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Original poster

It’s a disgrace pupils in Scotland must continue with this farce

200 replies

Igorussia · 03/08/2021 19:34

Mask wearing, social distancing. It affects their learning, interaction and it’s gone on for long enough. Enough is enough. It was highlighted that masks are useless against the delta variant unless N95 masks. My children will be exempt from now on. This has been going on for far too long and one of my children has become very badly affected mentally by lockdown. Fuck this.

OP posts:
sherrystrull · 04/08/2021 13:37

their

TempsPerdu · 04/08/2021 13:43

Continually, people who don't work in schools feel they can tell people who do to get on with it and speak like they know their situation.

So no parent voice then? And teachers are to be treated as a Sacred Cow, beyond criticism? I hardly think that’s something to aspire to.

And I wasn’t comparing slapped cheek with Covid; my issue with the original post was that the poster seemed to resent catching any germs at all from the children they worked with - which would suggest that a people-facing job wasn’t the right fit for them.

sherrystrull · 04/08/2021 13:48

Of course parents have a voice. I'm a parent too.

But they don't get to comment on working conditions any more than I would comment on someone who worked in an office. They simply haven't experienced it.

You said you worked as a teacher and got used to things such as slap cheek. You compared it with the posters situation with covid. I basically told you they weren't comparable. Which they aren't.

TempsPerdu · 04/08/2021 14:12

@sherrystrull Oh for Heaven’s sake; I have now repeated several times that I (along with several other posters) was objecting to that poster’s original quote that ‘I am fed up with catching all the usual coughs, colds and stuff....and now COVID’, and their assertion that they were looking forward to no longer working with children. That’s not specific Covid fear talking; that’s bordering on germ-phobia.

But yes, pragmatically I do happen to think post-Covid that if you’re double vaxxed and still so terrified of being in class that you’re insisting on indefinite mask-use, social distancing and retrofitting the entire school estate for improved ventilation before you’d be happy to resume teaching, you probably ought to consider finding another job.

sherrystrull · 04/08/2021 14:15

That might be true. But the poster didn't deserve to be had a go at for stating honestly that covid risks were proving too much for her to cope with.

And again, you can have your opinion about school staff but it's just an opinion. I'll choose to ignore it as you don't work in a school so don't get to comment on our work environments.

Chloemol · 04/08/2021 14:18

So don’t start complaining when schools close

TempsPerdu · 04/08/2021 14:25

@sherrystrull And where are the children’s interests in all this, given (as outlined by posters upthread) the significant knock-on impact that ongoing restrictions will have on their educational experience and general well-being? Who is advocating for them?

It certainly isn’t the unions.

sherrystrull · 04/08/2021 14:28

I personally want schools to stay open. Desperately. All my colleagues do.

botanics · 04/08/2021 14:30

For those saying still no music lessons, singing, drama etc. this is not the case - see www.gov.scot/publications/coronavirus-covid-19-advisory-sub-group-on-education-and-childrens-issues-return-to-school-in-august-2021/pages/mitigations/ and the section that says 'In line with the move to Level 0 and beyond, all restrictions on indoor and outdoor drama activity, music (low risk and higher risk, including singing, and one to one lessons indoors for all age groups) and physical education and dance (contact and non-contact) should be removed. All safety mitigations should continue to apply in relevant settings where these activities are taking place (e.g. good ventilation, enhanced hygiene, etc.).

sherrystrull · 04/08/2021 14:38

Increased mitigation and extra investment helps staff and children stay well which will have a positive impact on the education of the children. Poorly or scared staff will have a massively detrimental effect on the education of the children. That's what I want. As a parent and as a teacher. What I don't want is people to tell me to get on with it and to tell me I'm not thinking of the children.

MarshaBradyo · 04/08/2021 14:51

Ventilation improvement is no bad thing. I remember a fair while back (amidst all the union stuff in press) I said if we could focus on one mitigation I’d choose that and really go for it. Must have been last year or maybe last lockdown.

