Should schools close again?

[FuckinGoddess]

I’m at the end of my tether.

Worried about Omicron, of course, and the devastating effects it could have on lives.

Worried about children missing out on even more education. Worried about being forced to stay at home again. And worried about people dying.

What do you think will happen? What should happen ?

We don't have a staffroom and whilst I am a public servant, that doesn't mean that I'm going to be told what I can and can't do in my free time.

I work in a different school each week.
The teachers are all doing their best. It’s a nightmare for them and I can see they’re despondent and resigned. There are children off isolating, some waiting for PCR results, some returning after 10 days with Covid, some due to return but still ill.

They have to lesson plan for this, try to involve those at home, include everyone etc etc. Most of them are on their knees!
I don’t see the staff room as I choose to avoid it and I think they’re grateful for that, but suspect it’s a place for them to bond and offload and I would never criticise them for that.

I don’t think we’ll see another national school closure again, but lots of individual schools are partially closed (year group learning from home on a rota basis) because they can’t be safely staffed. Which was totally predictable. If the government don’t want to spend money on reducing the risk of covid spread in schools, and the population in general are fine with high levels of covid in the community, then there’s not much individual schools can do.

I have no issue with teachers perhaps quickly collecting a takeaway coffee or similar and taking it home or perhaps sitting on a park bench

Well, that’s big of you-glad to see you think that’s ok

What about everyone else? Are you happy for doctors and nurses to quickly collect takeaway drinks for their park benches? What about MPs?

I have no issue with teachers perhaps quickly collecting a takeaway coffee or similar and taking it home or perhaps sitting on a park bench

Meanwhile their students are having parties and sleepovers

I assume the poster suggesting teachers should be allowed a takeaway coffee on a park bench is trying to wind everyone up. It’s too stupid to think that it’s real..

Love the language of teachers ‘running the gauntlet’ and ‘Covid pit of infection’ in schools.

Same for NHS workers. Same for supermarket and shop staff. Same for anyone in a public facing role.

No schools shouldn’t close. The cost to kids’ educations and mental health are too high. We’re still counting those costs.

I have no issue with teachers perhaps quickly collecting a takeaway coffee or similar and taking it home or perhaps sitting on a park bench

I have an issue with it. I think at this time the teachers should be kept in camps and not go home or to socialise. It is the least they can do, if they care about kids as they claim.

@rrhuth

I have no issue with teachers perhaps quickly collecting a takeaway coffee or similar and taking it home or perhaps sitting on a park bench

I have an issue with it. I think at this time the teachers should be kept in camps and not go home or to socialise. It is the least they can do, if they care about kids as they claim.

Perhaps Ofsted will inspect the camps at weekends, making sure teachers are properly utilising the gained time.

The language of covid is never more fascinating and dramatic than (a) on mumsnet and (b) when applied to teachers.

‘On their knees, in a classroom crawling like a Petri dish of covid, whilst covid rips through the school and they are mostly clinically vulnerable and literally terrified.’

It’s very curious.

"I have no issue with teachers perhaps quickly collecting a takeaway coffee or similar and taking it home or perhaps sitting on a park bench."

Basically translates as:

"I have no issue with other people giving up their freedom and all enjoyment of life so that I don't have to."

How kind.

I would be very surprised if the average primary school is just messing about making Xmas crackers and watching films for the last two weeks. I think there used to be more laxness about this, but times have changed. Also, attendence used to really fall off during the last two weeks, so a lot of teachers stopped bothering. Nowadays, with all the fines and attendance pressure, this tends not to happen. Also, teachers will be focusing on catching up after all the missed schooling in the past 18 months.

Jenny Harries has been very clear that the key risk in school transmission is staff mixing in staff rooms at lunch time and coffee breaks.

