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).

@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.

This is totally untrue- there is no isolation for close contact under 18y 6m, so no children are off school because they are isolation, they are off because they are ill, same for staff mostly double vaccinated so no isolation for them as close contact either. All absences are due to illness.

I thought Xenia must surely be pulling our legs

@Xenia

I would prefer schools to stay open even class sizes return to the 40+ per teacher my mother taught after WWII in NE England. We could also tighten up rules so that no pay when off sick other than SSP after day 3 and also once you have a negative PCR you go in. also teachers with covid but are in the one third with no symptoms could certainly teach classes of children in many cases if most of the children have had covid anyway.

Aren't you supposed to be some sort of legal whizz? How do you propose "tightening up rules" and unilaterally changing teachers contracts without any negotiation or discussions with teachers or the unions?

You really are one of the most hilarious posters on here.

Unfortunately for my son, both my self and my partner are key workers, so he would have to go into school.
Hopefully, they don't shit until the 13th of January, he is due back till the 10th, I mentioned the date as he is on crutches, so I don't know how he would handle the walk to school, he has a lift off a friend at the moment. But his friends parents aren't key workers.

I've had a whole year group today. Colleague is off with covid and cover person also off.
Not a big deal as its the last day, but it wouldn't have worked for a normal teaching and learning day. For a start, there wasn't enough room in the classroom to even move more seating and tables in. Fortunately, we could make do with floor space etc.
Still, at least my room air quality detector was there to protect me 🙄

@TraumatisedinTwickenham

The UsForThem group is a non political lobby group which represents the interests of children in the pandemic. They are currently lobbying the government to keep schools open. It is worth going onto their website and getting the email template to send to your MP. You can find your MP by googling "find your MP", which will have her or his constituent email address.

Send me a DM if you require any further information.

To those saying the situation is "serious", I'd argue that no one has yet died of this new variant (yes someone has died "with" it, but not died "from" it) and the hospitals are not overwhelmed. And if they are, it's probably with cancer patients and those with untreated heart disease at this stage.

A friend of mine, a teacher in her forties died of Covid this morning, her son does not care which variant killed her, and that group certainly does not represent his interests or interests of any other children whose parents happen to be teachers. This kind of rhetorics is dangerous and if you think working in a school during this time is easy please offer to volunteer in a school ( as a TA in your local secondary)

@urbanstroller I am sorry to hear this

I would prefer schools to stay open even class sizes return to the 40+ per teacher my mother taught after WWII in NE England. We could also tighten up rules so that no pay when off sick other than SSP after day 3 and also once you have a negative PCR you go in. also teachers with covid but are in the one third with no symptoms could certainly teach classes of children in many cases if most of the children have had covid anyway

Good way to recruit a workforce who are fleeing like rats off a sinking ship.

Good job you’re not in charge or public health too.

I live in quite a low Covid area🤞🏻Dd 15 and loads of her friends haven’t had it. Stop talking bollocks

Classes in private schools have half the numbers that state schools have. And they have much more funding, so are more likely able to provide ventilation and air purifiers.
And all along, they had the wherewithal to provide online learning to children who had the devices at home to access it.
So I think that MK of U4T is being disingenuous at best.

The situation is extremely serious. They are giving you time to get organised and make a plan.

Please don't be tempted to fudge a keyworker claim, support your school.

@Whichjab

Do you not see the problem if covid overwhelms the nhs? I read people saying it doesn't matter as kids don't get sick from it, I'm healthy etc. It's not getting covid you need to be scared about. It's having no ambulance when you are in a car crash, no doctor to check your child, no midwife to deliver the baby, no anesthetist, no surgeon, no beds. No cancer care, no cancer referrals, no chance to be given stroke medicine in the golden hour. That's nothing to say of the no police, supermarket workers, bank staff etc that could all be off work at once. Lockdown isn't to stop people getting it, it's to stop everyone getting it at the same time.

Perfect explanation.

I would prefer schools to stay open even class sizes return to the 40+ per teacher my mother taught after WWII in NE England

Eeh, those were the days.

