Time to think about closing the schools

[DolphinFC]

ONS survey finds that education staff are 37% more likely to catch Covid than other workers.

Previous data showed they were no more likely to catch covid than other workers and many people (especially MNetters) felt that this was all the proof needed to keep schools open.

Well, new data shows the reverse is now the case.

Healthcare workers are more likely to catch it too, so let’s close the hospital too while we’re at it please🙄🙄🙄

Monkey I think it’s meant to be fast - someone mentioned a BBC article suggesting by new year but I can’t find it

Whilst it’s good schools are out now it doesn’t help the other services - I think it’ll be tough

@Quartz2208

TO be fair I think the cognitive dissonance goes beyond just schools Noblegiraffe. Most of the Government funded sectors have been rundown for years not just schools - we want them funded we just dont want to pay the taxes in order to do so.

Maybe more taxes are needed, but maybe not.

The government cronies have siphoned off millions and millions for basically nothing in this pandemic - unusable PPE, overpriced and underperforming test and trace, high paid 'consultants' that don't deliver.

If all of that money could be put into schools it would make a huge difference.

I wouldn't mind paying more taxes for better state schools, but I do think corruption and misuse of government funds needs to be dealt with too. Otherwise extra taxes will just go to the tiny corrupt few at the top & their mates, not to schools.

No way, schools should never close again. Teachers aren't any more likely to catch it than anybody else.

@Veeveeoxox

Would the teachers still want to close schools if their salaries were reduced ?

Erm, why would they be docked wages? Every teacher I know worked at least FT hours during the previous lockdowns, most working way in excess of their normal hours. Why would staff lose pay because of a government decision?

And yet again - teachers aren't actually calling for school closures. I don't known any teaching staff who want closures. In most cases, school closures, remote learning and childcare provision made their jobs much harder than doing the job normally.

@TopTabby

No way, schools should never close again. Teachers aren't any more likely to catch it than anybody else.

It's literally in the OP that they are...

www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/healthandsocialcare/conditionsanddiseases/bulletins/coronaviruscovid19infectionsurveycharacteristicsofpeopletestingpositiveforcovid19uk/16december2021

@TopTabby

No way, schools should never close again. Teachers aren't any more likely to catch it than anybody else.

Except the statistics show that not to be true

If I could like Abraxan's post I would.

Consistently the voice of reason. I hope you're a lot better than you were.

Why teachers haven't been prioritised for vaccination is a mystery, also why there are no mitigations to make it safer.

It's dreadful the way teachers have been treated.

Apart from anything else I don't want the people who are supposed to teach and inspire my kids feeling unsafe and scared in their workplace, or constantly ill. It's not going to deliver a good education.

It seems many only care about whether kids are in school or not, not what happens to them when they're there.

Many schools are still open next week, OK?

Everyone needs to remember that health care workers have mitigations in place. Masks, social distancing, only most seriously ill patients seen, no visitors etc. School staff have nothing. No masks, no social distancing, no reduced numbers, parents allowed into school to watch nativity etc.

I'm regularly shocked by the loathing my colleagues and I seem to inspire on here, just because we chose to be teachers. It's baffling.

@TopTabby

No way, schools should never close again. Teachers aren't any more likely to catch it than anybody else.

Yet data and stats appear to suggest they are more likely. Whether you choose to claim that ONS statistic is false is your choice.

@theemperorhasnoclothes

Why teachers haven't been prioritised for vaccination is a mystery, also why there are no mitigations to make it safer.

I believe that if they prioritised school staff it would be admitting schools aren’t as safe as they claim they are

I believe that if they prioritised school staff it would be admitting schools aren’t as safe as they claim they are

I think it was exactly this. It didn't fit with the "schools are safe and kids don't get it or spread it" narrative.

[quote OnceuponaRainbow18]@theemperorhasnoclothes

Why teachers haven't been prioritised for vaccination is a mystery, also why there are no mitigations to make it safer.

I believe that if they prioritised school staff it would be admitting schools aren’t as safe as they claim they are[/quote]
Same as the reason they stalled and stalled on 12 plus vaccines, far behind other countries.

[quote OnceuponaRainbow18]@theemperorhasnoclothes

Why teachers haven't been prioritised for vaccination is a mystery, also why there are no mitigations to make it safer.

I believe that if they prioritised school staff it would be admitting schools aren’t as safe as they claim they are[/quote]
They have priorised based on medical need. Not on who complains the most.

Lots off people are saying "schools should only close if they don't have enough teachers".

I think what's not being realised it's that they're all not going to have enough teachers at pretty much the same time.

It won't matter of they all act individually or an en masse decision is made if they're all going through the same thing at the same time anyway, which is currently likely. The question perhaps should be, is there any advantage to rationalizing the response so there is some uniformity between schools?

[quote OnceuponaRainbow18]@theemperorhasnoclothes

Why teachers haven't been prioritised for vaccination is a mystery, also why there are no mitigations to make it safer.

I believe that if they prioritised school staff it would be admitting schools aren’t as safe as they claim they are[/quote]
In Scotland (or at least in my authority) we were prioritised for the booster in front of our peers. Not for the initial course, only the 3rd.

Medical need includes those who are highly exposed.

HIgh exposure = high viral dose = more severe disease. This has been demonstrated many times over.

There was a study recently that showed in less well ventilated classrooms the rates of covid were 6x higher than in well ventilated classrooms.

Really not rocket science. Higher exposure makes you more at risk.

@siestalady

Because they wouldn't be working

Schools can't shut wholesale again, they just can't. Everyone accepts there will be disruption and ad hoc closures because frankly, omicron is coming for all of us. But blanket closures- nope.

Wouldn't be working?

Are you really that ill-informed?

@canary1

Healthcare workers are more likely to catch it too, so let’s close the hospital too while we’re at it please🙄🙄🙄

Healthcare workers are allowed to wear masks, etc.

Many teachers are not.

@MarshaBradyo

MonkeyI think it’s meant to be fast - someone mentioned a BBC article suggesting by new year but I can’t find it

My DH heard a report on BBC radio earlier that at the current rate everyone could be affected by boxing day 😳

infected not affected.

How dare you @Keke94LND?!! And for what it's worth, I went into teaching in my 30s but I'm not rising to your unpleasant ignorant dig at the profession

A lot of teachers are like kids hoping for a snow day lol I'm sorry and I know teaching is a hard and important job, but a lot of teachers I know have never had any other sort of job and don't seem to understand that work in general is hard

I don't know where to start with your sneering ignorance.

NO teacher wants schools to close.
NO teacher wants to teach online. Know why? Cos it's horrible.

This time last year, I got COVID. From school.
As did 6 of my colleagues and countless kids and their families. Some people were very ill and some are still suffering with long covid.

Despite that, not a single member of my staff wants schools to shut this time. Because it's absolutely relentlessly shit teaching online and god knows, we need children IN school.

What would be fabulous is to have everyone with a vested interest in keeping schools open to lobby the Government for resources and support. Not slate the bloody teaching profession. Put that energy into helping staff keep schools open FFS.

@MrsHamlet

I'm regularly shocked by the loathing my colleagues and I seem to inspire on here, just because we chose to be teachers. It's baffling.

I feel the same.

It would be enough for me that the government acknowledged the risks to the school community.

Scrapping sats and ofsted would be nice too...