Page 13 | Schools - why are they doing this?

Scrooge89 · 2021-12-16T07:14:27+00:00

Why are the media preparing us for school closures? They simply can’t do this to us… [[https://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).

Piggyinblankets · 16/12/2021 15:34

How much more fourtea? You need to back up your assertion.

We cannot allow threads to spread this idea that 'everyone has had Covid'. It's just not true.

FourTeaFallOut · 16/12/2021 15:39

Well this guardian article reports on modelling which had it pegged at about 22% of England's population almost a year ago.

www.theguardian.com/world/ng-interactive/2021/jan/10/one-in-five-have-had-coronavirus-in-england-new-modelling-says

FourTeaFallOut · 16/12/2021 15:40

And I never said everyone had had it, settle down

ArthurTudor · 16/12/2021 15:40

@Blubells

My concern the gov will say 'schools are open', but not acknowledge they aren't really functioning properly.

True, but it's still A LOT better than closing them altogether!

We should keep them open as much as we can. And not pretend education is normal..fund schools as much as we can.

MarshaBradyo · 16/12/2021 15:41

@Piggyinblankets

So, assuming Whitty was somewhere near right that's about 5.5 million people marsha.

That’s children alone?

So that doesn’t leave many adults

Sounds really low - taken number of unvaccinated but with antibodies in London alone

It is confirmed cases though looking at figures

We know that any day there’s a certain amount confirmed but more on top

Eg 68k not full amount

HariboMaroon · 16/12/2021 15:43

Just to add, my 10 year old hasn’t had much of an education this week, but honestly she has came out of school ridiculously happy every day this week. They’ve partied, watched films, baked cookies and had dance offs. She said school has never been so much fun, so I am so thankful to their school staff for enabling this to happen.

I’ve been working every day in different schools as a supply TA, and they are very thin on the ground. I suspect it will not be blanket closures but there will be massive disruptions whilst the government pretends everything is okay.

Piggyinblankets · 16/12/2021 15:49

The point is, marsha, that is still nowhere near everyone.

Plus, it overlooks long Covid, let alone actual Covid.

Piggyinblankets · 16/12/2021 15:50

@FourTeaFallOut

And I never said everyone had had it, settle down

No, I believe you suggested more or less everyone would have had it by January.

MarshaBradyo · 16/12/2021 15:51

@Piggyinblankets

The point is, marsha, that is still nowhere near everyone.

Plus, it overlooks long Covid, let alone actual Covid.

I don’t know what it is but I think the figure quoted is only confirmed cases.

FourTeaFallOut · 16/12/2021 15:52

I think there's a good chance that Omicron will move very quickly and those who are vulnerable to infection will struggle not to contract it over the next few months.

Piggyinblankets · 16/12/2021 15:53

It's John Hopkins University marsha.

How many cases do you think there are or have been on top on top?? How many cases do you think we have missed? Whitty's figure was an estimate after all.

Plus , reinfections... they are definitely beginning to acknowledge these.

RedQueen81 · 16/12/2021 15:56

@Rahra

To be fair it’s only ‘taking out’ large numbers of pupils and staff because of the isolation rules not because they’re all actually ill.

If it wasn’t covid and just a normal cold/flu whatever most people who are isolating would have been perfectly fine to come in.

And yes I have worked in a work place where lots of people were dropping with covid and I still had to come in.

Exactly

MarshaBradyo · 16/12/2021 15:57

It’s the one that’s in the BBC site - 11m which says total confirmed cases

Confirmed isn’t all of them

I thought the discrepancy between the 200k quoted from the other day and the confirmed cases was due to this

Piggyinblankets · 16/12/2021 16:01

And yes I have worked in a work place where lots of people were dropping with covid and I still had to come in.

