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.

@IWannaWishYouANutNutsChristmas

Is this bit new?

I don’t think it is.

We had students with a non working parent sending their DC in because the other parent was a ‘Key worker’. They were called and told that as there was a parent at home, they should stay at home.

@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

I think it would perhaps be reasonable for schools to request children to stay at home if there was a SAHP. I was on furlough during the first lockdown so I kept DS home. And there will be some parents who want to keep their children off anyway, there are a few on this thread.

Although hopefully it won't come to that. I'd rather see other mitigations to keep all children in school if their parents want them in.

Even if parents are wfh it can cause a multitude of issues trying to share equipment, Wi-Fi, quiet space, needing support which simply can’t be given- they could technically still send their children to school as the guidelines state if the remote working conditions aren’t conducive in terms of equipment, space, noise etc. I’m sure that will apply to many. So couple that with the extensive list of key workers and pretty much all pupils can attend!

@NinaDefoe

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

But we are going round in circles - many children qualify for a place - but only if there are enough well staff.

@Twinklingstarface

Even if parents are wfh it can cause a multitude of issues trying to share equipment, Wi-Fi, quiet space, needing support which simply can’t be given- they could technically still send their children to school as the guidelines state if the remote working conditions aren’t conducive in terms of equipment, space, noise etc. I’m sure that will apply to many. So couple that with the extensive list of key workers and pretty much all pupils can attend!

Yep, really it would only be viable to keep children at home if they have a SAHP who doesn't work. I don't think there are many of those families nowadays.

Just want to say a big thankyou to the teachers who must be worried sick about going into this covid mess....With little consideration for their worries and simply told "to get on with it".

@Ilovegreentomatoes

Just want to say a big thankyou to the teachers who must be worried sick about going into this covid mess....With little consideration for their worries and simply told "to get on with it".

This is the kind of lovely comment teachers at my school have heard throughout this pandemic IRL. Many many parents have been supportive throughout both lockdowns and I hope we have supported them in return. It’s been awful for everyone but the vast majority have worked with us. MN is a strange place. Some of the comments in threads like this one don’t represent my experience as a parent or teacher.

I wish that some of the more negative posters could see what is happening behind the scenes in schools.

@NinaDefoe, you're right. The vast vast majority of our parents are very lovely and so appreciative of everything we do, so we therefore go the extra mile.

After all, you reap what you sow. Perhaps grumpy complainers get the response they deserve.

@IWannaWishYouANutNutsChristmas

Is this bit new?

That was always in the original information re critical or key workers. They can come in, if you need them too but if you can keep them at home, do so.

@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).

Some schools had to do this in order to meet other guidance and advice from the government. If everyone with just one key worker, plus all vulnerable children, had come in initially many schools wouldn't have been able to keep to the distancing and bubbles advice.

Many schools then relaxed this somewhat in the second closure, which led to very large numbers in school in lots of cases.

@FanGirlX bit of editing there.

Idiot ex ofsted inspector on itv has just said good headteachers will be creative and their schools won't shut.

Basically setting the narrative that if you have no staff due to covid and cannot open safely - it's the HT fault

Oh - and he kept mentioning keeping them open. Nothing about education within it.

He did add though that good schools will still be preparing kids for when exams start - if they start - or getting information ready for TAGs.

So teachers - I hope you have a broom up your arse to cover the covid ridden cleaning team, screwdriver in hand to cover the site staff, 3 lesson plans for subjects you don't teach to be ready to teach all 3 classes in the hall together (because that'll limit spread 🤦‍♀️) whilst your doing mocks, exam prep and paperwork.

@Abraxan I think the mood in lockdown one was different and a lot more workplaces were closed then so less school places were needed, I was on furlough during the first lockdown so didn't need a school place but I was back to work by the second lockdown. A lot of workplaces had stopped offering the flexibility that they initially offered.

@gogohm

You can only catch omicron once, it will run out of hosts at this speed, already slowing in South Africa. Stop panicking. In my work there is only me , if I go sick nobody covers - upside is I have my own office, I won't be doing pcrs

Nobody knows yet if you can only catch it once it’s only been around for 6 weeks!

Good luck to all the teachers/school staff out there today.
Fingers crossed it isn’t too bad and you’ll come home safe to your families.

@BluebellsGreenbells - thanks! Education staff and teachers really appreciate it.

Sadly pretty grim out there today but some LA clarification on the DfE's latest guidance. ( and the meaningless words that the Ed. Sec spouted yesterday!).

Thank you @BluebellsGreenbells and please if you have a child in school let them know you appreciate them Today has been a long one !!

I would if they weren’t all at home with Covid!