English schools to do onsite covid tests again after Xmas

[noblegiraffe]

After the bodge job of the vaccine program, once again schools have been dropped in it. They have been asked at the last minute to do covid testing onsite after Christmas, with orders for tests needing to be in by Tuesday.

So expect more disruption to schooling. And why? Most of the kids have had covid, caught in school and the 'firebreak' of the holidays mean they are less likely to be infected in Jan than in December.

If they gave a shit about school infection rates, why is this their response?

From the article "“It seems to have forgotten that school leaders are educators rather than an ad hoc branch of the NHS. Their focus is on providing the teaching and learning required by their students, which is particularly important in the context of the disruption caused by the pandemic. The last thing they need is another huge responsibility which does not even fall within the remit of education.”

Ms McCulloch added: “It is hardly the greatest timing either that this has been communicated in an email late on a Friday afternoon, and that they have been told that they will need to order sufficient test kits for this task by Tuesday, which seems an incredibly short timeframe.”

inews.co.uk/news/education/schools-england-covid-19-testing-stations-return-class-christmas-1322134

@Fet2021duejuly2022

She’s not a slacker, just very efficient. She’s helped bring her school out of special measures so she must be doing something right.

Wow she sounds amazing. Quite the miracle worker

She is amazing! I’m very proud of her

They recognise that kids returning to school after holidays is causing a surge in infection. This has the potential to be greater after Christmas due to all the mixing and travelling during the period.

If they gave a shit about surges in infection in schools, why didn't they do anything when the infection rate was insanely high before half term?

They can't suddenly pretend to care about surges in infection rates when they have basically set the conditions for the kids to have already caught Covid.

If they had had any sign of caring about infection rates in schools up till this point then people could talk about how it's sensible of the government to do this.

As it is, what is the point in testing kids in case of a surge in infection if you then continue to let siblings/children of positive cases into school to spread it around anyway?

@noblegiraffe

They recognise that kids returning to school after holidays is causing a surge in infection. This has the potential to be greater after Christmas due to all the mixing and travelling during the period.

If they gave a shit about surges in infection in schools, why didn't they do anything when the infection rate was insanely high before half term?

They can't suddenly pretend to care about surges in infection rates when they have basically set the conditions for the kids to have already caught Covid.

If they had had any sign of caring about infection rates in schools up till this point then people could talk about how it's sensible of the government to do this.

As it is, what is the point in testing kids in case of a surge in infection if you then continue to let siblings/children of positive cases into school to spread it around anyway?

All of this. I’ve written multiple times to my (conservative) MP about this and her responses have been utter bullshit. “We are monitoring”.

Monitoring. 🤔

There's actually dip in infection rates after holidays, not a surge. Much, much more mixing in school than out of it! Granted, out of all of the school holidays, the Christmas one may be the most sociable, plus indoors.

"Helped to bring the school out of special measures?"
I'd love to know how. By leaving at 3pm?

@Fet2021duejuly2022

She’s not a slacker, just very efficient. She’s helped bring her school out of special measures so she must be doing something right.

Single handedly? By leaving at 3?

I teach in an outstanding grammar. Believe me leaving on the bell would not be tolerated.

* As it is, what is the point in testing kids in case of a surge in infection if you then continue to let siblings/children of positive cases into school to spread it around anyway?

So true. It’s just so wearing to constantly hear from the Dfe all that they are doing for schools and protecting school communities which actually has no effect whatsoever. In fact it’s more of an inconvenience. I’m sure my GCSE and Alevel classes would rather me, you know, teach them and not hand them a swab to stick up their nose.

@Fet2021duejuly2022

Teachers moan a lot don’t they. My sisters a high school teacher, she’s trained to do onsite testing. She was proud at helping out. She also loves her job, home at 3, loads of holiday, good pay. She never understands the wingers (she was a nurse before so she understands what a stressful job is).

When does she do planning, Marking and assessments or meetings?

I’m sure my GCSE and Alevel classes would rather me, you know, teach them and not hand them a swab to stick up their nose.

Unless this is part of gearing up for Plan B and they might introduce other restrictions at the same time? It's the only thing that would make this policy make any sense.

@CallmeHendricks

"Helped to bring the school out of special measures?" I'd love to know how. By leaving at 3pm?

Maybe we aren't being told she gets in at 7am like me

@Piggywaspushed

It wasn't needed at the start of last term because back then rates were lower and compliance better

It was done at the beginning of this etrm!

Apologies -we've been following the testing regime all along, and I must have misremembered what happened at the start of term. I remember going in for on-site testing when schools first went fully back, but only being harassed to report home tests before this term

As it's the norm, happening at the start of every term, then it's even less of a surprise that it's not changing during the winter virus season

It seems to have come as a surprise to the government, Elephant because it necessitated a panicked late Friday email (which the DfE have previously been told off about) to headteachers to get their tests ordered by Tuesday. Did they not know term dates?

I think it takes a little more than twice for something to become a 'norm'. The government of course don't want to say something is a 'norm'. They'd have to admit the pandemic isn't over to do that...

I don’t see the problem, all my kids schools (state and private) go it to do it every so often (usually when they have a cluster of cases).
I go in and help.

I don’t see the problem

And yet headteachers do. Who should I pay more attention to?

I prefer them being done at school so we know they are being done! Asked a year 10 to do a LFT last week and he had no idea how- never done one before

I think that this issue lies between the depts of Health and Education.

I believe Javid is worse than useless (I think he simply did not understand many of the issues around jabs) and that there was insufficient clarity around the need for testing regime to continue. Education has been trying to reduce the health requirements on schools, but gets ahead of itself, and gets a hard 'no' for health.

I think that's what's happened here - Education hoping for Health to approve the change, but getting a hell' no' - Education acting like a terrier and refusing to take 'no' for an answer, and keeping on at Health to change its mind. Finally saying that 'we need to know by end of this week, or else we can't get tests in time' and Health saying 'which part of 'no' did you not understand? We are not changing our minds'

Leaving Education in a bit of a scramble

@underneaththeash

I don’t see the problem, all my kids schools (state and private) go it to do it every so often (usually when they have a cluster of cases). I go in and help.

I do. Schools are educational settings, not healthcare ones. At least have the decency to give more money to schools so that they can employ more staff and have more slack when things like this come up.

@Fet2021duejuly2022

She’s not a slacker, just very efficient. She’s helped bring her school out of special measures so she must be doing something right.

Ha ha! Of course she does! 🤣

You can talk about how easy teaching is on this thread www.mumsnet.com/Talk/am_i_being_unreasonable/4412354-Those-who-think-teaching-is-easy-should-put-their-money-where-their-mouth-is

@Fet2021duejuly2022

She’s not a slacker, just very efficient. She’s helped bring her school out of special measures so she must be doing something right.

Surely every teacher on the staff "helped" to bring the school out of special measures?

Sorry, teachers AND support staff.