I do therefore find it bizarre that staff are moaning about risk levels while at the same time seemingly not distancing or wearing masks during social times, and mixing in busy settings on a non-essential basis.

uk.style.yahoo.com/teachers-more-likely-covid-coffee-093113392.html?guccounter=1&guce_referrer=aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuZ29vZ2xlLmNvLnVrLw&guce_referrer_sig=AQAAAJBwTIRSlu3_44s3DP-t1niZasIDMH7Wp8tMNfghuN0DzPAm0DHKHitbMueBeh_ueXjH3w19ZtoA5HQj_238OygRwauD4h5vwk4wAQ1tXkV2DPzAiga9yhDdyZMhnGvw79iWunrm7f41I5o1Ru6JF84Ul4RMGOC55N2iws-wuRHi

The key risks for transmission in schools is from the children not the staff. Staff are vaccinated and therefore lower transmission rates.

@GreenLakes

Jenny Harries has been very clear that the key risk in school transmission is staff mixing in staff rooms at lunch time and coffee breaks.

I do therefore find it bizarre that staff are moaning about risk levels while at the same time seemingly not distancing or wearing masks during social times, and mixing in busy settings on a non-essential basis.

I think we have to consider the very real possibility that lots of people don't attach much importance to what Jenny Harries thinks.

Teachers are ‘running the covid gauntlet’ in our school - all staff in one class off with it, one still not well enough to return to work 2 weeks later. The head and deputy had it, and many other staff. They have worked really hard to mitigate the spread and keep school open.

If they asked the parents for a giant gold plated mince pie to share in the staff room, I personally would be melting down my jewels and getting baking.

@Malteser71

The language of covid is never more fascinating and dramatic than (a) on mumsnet and (b) when applied to teachers.

‘On their knees, in a classroom crawling like a Petri dish of covid, whilst covid rips through the school and they are mostly clinically vulnerable and literally terrified.’

It’s very curious.

Yes and it also bears no resemblance to the attitude taken by teachers I know in real life.

Including my DH, who is gutted that his students have had all their Christmas activities cancelled. Because he understands that the risk to himself and the vast majority of his colleagues is tiny now, and those activities were important for the well-being and education (in its roundest sense) of a cohort who’ve had almost two years of disruption at a crucial stage in their social development.

Jenny Harries has been very clear that the key risk in school transmission is staff mixing in staff rooms at lunch time and coffee breaks.

We have four teachers off with Covid at the moment, no contact between any of them prior to their positive tests. One, most likely, caught it from home. The other 3 had numerous cases in their class.
Since the outbreak began we haven't had one obvious case of a staff member passing it to a staff member unless they have been teaching in the same room for a long period of time. We do have numerous examples of staff catching it after a class outbreak.

@GreenLakes

Jenny Harries has been very clear that the key risk in school transmission is staff mixing in staff rooms at lunch time and coffee breaks.

I do therefore find it bizarre that staff are moaning about risk levels while at the same time seemingly not distancing or wearing masks during social times, and mixing in busy settings on a non-essential basis.

I don't give a shit what Jenny Harries says.

@Almostmenopausal

Personally I think they should close a week or 10 days early for Christmas and be kept at home for that extra period. Give them that isolation period. The last week before breaking up for Christmas isn't a great loss to their education anyway (besides them missing out on festivities at school which would be a shame I admit) but could make a huge difference to transmission of this variant

And those of us that work? What should we do? Who will look after our kids while they're isolating?

@GreenLakes

Jenny Harries has been very clear that the key risk in school transmission is staff mixing in staff rooms at lunch time and coffee breaks.

I do therefore find it bizarre that staff are moaning about risk levels while at the same time seemingly not distancing or wearing masks during social times, and mixing in busy settings on a non-essential basis.

Jenny Harries has talked a lot of shite in her time but this was her low point. She just says what the government wants her to say. She should be sacked. She’s a disgrace! All the staff in my children’s school have been vaccinated. The spread is very much across the children.

Agree Jenny Harries is a shambles - pro mass events, against testing, against masks...

If Harries blames teachers, it may possibly be because it is convenient to do so, both in terms of keeping in with the boss and avoiding having to actually do anything

Tbf JH doesn’t just say what government want either

As she said don’t socialise if you don’t need to whereas that is not the general gov message.

I think she muddled things unnecessarily

@GreenLakes, like Jenny Harries, your dh seems to say quite a lot too. I don't give a shit about that either.