So do pupils and staff??

borntobequiet · 16/12/2021 16:04

Well all those teachers who decided to retire on the advice of people on here - if you don’t like it you can always just leave - will soon be being asked to come back again! What larks.

schoolsweek.co.uk/ex-retired-teachers-covid-supply-cover-recruitment/

canary1 · 16/12/2021 16:07

I agree with TheKeatingFive

If shutting schools is somehow an acceptable action in a typical winter, the major part of the school holidays will need to move to coincide with this.
Contracts etc follow that and can’t exist in the past if the present and future don’t fit in with it

FourTeaFallOut · 16/12/2021 16:10

[quote borntobequiet]Well all those teachers who decided to retire on the advice of people on here - if you don’t like it you can always just leave - will soon be being asked to come back again! What larks.

schoolsweek.co.uk/ex-retired-teachers-covid-supply-cover-recruitment/[/quote]
I doubt people change how they clean their loo based on the opinion of mnetters, let alone take career advice.

TheKeatingFive · 16/12/2021 16:25

I doubt people change how they clean their loo based on the opinion of mnetters, let alone take career advice.

😂

True

The current thread about bum wiping would be a good case in point

Appuskidu · 16/12/2021 16:31

Well, I will be intrigued to see the figures for how many retired teachers sign up.

MrsHamlet · 16/12/2021 16:43

@canary1

I agree with TheKeatingFive

If shutting schools is somehow an acceptable action in a typical winter, the major part of the school holidays will need to move to coincide with this.
Contracts etc follow that and can’t exist in the past if the present and future don’t fit in with it

Whilst this might well be a fair point, the fact is that schools might not need to shut were there not very clear evidence of high levels of transmission which the people in charge have seen fit to do nothing to mitigate.

borntobequiet · 16/12/2021 17:00

I doubt people change how they clean their loo based on the opinion of mnetters, let alone take career advice.

Yet there are frequently threads along the lines of “What have you learned from Mumsnet” with plenty of contributions. Also many on situations at work.

I retired from teaching (core subject, in great demand) because I was old enough to. Reading the contempt directed by some on here at teachers has played its part in my decision not to return to school as supply.

ArseInTheCoOpWindow · 16/12/2021 17:24

We cannot allow threads to spread this idea that 'everyone has had Covid'. It's just not true

I’ve just added together friends, family and colleagues.

Family and extended family of 25. 4 people have had it ( not Dd 15)
Colleagues 11 and 3 have had it.
Close friends 9 and 4 have had it.

So not everyone has had it at all. 11/45 is not everyone. The maths may be wrong…

Cwoffee · 16/12/2021 17:27

@borntobequiet

I doubt people change how they clean their loo based on the opinion of mnetters, let alone take career advice.

Yet there are frequently threads along the lines of “What have you learned from Mumsnet” with plenty of contributions. Also many on situations at work.

I retired from teaching (core subject, in great demand) because I was old enough to. Reading the contempt directed by some on here at teachers has played its part in my decision not to return to school as supply.

It's also contributed to my decision never to return to teaching. I've had a few years at home as a SAHP but had thought of returning to work this past September. Reading the constant unjustified criticism and bashing of teachers and schools by some parents, the media and government has reminded me time and time again what a thankless job teaching can be and why I was relieved to go on maternity leave 4 years ago (after 10 years in the job). I'm only 41 so I've got years and years of work ahead of me but it won't be in education.

C8H10N4O2 · 16/12/2021 17:41

@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.

No it can't. Teachers are not contracted to work during that time, it isn't holiday. They are contracted to work the rest of the year.

Therefore at most you could ask for volunteers to teach during that time for a contract rate.

You may or may not like that but changing contracts takes money and negotiation, especially when its a workforce in short supply.

IAAP · 16/12/2021 17:42

@BigButtons

Of course they can do it if they have to do it. I teach. We want schools to stay open to all but if it isn’t safe then it isn’t safe. Do you have any idea how scary it is to be in a work place where covid is taking out large numbers of staff and pupils alike yet you you still have to chance your arm and go in?

Exactly it’s roulette here - nearly all the kids are out over 50% the staff are sitting ducks