Annoyed that schools weren’t mentioned once in the press conference

[OnceuponaRainbow18]

So masks back in shops and on public transport, where most people are double jabbed and can distance, yet not in secondary schools where majority unvaccinated and unable to distance at all. But don’t fear we can open a window.

Never a mention about primary and they’re the only group that can’t be vaccinated!

schools thankfully do not identify contacts and so cannot force kids home. Only contacts identified by track and trace are required to isolate and most kids do not name!

Oh that's interesting. So for kids who don't socialise much outside of school the likelihood of becoming a 'close contact' is tiny?

@Blubells

schools thankfully do not identify contacts and so cannot force kids home. Only contacts identified by track and trace are required to isolate and most kids do not name!

Oh that's interesting. So for kids who don't socialise much outside of school the likelihood of becoming a 'close contact' is tiny?

I don’t think this is the case, schools up and down the country are identifying contacts and telling them to get PCRs and many not allowing children in whilst they wait for results

"Bungle"

Yes some schools do that but they are actually not allowed to do that. The gov advice to schools makes it clear they cannot insist on tests and cannot restrict attendance if people refuse a test. That goes for random tests ad contact tests.

Its just that most parents don't argue and go get a test.

Certainly those who've had covid within 90 days wont be getting a test.

Bungle - schools certainly do not have the right anymore to identify contacts - they may do it but they are not supposed to and certainly pupils do not have to abide by anything unless from track and trace. Schools cant ask for proof of pcr or negative results either. The rules are clear

This is from the operational guidnce for schools - just updated - schools have no say

"All individuals who have been identified as a close contact of a suspected or confirmed case of the Omicron variant of COVID-19, irrespective of vaccination status and age, will be contacted directly and required to self-isolate immediately and asked to book a PCR
test. They will be informed by the local health protection team or NHS Test and Trace if they fall into this category and provided details about self-isolation"

One of my DC (primary age) has attendance of just 80% in part thanks to being sent home for PCRs.

He had a vomiting bug early in the term, was off school on the Monday due to 48hr rule, and when I sent him in on the Tuesday he got sent home as school wanted a negative PCR before he could return - they'd had a positive case in his class whose only symptoms had been a headache and vomiting so they wanted covid ruled out. I couldn't get a test appointment on the Tuesday so it was Wednesday morning when I took him, results didn't come back until Friday afternoon so what should have been a one day absence (just the Monday) turned into a full week absence.

He had the cold that was going around and same thing, school wanted a negative PCR before he could return.

Then he was identified as a close contact so sent home and not able to return until he had a negative PCR.

Then another instance of being a close contact so again sent home until he had a negative PCR.

He has a nervous cough where he clears his throat a lot (he's autistic), he kept doing it in school so they sent him home until he got a negative PCR.

Then last week again identified as a close contact.

Hospedia you should refuse

You are allowed to refuse. Schools cannot force PCR (its clear in the guidance that its advice only) and its also clear they cannot stop asymptomatic kids attending schools.

@Watapalava

Wow, seriously? What about doing the right thing for the many not just yours and your own?

You think its ok that a child has 80% attendance because of tests for a virus that teachers are double vax against?

Some schools have mask wearing policies. Our secondary have been wearing them in common areas for some time due to the rise in cases in school. Drove that way the other day and loads of kids still wearing them or have them under their chin so not bothering them to do it. I think it has been left to the head teacher to risk assess in our area.

@Watapalava

Bungle - schools certainly do not have the right anymore to identify contacts - they may do it but they are not supposed to and certainly pupils do not have to abide by anything unless from track and trace. Schools cant ask for proof of pcr or negative results either. The rules are clear

They’re just guidelines though aren’t they? The school are not obliged to follow and can make their own school rules🤷‍♀️

@Watapalava

This is from the operational guidnce for schools - just updated - schools have no say

"All individuals who have been identified as a close contact of a suspected or confirmed case of the Omicron variant of COVID-19, irrespective of vaccination status and age, will be contacted directly and required to self-isolate immediately and asked to book a PCR
test. They will be informed by the local health protection team or NHS Test and Trace if they fall into this category and provided details about self-isolation"

I wonder how well this will work in practice? When my child tested positive track and trace asked me who she had been in contact with at school, I could only give the children’s names, no telephone numbers or addresses, they said ‘never mind we can’t contact those under 16 anyway so would have needed a parents details’. People just won’t have this information!

