The Thirty-seventh Republic - Mass testing rolls on - school staff remain expendable

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You are most welcome to this school staff support thread to get us through stressful times. It is meant for school staff only – a sort of room of requirement. Baiters, haters, goaders, and bashers can jog on somewhere else.

If you are NOT staff and just have a general education query please start your own thread.

You can play here if you are a member of one the following groups-

-ABBA - anti bashers and baiting association
-SWAB - school workers against bashers
-SWOT - school workers opposing teacherbashers
-STARS - schoolworkers together against ranting + slurs

Do not give the staffroom password just in case it attracts the wrong sort

Other requirements for staff room entry include the ability to find the staff room, the ability to find a clean mug in the staff room, knowledge of the photocopier codes, and the ability to sniff out where the booze is stashed - Thirsty Tuesdays, Fizz Fridays now in operation.

If you come with a stick to goad us then that is not allowed in the staffroom and you will receive a detention

Re that fatal outcomes thing... note it says 'many other occupations', not professions...

I am not diminishing anyone's job but previously we were compared to 'keyworkers' and 'other professions'.

www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/statistics_on_transmission_rates

@opheliascrayon I think you should ask for a keyworker place. If necessary don't tell your own children you are not at work then they won't have to lie...

Anyone could accept a keyworker space today and then slip on the ice on Monday and so not be at work.

@noblegiraffe

What the actual fuck.

I've just been to the ONS page to look at the infection rate data by age.

THEY AREN'T PUBLISHING IT

'Next release, Jan 8th'.

Just hoping the PHE surveillance report isn't abandoned this week too.

'many other occupations'

Is it fatal outcomes from covid or just fatal outcomes in general?

Are we being compared to bomb disposal experts?

If the last published figures show such rocketing infection rates in primary kids, why are we not having testing in our schools then?

Fucking cannon fodder.

That's what I wondered.

It's actually been in the guidance since Nov. Some schools sent it out tin a prepared letter after half term.

DS’s Headteacher apologises for contacting parents during the holidays! We should all be apologising to him for having to put up with this incompetent bunch of numpties.
Very clear that ‘live’ lessons are for Yr 11 and 13 only and that while teachers may choose to produce live lessons for other year groups they are not expected to. Which suggests some may have already planned some, perhaps?
Nothing about testing. He was pretty adamant that he would be letting the powers that be plan and implement all that. Can’t see him changing that stance for DofE Brownie Points, only if he is forced to.

@CallmeAngelGabriel

If the last published figures show such rocketing infection rates in primary kids, why are we not having testing in our schools then?

Fucking cannon fodder.

We were promised mobile testing units but they never materialised. Not even when 3 classes out of 8 were off with more than one positive in each class.

@CallmeAngelGabriel

If the last published figures show such rocketing infection rates in primary kids, why are we not having testing in our schools then?

Fucking cannon fodder.

They original intention was to roll it out to primary schools by the end of the term. I would imagine, but have no evidence to support, that this will change and that primary schools will need to have systems in place sooner rather than later. Especially once bubbles start popping all over the place.

boy correspondent on Sky just said unions were ' a bit miffed'.

All the focus is on the speed of rolling out testing, not on reliability of test.

'Some' teachers are 'a bit concerned'.

Primary children won't be able to swab themselves. KS1 especially. It will need a lot of willing staff and I expect lots of parents won't consent.

Having swabbed my Y7 (failed to swab tonsils in fact, we had to just go with nose only), there will be a lot of secondary kids unable to swab themselves as well.

I note in the drive through testing literature it says that under 12s shouldn't be self-swabbing, so that's a lot of Y7.

My DCs (8 and 10) swab themselves just fine, but we have kids at schools who are incapable of tying their tie in year 10.

My concern is the gagging and sneezing reflexes. At test centres, workers are protected by car windows and full PPE. We have nothing.

Well, we just had SLT. Basically all shrugged at each other. I mean really - aagh. I'm more concerned about the level of logistical hassle this term than I am about covid - the expectations of parents is massive isn't it, in terms of what we're able to provide for learning. Yet they still want to be on the school site, not wearing masks, gathering in big chatty groups because that's the only place they imagine they are 'allowed' to do that.

Just want to shout YOU'RE LUCKY WE'RE OPEN, STEP THE FUCK AWAY FROM ME.

It took me 2 hours to get my class through the flu nose spray - and that was only 14 of them. So many tears and so much persuasion.

@RuleWithAWoodenFoot If it's any consolation I am imagining the same with my SLT.

@SaltyAF yes I gagged and sneezed all the way through the tests.

@RuleWithAWoodenFoot

It took me 2 hours to get my class through the flu nose spray - and that was only 14 of them. So many tears and so much persuasion.

I forgot how bad that was this year. Several of my kids refused to have it done and others moaned about it for the entire day afterwards. There's no way all my kids would consent to testing regardless of what their parents wanted.

Totally agree with you regarding parents on the playground too. There's a complete disregard for distancing, mask wearing, etc.

Ive been to a testing site and I agree the measures in place are tight, very clear guidance on windows open and when, where to drive park, how to do the pack and hand it back....through a teeny gap in the window very quickly..this what flummoxes me!

How on earth do we get dc to line up and follow all these strict rules! When they say testing at school, I see corona breeding grounds enhanced whilst they are waiting and where do they go for the 30 min wait? HOw do we keep them in line, how far will these lines stretch, how do we stop them talking or standing to close, wear the masks properly in the queue? Is there enough staff to man the queue alone?

I also have colleagues who do not take corona seriously have a fatalistic - we will all get it there is no point avoiding it approach...so naturally they are far more lax when it comes to marshaling their tutor groups- so what about them when its their turn to organize their groups?

@noblegiraffe

Having swabbed my Y7 (failed to swab tonsils in fact, we had to just go with nose only), there will be a lot of secondary kids unable to swab themselves as well.

I note in the drive through testing literature it says that under 12s shouldn't be self-swabbing, so that's a lot of Y7.

A quick survey of my y7 class when I'd missed a lesson due to having a test showed that about 2/3s of the class had previously had a test. When I commented about trying to swab your tonsils using the mirror to see them being a bit tricky quite a few told me their parents had done theirs as they are under 12.

[quote Monkeytennis97]Just heartbreaking. Teacher, 55, dies from Covid just two days after Christmas
mol.im/a/9101529[/quote]
So said about the Conyers teacher. The Daily Fail reporting it too. This could have been avoided!

@noblegiraffe

But we haven't been gifted anything, we're teaching the kids.

I don't understand how if I have gained time I'd be any use at setting up a covid mass testing centre anyway. What on earth would the school ask me to do?

This all the way.

The mail is going to for the jugular on school chaos, the teacher dying, I am afraid I have been turned off the guardian for many years and today's paper has a weak mention that Gavin said schools will be ready for testing.

www.theguardian.com/uk

www.dailymail.co.uk/home/index.html

I was thinking about this last night, imagining me being somehow involved in the testing (I would think I'm a prime candidate, non-teacher, used to supervising, no crucial work to do atm) and thinking of some of our children, who in general are very sensible.

Just trying to get them to swab their throats ADEQUATELY (because if it's not adequate you can get a false Negative - no Inconclusive results with LFTs) so they should be gagging. And then to put the same swab (Eurgh Miss, do we haaave to??) up their noses high enough ... and if it goes too high or they're too enthusiastic you have a nose bleed and what do you do with that bleeding child with the queues and the people waiting and anyone could have Covid at that point....

And as others have said, the whole thing of parents have consented but child won't do it....