If workplaces are planning on a 25% absence rate then how on earth are we all expecting schools to carry on as normal ?

[Timetobuckup]

I have just been reading in the BBC website that the gov are telling businesses to plan for a quarter of their workforce to be absent .
There is no way schools / colleges will manage with that amount of staff out.

I work in a secondary school and had a pcr this morning , my teen ds is positive and I am keeping fingers and toes crossed I am negative but not holding out much hope.
We are doing mass testing on Tues and I am really interested to see how many have to go home.

I know we discussed this at this time last year Wax when I was very worried about the return to school. We were able to understand each other's position then too :)

@Blubells

Can't they choose to homeschool?

I don’t want to homeschool.

If it came to a choice of having my child at home doing remote learning or shoved in a hall with a poor TA and 60 others doing holding activities, I would like to choose remote learning.

Yes I’m aware of that I was following the suggestion upthread to its logical conclusion

My DC are in Y9 and Y12. I don't know how they are going to get a decent enough education in order to prepare them for their exams. They already missed 3 weeks of last term due to illness (Covid and another virus). Some of their teachers were off at the end of term with Covid.

When I worked in Primary, all the TAs were assigned to a particular child with an EHCP. There was no money for general TAs. So if they are relying on support staff to teach how will they manage to teach and support those children? Some of them had complex medical needs as well as learning difficulties.

It's a joke and there is going to be so much inequality between different settings.

After all, the government haven't changed their plan to make this years's exams harder, grading lower and university acceptances lower so that this year's y11 and y13 can be sacrificed for the 2 preceding yeargroups.

I'm really concerned about this as I have two year 11 children. One hasn't had a permanent teacher for one subject for the best part of a year now, both have experienced huge disruption (70 and 50 days of isolation each, between last Sept and Dec), absences, Covid, etc. It's just so harsh on them.

@Mistressiggi

Probably not but it widens inequality. School (at least state school) is supposed to try and equalise the opportunity for all. Yes I know there are other factors such as parents ability / inability to help with homework, having / not having plenty of books around etc. But at least giving everyone the opportunity of free at the point of service, state funded, education at least tries to level the playing field.

I work in early careers and have done a lot of work with schools in deprived areas, worked closely with their careers staff and teachers.
This is going to have a big impact in a few years time too, as we will have a whole cohort of kids not ready for apprenticeship schemes.

That's not the way to tackle inequality though. Wouldn't it be better if the pupils who could learn at home (in a crisis situation) did learn from home and that would enable some staff to support all the students you mentioned in the building?

@Blubells

What about the next wave though?

Perhaps I'm too optimistic, but I'm hoping that the milder omicron variant together with increased vaccine and natural immunity may shift this pandemic towards a milder virus that becomes endemic

This is the sort of thing we can hope for, but have to accept there is just no knowing which way it will go - so good sense would suggest it would be wise to look at what we can do to limit the impact if it goes the other way, which is equally likely.

Investment in air filters would be wise.

@Mistressiggi

That's not the way to tackle inequality though. Wouldn't it be better if the pupils who could learn at home (in a crisis situation) did learn from home and that would enable some staff to support all the students you mentioned in the building?

You appear to be missing my point entirely and creating an argument fo the sake of it.

Year 11. I just don't know what to say. I'm angry. Missed massive parts of GCSE work, were at home for months and not developing essential social skills

@PastMyBestBeforeDate

I know we discussed this at this time last year Wax when I was very worried about the return to school. We were able to understand each other's position then too :)

I remember. It would be so much more useful if the government stopped trying to make one size fits all regarding schools, and listen to school staff and parents.

You disagreed with a point I made and I responded to that criticism.

They've just updated the guidance on who counts as a vulnerable child and critical worker

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/coronavirus-covid-19-maintaining-educational-provision/guidance-for-schools-colleges-and-local-authorities-on-maintaining-educational-provision

@Mistressiggi

You disagreed with a point I made and I responded to that criticism.

You said "would they do any better in a school hall with a dinner lady?" I replied "probably not".

I was clearly disagreeing with you 😂

[quote Stormsy]They've just updated the guidance on who counts as a vulnerable child and critical worker

[[https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/coronavirus-covid-19-maintaining-educational-provision/guidance-for-schools-colleges-and-local-authorities-on-maintaining-educational-provision]][/quote]
Has it changed? Looks the same to me

[quote Stormsy]They've just updated the guidance on who counts as a vulnerable child and critical worker

[[https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/coronavirus-covid-19-maintaining-educational-provision/guidance-for-schools-colleges-and-local-authorities-on-maintaining-educational-provision]][/quote]
Pretty much everyone with a job then!

I think it applies to families where BOTH parents are key workers. So I imagine if one parent is a SAHP and the other is a paramedic (for example) - a place in school wouldn’t be offered?

@NinaDefoe

I think it applies to families where BOTH parents are key workers. So I imagine if one parent is a SAHP and the other is a paramedic (for example) - a place in school wouldn’t be offered?

No, it says at the beginning that only one parent needs to be a key worker.

No Nina it still says at least one parent

Although individual schools did make their own rules about both parents needing to be KW, thank god DS's school didn't as although I'm not a KW I can't work from home. (His dad is a KW).

Ah ok! One parent!
So any remote learning policy is pointless. Almost every child will be in school as normal!

Does say if required and parents should keep them home if possible, so I wonder whether schools can challenge the 'if possible" if there is a SAHP

@Waxonwaxoff0

Although individual schools did make their own rules about both parents needing to be KW, thank god DS's school didn't as although I'm not a KW I can't work from home. (His dad is a KW).

Yes, it had to be both parents at our school.

Is this bit new?

@toomuchlaundry

Does say if required and parents should keep them home if possible, so I wonder whether schools can challenge the 'if possible" if there is a SAHP

That is exactly what was said at our place. Keep at home if possible. Send in only if both parents are out the house.