and we can in fact, live normal lives. And then once they go back, they shoot up again and we can't cope.

Is the plan to keep everything else closed, just to keep schools open? So even though everyone who wants it has been vaccinated and there's no other answer, we keep the economy closed indefinitely to keep schools open?!

@noblegiraffe

Basic maintenance of the buildings we already have would make a massive difference rather than the usual public sector approach of ignoring maintenance

So you agree that the government should have funded maintenance of our school buildings instead of let them fall into disrepair?

I agree that governments of all colours over many decades havn't prioritised the non-sexy routine maintenance types of thing across all sectors.

But nor do individual bodies either. Rather than setting up a proper carousel system of maintenance, they do tend to just keep doing the same things, so some things get attention on a regular basis, yet other things are ignored for decades. That's poor "local" management.

@Nikki305

If it gets to that point they might recommend vaccinating kids. The other option would be just to let it run through schools to reach herd immunity, but no one really knows how that would work out. Given kids are exempt from isolating after the middle of August, I guess a lot of kids are going to catch it anyway

If they haven't already had it but they don't test for natural immunity, which is crazy. The WHO do NOT recommend it for kids only in the extremely vulnerable. The cases of Myocarditis is kid is a big concern and they need much more data to recommend jabbing kids. They have specifically said kids cope well with the virus bar a few. If everyone has their jabs even if kids catch it and transfer it, it won't be such a problem. Vaccine escape is a real problem but no one talks about that. Allowing travel from the US with no quarantine or test will be a bigger cause of a spike than children returning to school.

we roll our sleeves up and enact some temporary fixes. A can-do attitude.

Well, in my case - because my windows DO open but the school can't afford the heating - we rolled our sleeves DOWN. And wore coats and gloves and scarves. And the children wore multiple pairs of socks and leggings under trousers and wore gloves when they weren't writing. It was more than a little Victorian (I slightly expected that most Victorian of ailments, chilblains) and not conducive to successful teaching and learning, but we DID have ventilation.

Although I hated teaching online in Jan / Feb, I do think that it saved us from some really difficult days in school with children becoming ill from cold. Yes, we did have over a third of children in, but they could be seated distanced from one another (so we could add SD to ventilation in terms of mitigation) and away from the direct wind from the windows

@noblegiraffe

And I love the idea that the fact that my classroom has a broken blind is now being painted as my fault instead of a serious failing of government whose job it is, using taxpayer money, to provide an adequate education for our children.

Not "your" fault personally, but almost certainly your school's management at fault for not addressing it. Sounds like they'd rather let it get more and more into disrepair in the hope of getting a shiny new school rather than perform basic maintenance to keep what you've got fit for purpose.

@noblegiraffe

"We need to improve ventilation in schools"

"Well that's totally impractical, it would require millions of pounds and months of work so you can't expect it to happen"

"Well actually, we could improve ventilation by fixing blinds and windows in individual classrooms and this could be done quite quickly and cheaply"

"Why haven't YOU fixed the blinds and windows in your classroom? God, you're useless"

Astonishing deflection.

Well that wasn't quite how it went was it?

There were other people in this discussion, for example, before you and your blind showed up.

@noblegiraffe

So people now agree that there are quick and easy fixes to improve ventilation in schools but are now suggesting that instead of government funding them, teachers and parents should fund and implement them?

It is amazing how time and time again people are willing to let this government off the hook.

Yes, that's exactly whats happening 🙄

No point in trying to engage any further so I'll leave you to wallow.

Sounds like they'd rather let it get more and more into disrepair in the hope of getting a shiny new school rather than perform basic maintenance to keep what you've got fit for purpose.

How many times do I need to point out that schools are seriously underfunded? We're not 'holding out for a shiny new school', that's totally ridiculous.

Bloody hell some people have no clue.

@noblegiraffe

"We need to improve ventilation in schools"

"Well that's totally impractical, it would require millions of pounds and months of work so you can't expect it to happen"

"Well actually, we could improve ventilation by fixing blinds and windows in individual classrooms and this could be done quite quickly and cheaply"

"Why haven't YOU fixed the blinds and windows in your classroom? God, you're useless"

Astonishing deflection.