You are a hoot, Xenia

@Coffeeneedednow thank you. Many people lost loved ones and posts like that one make me very cross. Aren't we supposed to be kind to each other, it is easy to criticise someone when you haven't walked in their shoes

@Rahra I don’t know where you got this idea from but it’s so wrong. People aren’t isolating because they’re not ill. Last week my friends class had 15 positive pupils. This week she has it too

Ok so I’m going to receive a wave of MN hate here….
I lost one parent to covid this year and I have a seriously immune suppressed parent. I also have Covid right now as does DH and we both have asthma. We both caught this days before booster. We’re feeling a bit shite but have definitely felt worse with colds before. I’d actually chose this over most colds. Actually even felt worse with hangovers.
This business of ‘dangerous’ and keeping people safe is massively over egging the cake for MOST people and frankly Covid has become skivers charter. It annoys me massively as the damage to our economy and children’s schooling is far worse than the effects of omicron I believe. After the horrendous news of kids being killed on their parents’ watches recently, primary schools at least must stay open. I’m not sure when the world became so soft but we need to start living with this. Admittedly, a more dangerous variant may come along, but equally, we can’t live lives based on ‘what if’. Finally, the number of times pre Covid that I went to dinner/pub/concert/cinema and was in close proximity to someone with an awful cold that passed it on - well that was a yearly event. I always thought it was selfish but we didn’t close schools because one person spread something. And, vulnerable people have always dies of flu/respiratory illness but we didn’t stop our kids going to school then.
Ok….I’m braced….do your worst MN!!

Notwithstanding the still awaited impact of Omicron on hospitalisations and deaths, and that it is perceived as ‘mild’ in many cases - it is still wreaking havoc in staff sickness across all sectors.

My husband and I work for the police, and frankly it is very worrying. Our Custody is on its knees due to so many off with it, AL is being cancelled and people are working horrific shifts to try to fill gaps. Then they get infected too.

It doesn’t have to be deadly to cause massive national issues.

Meanwhile in another thread, so posters are having a pop at the op who didn’t attend her friend’s 40th birthday party.

I honestly wonder how some people dress themselves.

Covidcath.. we don’t know hospitalisations yet for Omnicrom.

Your post will be so so wrong if they’re bad…..and personally l think a plane load number of people dying from a disease that wasn’t heard of 2 years ago every day is a bit much to actually carry on as if nothing is happening…..

I’m dreading schools closing, my son is an only child and he’s gone months at a time without any child contact apart from on screen in previous lockdowns -he’s suffering from severe anxiety which has put pressure on NHS - he’s getting great support off school, if schools close I hate to think what would happen. However, I think with the current rate of infection it’s somewhat inevitable. I just hope we get told more than 12 hours before.

@Xenia

I would prefer schools to stay open even class sizes return to the 40+ per teacher my mother taught after WWII in NE England. We could also tighten up rules so that no pay when off sick other than SSP after day 3 and also once you have a negative PCR you go in. also teachers with covid but are in the one third with no symptoms could certainly teach classes of children in many cases if most of the children have had covid anyway.

Errrm where will these extra 10 kids sit?

Probs the most stupid comment I’ve read on MN in a long ass time and that’s saying something!

If it's ongoing then the government will need to consider a longer winter break and a shorter summer one.

@CovidCath 👏👏👏 thank you for being the voice of reason. I completely agree.

And I'm sorry about your parents. Get well soon 💐

@urbanstroller yes we are supposed to be kind. Its become a plane crash type scenario of people treading on others to escape.
I hope you are able to do something to remember your friend, and of course, I am sorry for the son who has been left behind.

@Xenia

I would prefer schools to stay open even class sizes return to the 40+ per teacher my mother taught after WWII in NE England. We could also tighten up rules so that no pay when off sick other than SSP after day 3 and also once you have a negative PCR you go in. also teachers with covid but are in the one third with no symptoms could certainly teach classes of children in many cases if most of the children have had covid anyway.

Then you go in and cover a poorly behaved class of 40+

No wonder teachers are quitting, TAs are quitting, in high numbers, and it's so fucking hard to replace them. People with attitudes like yours!

Ooh, ooh, my mum was in a class of 40+ after wwii. No one really gave a shit about them. Especially those who didn't get into grammar school. And most of them left school at 15 and got shit jobs that didn't recognise their potential. Can't wait to get those days back.

Oh, and when Xenia's mother taught post-WWII, children and their parents were fucking grateful for education. And behaved accordingly. Behaviour now is appalling, and parents back up their children's poor choices and distracting, difficult, rude behaviour instead of the teacher's request for support.