Schools - why are they doing this?

[Scrooge89]

Why are the media preparing us for school closures? They simply can’t do this to us…

www.bbc.co.uk/news/education-59673271

Not to my children. My youngest struggled so much at home and was one of the 25% who couldn’t go to school (although I saw how much some people fudged the key worker card I may have to do it).

@TheKeatingFive. This past summer holiday I did holiday cover for two weeks for summer school and a week in our uniform shop. We get a five week holiday in our school.

I then spent the last two days of the holiday covering lateral flow testing for the whole school to return. And covered for exam results collection as someone went down with Covid last minute. And I'm not even a teacher so didn't have planning etc to do.

I spent less than two weeks with my DS this summer. Which is fine, many have to do exactly the same. But that was unplanned for. For those who had younger kids they had to arrange childcare which they normally wouldn't have had to do. Many teachers (including the head teacher) were also helping out so we could spread the uniform collection around for Covid safety or give the new year 7's a chance to learn their way around the school.

On top of that they were preparing rooms for the new term, dealing with questions from parents and sorting out final plans for opening with new Covid rules. Some teachers were helping our 'soon to be examined' students with extra work on line as well.

During the Easter holidays some teachers ran a 'little school' again to support vulnerable kids then went straight back to normal teaching plus doing on line teaching for those kids who are self isolating. That's not changed for two years. Just because a child is isolating doesn't mean lessons stop in our school. Every teacher sends work home on line and some have the child join a lesson on line if they are well enough.

So teachers (and admin staff, like me) are stepping up. We're not lounging around in our gardens all summer.

I think I would resign at that point. I haven't been away for over two years because the only time long enough to accommodate testing and isolating would be summer and the country I needed to get to (and had flights booked for for summer) was last minute blacklisted and flights cancelled.

I think you also have to bear in mind that I could resign and get another job easily - as could everyone else - probably back in their old role at the same school. We are a limited commodity and whether you believe it or not we have worked very hard in difficult circumstances over the last couple of years.

For TAs, support staff, etc who do the job and are paid pro rata effectively for peanuts in exchange for predicable time off the piss about would be even more likely to make them leave given they could earn the same for a part time job in a supermarket.

I think it’s crazy you don’t have to SI being a close contact of a positive case. By the time incubation happens and you test positive you’ll be infected and have infected others.

I mean as a household member.

@TheKeatingFive

So, teachers can have time off work in January/February when everything is in lockdown, but need to work through the summer, on the off chance that some people want to send their kids to school in August?

I'm sure two weeks off in the summer could be allocated (in line with other sector norms) with the rest of the time made up across another school holiday periods. Depends how long a closure we're talking now, doesn't it?

My point is not about the details, but the wider societal shifts that need to take place if we're going to normalise lockdowns and school closures. What was acceptable as a short term / emergency measure will not be acceptable as a new normal.

Yeah but the 'details' are where things matter and are possible or not.

Everyone can paint an easy solution picture if they don't have to trouble themselves with the details.

Better to let the vast majority without symptoms and mild symptoms just get on with their day jobs and keep the wheels turning.

If Omicron is indeed a very 'mild' virus then that's probably going to happen.

Also, Omicron is spreading soo rapidly, we'll probably be over the peak by mid Ja!

mid January!

Everyone can paint an easy solution picture if they don't have to trouble themselves with the details.

Like “let’s mobilise an army of volunteers to keep schools open!”

I really would like to hope that government could leave it to individual schools to close if necessary due to staff shortages rather than blanket closures, I'm terrified of schools being closed again for many reasons but would be ok if it's on a needs must rather than just no school for months for everyone. It's too awful to think about going through this again.

I think it’s crazy you don’t have to SI being a close contact of a positive case. By the time incubation happens and you test positive you’ll be infected and have infected others.

I think the Government know that omicron will infect everyone anyway - so better to get it over with quickly (obviously without overwhelming the nhs)?

@whyarentiskinnyet

I really would like to hope that government could leave it to individual schools to close if necessary due to staff shortages rather than blanket closures, I'm terrified of schools being closed again for many reasons but would be ok if it's on a needs must rather than just no school for months for everyone. It's too awful to think about going through this again.

If you have some schools closing repeatedly and others never closing, what impact will that have on students in those schools having exams in May?

Even if Omicron does turn out to be mild (and lets put aside that a small percentage of a massive number given transmission rates is enough to screw the nhs) you need to remember we have delta epidemically also currently. There's no way of knowing if you're not isolating and spreading delta or not isolating and spreading omicron. People aren't thinking.

Delta will be old news by the time children return to school. Some will still have it and spread it but it won't be driving any of the figures and they won't be building policy around it.

Everyone can paint an easy solution picture if they don't have to trouble themselves with the details.

Of course. It would take multiple bodies and much resource to work out the details.

I'm saying the broad concept of immensely disrupted schooling over the winter for the foreseeable and extended breaks in the summer doesn't make any sense at all. If that is what we're facing, we need to adjust.

Perhaps some credible and funded plan for filtration and circulation in schools (implemented a year ago?) to reduce infection propagating in schools?

Many of our staff have had it this term, we are single form entry and all classes stayed open. No reason to think next term will be any worse.

@Zilla1

Perhaps some credible and funded plan for filtration and circulation in schools (implemented a year ago?) to reduce infection propagating in schools?

Javid said that they are working from the assumption that 200,000 people were newly infected with Omicron on Monday. And that it is doubling every two days. So unless all the kids and teachers could get in that building and stay there all Christmas until the wave passes, it wouldn't make a blind bit of difference.

@LethargicActress

If schools have to close because they have too many staff that are ill or waiting out an isolation period, then that is down to individual schools at the time that they are worst affected. Many schools will have already been through the worst of their staff absences this term and managed to get through it. There is no need and no point in closing all schools next term.

I agree with you.

Many schools will have already been through the worst of their staff absences this term and managed to get through it.

Exactly. The peak of the omicron wave is expected within the next couple of weeks.

By mid January most will have had it.

I don't think the peak means most people will have had it.

@StormyTeacups

Single form primary is very different to a 1800 student secondary

Apparently there is going to be a nhs style plea to retired teachers to come back to teaching to help ease Covid pressures next term. Good luck with that.

This is all starting to feel a bit desperate .

If Halfon's bill get past this is part of it. It is not the same as volunteering at a vaccination clinic and they know it. But it gives them people to blame.

@TheHoneyBadger

I don't think the peak means most people will have had it.

Nowhere near. Last week there were 56 m people who had not yet had Covid.

Plus reinfections are beginning to be accepted as A Thing.

Halfon is a man prepared to spend literally nothing to keep schools open.