You have simultaneously said that schools need a massive amount of funding/rebuilding, and that they need quick and easy fixes. In the absence of either of those happening in the next few weeks, people are trying to help you sort your blind. Unless you’d rather not do anything just to make a point that the government should be doing it? In which case it’s not about safety, it’s about politics.

schoolsweek.co.uk/repairing-englands-schools-will-cost-11-4-billion-dfe-admits/

"It concluded that the modelled cost of “remedial work to repair or replace all defective elements in the school estate” is £11.4 billion, with the average secondary school needing £1.6 million worth of work."

Yeah, maybe we could have whip round the PTA?

Schools have no money cos the gov are a pack of hooring bastarding corrupt cunts who have gave it to their corrupt mates instead, spending it on t&t and other stupid shit.

@noblegiraffe

schoolsweek.co.uk/repairing-englands-schools-will-cost-11-4-billion-dfe-admits/

"It concluded that the modelled cost of “remedial work to repair or replace all defective elements in the school estate” is £11.4 billion, with the average secondary school needing £1.6 million worth of work."

Yeah, maybe we could have whip round the PTA?

You said it was quick and easy fixes? That’s why I mentioned the PTA. I’m confused now

You said it was quick and easy fixes?

I said that schools can't even afford quick and easy fixes because there's NO MONEY.

@HesterShaw1

And here she is. Someone mentioned schools.

Cases have peaked and are dropping now, even though schools were generally open until last week.

Schools were not open fully. Most closed to online learning in the last week (19th) due to high case numbers.

Lots already broke up by that date and Scotland broke up much earlier.

Case rates in my LA were mostly 10-19yo.

In the 5 days since official end of term they've halved and it's the only bit of the heat map that's changed colour.

It's very likely that cases in 19-30yo will rocket due to nightclubs reopening - that's really the only place comparable to the conditions in schools.

I don't think we'll have any more lockdowns. We may have some restrictions or even mandated masks etc in winter for a period of time.

IMO the biggest mistake was not offering the jab to those over 12 who want it. USA and Israel have and I'm sure other countries did too.

@noblegiraffe

You said it was quick and easy fixes?

I said that schools can't even afford quick and easy fixes because there's NO MONEY.

Oh, I thought you were saying your blind was a quick and easy fix. That’s why I suggested the PTA. Wasn’t suggesting they raised millions to rebuild your school . Is the blind a quick and easy fix?

I THINK (I may be wrong) that money raised e.g. by the PTA can't be used to pay wages. And that is what is actually needed - the wages of extra staff whose job it is to carry out maintenance.

Yes, Noble could go in with her tools and do DIY (I have done so in my own classroom on a number of occasions, but primaries are a bit odd like that), but would you do that in your office? In the office meeting room?

Oh, I thought you were saying your blind was a quick and easy fix. That’s why I suggested the PTA

Do you think it is possible or appropriate for a classroom teacher to bypass the caretakers and school management to tap the PTA for funds that they've raised for PTA things to fix a blind in a classroom?

Yes, Noble could go in with her tools and do DIY

I really couldn't!

What I'm finding fascinating in terms of people not having a clue about what's been going on in schools is the idea that this broken blind should have been a major focus of mine to get fixed, even though it's not my job.

It's only one classroom that I teach in of many. The other classrooms have their own issues. And there have been other things for teachers to do recently that have been more urgent!

@cantkeepawayforever

I THINK (I may be wrong) that money raised e.g. by the PTA can't be used to pay wages. And that is what is actually needed - the wages of extra staff whose job it is to carry out maintenance.

Yes, Noble could go in with her tools and do DIY (I have done so in my own classroom on a number of occasions, but primaries are a bit odd like that), but would you do that in your office? In the office meeting room?

If it was that important, then yes - I would (and have) implemented my own cobbled together solutions to issues that are affecting me (as mentioned earlier).