@Blubells

schools thankfully do not identify contacts and so cannot force kids home. Only contacts identified by track and trace are required to isolate and most kids do not name!

Oh that's interesting. So for kids who don't socialise much outside of school the likelihood of becoming a 'close contact' is tiny?

The likelihood of being a 'close contact' in a primary school at the moment is extremely high. You won't get an official notice from Track and Trace though, so you just may not know about it.

@Watapalava

Hospedia you should refuse

You are allowed to refuse. Schools cannot force PCR (its clear in the guidance that its advice only) and its also clear they cannot stop asymptomatic kids attending schools.

And herein lies the problem we have. Thankfully, most parents are a bit more community spirited than this.

@Watapalava

You think its ok that a child has 80% attendance because of tests for a virus that teachers are double vax against?

Are you really still not understanding that this is not about teachers' vaccination status?

Refusing eould just make things awkward at school though and aside from this issue it is a lovely school, the staff are great, and they are very supportive of DC needs with regard to SEN. As annoying as it is, I'll support them in this because their hands are tied and they're following council policy. They had to send a letter informing me of his attendance and they did write on it that they're aware it's down to circumstances and are understanding that it's basically been bad luck.

I could only give the children’s names, no telephone numbers or addresses, they said ‘never mind we can’t contact those under 16 anyway so would have needed a parents details’. People just won’t have this information!

Which has led directly to school admin staff being pestered by T and T for details , including at weekends...

And parents in all good faith phoning schools for details they can't be given.

The Omicron case in Essex has been linked with a primary school. Pupils and staff are being tested and one class have switched to remote learning.

www.itv.com/news/london/2021-11-29/person-infected-with-omicron-covid-variant-in-essex-doing-well-says-official

@Watapalava

"Bungle"

Yes some schools do that but they are actually not allowed to do that. The gov advice to schools makes it clear they cannot insist on tests and cannot restrict attendance if people refuse a test. That goes for random tests ad contact tests.

Its just that most parents don't argue and go get a test.

Certainly those who've had covid within 90 days wont be getting a test.

They will be getting a test it seems.

This strain shows up differently in results apparently and is easily spotted.

That’s presumably why they can say people who are positive to isolate until they have a negative test

To keep schools open, infection needs to be kept out of schools. Current Government policy for schools is patently not doing this. Double vaccinated school staff can still become infected and ill, and lack of staff is the surefire way to close schools. There are already areas of the country where no supply staff are available.
There will be a lot of school closures in the run up to Christmas.

[quote OnceuponaRainbow18]@Comedycook

Eduction is Less likely to be impacted if masks are brought back in[/quote]
It didnt in Scotland...

It didnt in Scotland...

There’s no way to show this. The situation could have been even worse without masks.

@Watapalava

You think its ok that a child has 80% attendance because of tests for a virus that teachers are double vax against?

At the school I work in, three members of staff are currently off with it. Two have had it but are now back. All double jabbed. One has been in hospital but is now home. We are a small village primary and the level of disruption has been huge. We have already had to shut one class not because the children were ill but because we simply did not have enough staff in to safely look after the children. The supply we booked phoned in sick and we can't get anyone else. We are one staff member away from having to send more kids home because we just don't have the adults available. About a third of the staff have now had it. Only one staff member is not double jabbed but that hasn't stopped people getting it, or needing to isolate. If the rest of us get it then the disruption will carry on. The children may be in school but in terms of a quality education, they're not really getting it. We are doing our best but we are on the edge. So please don't send unwell children into school. It could mean that the last remaining adult able to lead a class is unable to come in and the whole class have to go home.

@babybythesea, Unfortunately, too many people couldn't give a shit about that, as their own requirements/beliefs about Covid being overblown/exaggerated take precedence.
There's precious little schools can do about it, sadly.