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Original poster

Time to think about closing the schools

545 replies

DolphinFC · 16/12/2021 16:44

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.

Time to think about closing the schools
OP posts:
NinetyNineRedBalloonsGoBy · 16/12/2021 17:16

As a teacher - No!

I've had covid caught from work, but I'm also triple vaccinated. We cannot close schools again, it continues to have dire consequences on our kids.

madmomma · 16/12/2021 17:18

Nope. But schools should be provided with proper ventilation and ppe

Walkaround · 16/12/2021 17:23

If teachers are that much more likely to get covid than other professions and the omicron variant is that transmissible, there is no need to close schools deliberately - it will just happen automatically when enough staff are off sick at the same time. Obviously.

LethargicActress · 16/12/2021 17:24

It never took a genius to work out that school staff are going to be more affected than the rest of the population when a virus circulates widely and rapidly amongst children, which is what seems to be happening.

In my recent experience, the problem isn’t the adults in school catching covid because they have all got over that without issue within a few days, it’s the ridiculous amount of time they still have to stay away from school after they have recovered.

We need to do the exact opposite of close the schools and make it easier for them to stay open during the relatively short times that their population has covid.

Bonnieonthelam · 16/12/2021 17:25

@Heartdogs

This generation deserves an education same as any other. It is not time to shut the schools.

Coronavirus is very infectious. Most people will have already had it. They will probably get it again and those who have not yet had it will get it. We are now vaccinated. We cannot shut the schools down again. Even if every teacher gets it they should not be off more than once a year with it. The schools can still run.

Tell that to our yr 3 teacher who had it in March, September and this week. You must be very dim to assume teachers will catch it once a year 🤣
Zandathepanda · 16/12/2021 17:25

Thought we were doing ok until this week - know of 7 new cases amongst staff today and loads of sixth formers. There were two big school concerts this week too.

CoffeeWithCheese · 16/12/2021 17:25

No. The damage has been too much already.

justasking111 · 16/12/2021 17:26

Just heard all schools in Conwy county closed tomorrow online next week

discoland · 16/12/2021 17:28

They don’t close though do they??

Some pupils are sent home and not allowed any contact with anybody whilst everyone else stays in the classroom getting a proper education.

We can’t have another year where this happens and we end up with a 2-tier split of children where a minority are made to sit at home.

MrsTophamHat · 16/12/2021 17:28

As a teacher, I do not support closures.

To be fair, i hate all the mitigations. It's been so nice working normally after all the bubbling and masks last year with no extra curricular. That will be what we end up back with, sadly.

MarshaBradyo · 16/12/2021 17:29

@discoland

They don’t close though do they??

Some pupils are sent home and not allowed any contact with anybody whilst everyone else stays in the classroom getting a proper education.

We can’t have another year where this happens and we end up with a 2-tier split of children where a minority are made to sit at home.

Yep
ToughTittyWhompus · 16/12/2021 17:29

If they have too many staff sick then yes, close THAT school.

No to closing all of them. At all.

What the fuck are women who work supposed to do? I’m a single mother, are you going to pay my bills?

MarshaBradyo · 16/12/2021 17:30

I mean agree with you Disco

ArseInTheCoOpWindow · 16/12/2021 17:31

It’s just been on the news about how schools are falling apart, mainly due to the infection if teachers. The education correspondant said that education staff are more likely to catch it than any other staff.

Waxonwaxoff0 · 16/12/2021 17:31

@ToughTittyWhompus

If they have too many staff sick then yes, close THAT school.

No to closing all of them. At all.

What the fuck are women who work supposed to do? I’m a single mother, are you going to pay my bills?

Me too, but you'll get someone trotting out "school isn't childcare" which we KNOW but doesn't solve the problem.
skodadoda · 16/12/2021 17:31

@starrynight19

This wouldn’t surprise me one bit and is exactly what school staff have been saying since this all started but what would they know Sad
Not all of them.
Furiousfalala · 16/12/2021 17:31

@Grida

We shouldn’t even be considering closing them. It shouldn’t be an option. We should keep them open for all children that are well enough to come in. It could be argued that it was different when we were waiting for a vaccine, but we have the vaccine now so how can we justify school closures?
^100%
Youaremypenguin · 16/12/2021 17:31

Here we go again! No schools should be the last thing to close.

ToughTittyWhompus · 16/12/2021 17:32

@Waxonwaxoff0 Yes I thought that as I was typing it. Suppose me and DCs will live off dust in a tent somewhere.

Monkeytennis97 · 16/12/2021 17:38

@ToughTittyWhompus

If they have too many staff sick then yes, close THAT school.

No to closing all of them. At all.

What the fuck are women who work supposed to do? I’m a single mother, are you going to pay my bills?

What about the working women with kids at THAT school? It could be your school. What then?

What schools need to stay open is the staff to stay well so kids vaccinated, air filtration, proper mitigations, kids taking regular lfts.

TooManyPlatesInMotion · 16/12/2021 17:38

When I have a chance, I want to drill down into the Ons data behind this article. For example, are they comparing the rate of infection in teachers to like for like occupations (ie only those roles that cannot be performed at home, such as healthcare workers, supermarket workers etc)? Because if they are comparing teachers to those of us who work from home some or all of the time, then obvs the rate will be higher.

There are lots on unanswered questions arising from this article.

cantkeepawayforever · 16/12/2021 17:40

Cases - and therefore absences - in my class have doubled daily this week. Luckily we close tomorrow, because 2 more doublings would anyway be everyone in the class.

I'm still not allowed to wear a mask or request any distancing.

Fredstheteds · 16/12/2021 17:40

@starrynight19

This wouldn’t surprise me one bit and is exactly what school staff have been saying since this all started but what would they know Sad
Agree- teachers should have been vaccinated as priority . 2 hours with 30 plus in a badly ventilated room or freeze to death with windows open. I’ve dodged covid so many times as a teacher .
WonderfulYou · 16/12/2021 17:41

Er, no. We are all going to catch Covid. I caught it at work. Should my workplace be shut down?

It’s not that simple.
If you caught Covid you would have had to isolate. Anyone who is a close contact with you would also have to isolate - there are only a certain amount of staff and cover staff able to do the work - if there are no staff then the schools will have to close.

My school had to close early.
I would be ok with a week or two firebreak if needed but any more than that then I’ll be leaving the profession like so many other teachers in the last 12 months.