I missed discussion on R4 about it this am but I’m glad to hear it’s being raised. Not sure what was said though

TempsPerdu · 04/08/2021 14:58

Ventilation improvement is no bad thing

Completely agree - as a long term goal. It’s the one mitigation that would probably make a genuine difference. But we should be under no illusions that to retrofit every school in the country for better ventilation would be a massive financial and logistical undertaking, not a quick fix. Do we keep kids in masks until this is done?

Walkaround · 04/08/2021 14:59

@Wakeupin2022 - if the JCVI has no awareness of the impact of its decisions in real life and what is actually happening in the country and around the world, then it really is pointless. Reality has to be part of its decision making, as Government decisions affect risk and reward.

Walkaround · 04/08/2021 15:02

For clarity, @Wakeupin2022, I am not confusing the JCVI and the Government, I am questioning the logic of JCVI decisions in the face of reality as opposed to theory.

MarshaBradyo · 04/08/2021 15:03

Temps I agree. I’d like to have heard more as the reality of a suggestion such as this isn’t always easy. The one plus is the positive impact on staff (I assume going by posts) but unlike other mitigations no downside to children. It is expensive and logistically difficult though.

Mistressiggi · 04/08/2021 15:04

You need to improve ventilation in areas of the school that aren't already well ventilated, some rooms are fine!
The winter gets harder of course, particularly with some of the weather we have up here. So it doesn't need wide scale "retro fitting" to make things safer right now.

Walkaround · 04/08/2021 15:05

And, tbh, I also suspect the JCVI are hiding the real reasons for their decisions behind pretend risk-reward arguments, given that it is self-evidently not acting in the interests of 17-year olds to say the rewards are suddenly worth it 3 months before they turn 18 and not a moment before. It’s a political fudge, not carefully reasoned logic.

CallmeHendricks · 04/08/2021 15:05

[quote TempsPerdu]@sherrystrull And where are the children’s interests in all this, given (as outlined by posters upthread) the significant knock-on impact that ongoing restrictions will have on their educational experience and general well-being? Who is advocating for them?

It certainly isn’t the unions.[/quote]
I think you perhaps don't understand the function of a trade union.

Hyacinth88 · 04/08/2021 15:08

As a parent of immunsuppressed children I am on thr I see no harm in continuing ing with masks.
I don't understand how children are impacted psychologically by wearing a mask

Mistressiggi · 04/08/2021 15:09

I think sometimes some people don't like to think of teachers as employees at all, part of a work force like everyone else. They are some sort of different class of adult that shouldn't have representation or safety at work.

TempsPerdu · 04/08/2021 15:16

@CallmeHendricks Of course I understand that the primary purpose of a union is to advocate for optimal working conditions for its members. But given that the teaching unions are very evidently not advocating for children, and given that some teachers seem to think that their profession should be immune to scrutiny from the likes of lay people and parents, I’m just wondering who they might decide is worthy of listening to on the subject of children’s best interests going forward?

Certainly I follow many paediatricians, child psychologists, speech and language professionals and children’s charity workers on Twitter who strongly disagree with the imposition of continuing restrictions and NPIs on children (especially where these are no longer imposed on the wider adult population), but they seem to be largely ignored by many in the teaching profession who wish measures to continue indefinitely.

TempsPerdu · 04/08/2021 15:18

I don't understand how children are impacted psychologically by wearing a mask

Except I personally know several who have been.

sherrystrull · 04/08/2021 15:18

Teachers exempt from scrutiny? Ha ha ha.

neveradullmoment99 · 04/08/2021 15:21

@TempsPerdu

I don't understand how children are impacted psychologically by wearing a mask

Except I personally know several who have been.

awww poor we souls. So precious. God forbid they ever have to deal with things such as famine or drought or poverty. Honestly pathetic.
Getawaywithit · 04/08/2021 15:27

It certainly isn’t the unions

Why would the unions advocate for children? A union exists for it's paying membership. You wouldn't call on a union to support you as a parent with an issue with your children's school. Why do you think it's the union's responsibility to advocate for children rather than it's members?