I'm not sure it's about quick and easy - it's about a lack of flex in school budgets that would be able to accommodate the numerous supposedly quick and easy jobs that still cost something.

There are 5 secondary schools in my small town, 3 of which have a 7 form intake. I wonder how many classrooms have painted down windows, windows that will only open a small fraction or indeed a broken blind.

I thought that Nobles blind was simply an illustration of the issues. Unless we think Nobles blind is the only malfunctioning blind in UK & NI schools.

Honestly I think it suits some to zone in on getting one over Noble rather than look more broadly at how taxpayers money could have been used over the last year to plan for next academic year.

I don't want online learning, I want bums on seats in front of their teachers.

I'm off out now.

Honestly I think it suits some to zone in on getting one over Noble rather than look more broadly at how taxpayers money could have been used over the last year to plan for next academic year

I agree.

We can't make schools covid safe, and should stop pretending they are. But we can make them as secure as possible, and things like ventilation, windows that be opened, really should be prioritised

@noblegiraffe

Yes, Noble could go in with her tools and do DIY

I really couldn't!

What I'm finding fascinating in terms of people not having a clue about what's been going on in schools is the idea that this broken blind should have been a major focus of mine to get fixed, even though it's not my job.

It's only one classroom that I teach in of many. The other classrooms have their own issues. And there have been other things for teachers to do recently that have been more urgent!

You are contradicting yourself at every turn. You made your blind the focus of your ventilation issue.

And now you are using your usual supercilious and patronising tone to anyone who tries to offer you suggestions.

Yes we all know this government has fucked up at every turn. We know they have given billions to their mates. We know they are corrupt. However making suggestions as to how school staff can help themselves is not letting the government off the hook.

It's also interesting that you dismiss any advice anyone offers because you assume they cannot possibly know what goes on in a school. Speaking for myself, I taught for a several years. I left before I turned into one of those jaded weary people who constantly moan about their job, the conditions and the children they teach. I left while I still knew I had something to offer another career before getting stuck in the safety net of public sector pay and pension. My current career is also not one in which I can simply say "Not doing that. Not my job."

So therefore I am qualified to offer an opinion. However even if other people haven't had direct teaching experience it doesn't invalidate their opinion. It didn't stop you starting a thread about being a police officer.

Pragmatism is needed. The past is the past. All that matters now is what can be done in the next six weeks. That immediately discounts anything big. So, the only things that can be done are the small, simple quick fixes. Governors and management of each school should be looking at what can be done in a short timescale with minimal resources.

You are contradicting yourself at every turn. You made your blind the focus of your ventilation issue.

But it is not a contradiction to say that the blind hasn’t been my focus of the last few months of being in school. There’s a lot of other stuff going on, you know? Or maybe you don’t.

I’m amused more than anything by the ‘practical’ suggestions at fixing this blind by people who have literally no idea what the problem looks like and yet still feel qualified to comment.

It didn't stop you starting a thread about being a police officer.

Where I posted a letter from the Police Federation, so simply amplifying their voice?

I don’t recall saying ‘why didn’t the police just have a whip-round their local community to buy PPE?’

@user1497207191

Pragmatism is needed. The past is the past. All that matters now is what can be done in the next six weeks. That immediately discounts anything big. So, the only things that can be done are the small, simple quick fixes. Governors and management of each school should be looking at what can be done in a short timescale with minimal resources.

This was exactly my point. No I’m not a teacher, but I do work closely with schools. Our PTA have raised funds for things that aren’t necessarily within their remit, but the money was needed urgently so that’s what it was used for, with parents approval. I don’t think suggesting that parents are made aware of the blind problem and asked for support is completely insane as it’s the sort of thing that has happened in our school in the past, but I’m not a teacher so what do I know? Anyway suggestions for blind fixing obviously aren’t wanted, so I won’t waste my breath (well finger movements) on that. As I said, let me know what campaigns to the government for ventilation funding you’ve got going on OP and I’m happy to support.