The Forty Third Republic - Lockdown learning continues - when is half term?

[Staffdontblowitnow]

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

Just when you flick past it quickly, looks like a cistern shape....

@JanuaryChill

On this thread re the NEU graphs - School staff ARE more at risk from contracting COVID than the general population- according to da... www.mumsnet.com/Talk/coronavirus/4141243-School-staff-ARE-more-at-risk-from-contracting-COVID-than-the-general-population-according-to-data-released-by-the-DfE-yesterday

• borntobequiet points out that the April data showed about 50% still were working outside of home, and Nov ONS figures show the same. So those arguing that you can't compare school staff to the general pop as it includes many not leaving home may be half right....

(Not sure that's any help though!)

Just to say I posted that as a correction to the poster who claimed most people were working from home. I wondered about that and in fact was surprised to find that even during the first lockdown it was less than 50%, and included anyone even doing a few hours from home, for example one morning a week. Then I got over my surprise because in fact very many jobs can’t be done from home anyway. Then I realised it was irrelevant as working from home applied to many teaching staff as well...anyway, comparisons to anything other than the general population are pretty irrelevant when a) in many ways school staff jobs are very like the general population simply because they are so varied in scope and b) it really demonstrates the difference between being in a workplace where mitigation measures are feasible and required and the total opposite. Sorry that was long!

Oh have just been reminded, things moving re LFTs, it was earlyish on Today prog, can't find anything elsewhere in news.

A group of academics (inc one who was interviewed on Today, female) has published a paper or something (in the Lancet, will search?) explaining that they shouldn't be compared to PCR as v different. Basically PCR over-detects Covid; LFTs quite good at detecting during the infectious period, ie including the couple of days pre symptoms which are the most dangerous/highest viral load.

They said Deeks' trials were therefore unhelpful.

So conclusion was (I think, was dozing) that they will help but should never be used as a green light. Didn't mention school serial testing iirc.

I just ended a lesson 20 minutes late!!!!!!!!

Ona blinking full day...

By Thursday I've lost things a bit. The kids are 'gone', I'm 'gone'... we start lessons then just have a chat. Just heard some lovely stories from mums about last year's holidays!

This must be The Lancet article:
www.thelancet.com/journals/lanpub/article/PIIS2468-2667(20)30308-X/fulltext

Compares different testing strategies, serial testing only slightly less safe scientifically, BUT it says they didn't take any account of behavioural facts etc

www.theguardian.com/world/2021/jan/21/wear-medical-grade-masks-if-you-cant-self-isolate-britons-told

...unless you're in a classroom, in which case it's fine

that article title should say 'if you can't socially distance' - someone's messed up the link!

Latest crap from the DfE - keep encouraging those kids in!

'Limiting attendance at schools and colleges helps to support the reduction in the overall number of social contacts in our communities, which is a vital intervention in the context of current very high transmission rates. Schools should continue to encourage attendance of those vulnerable children and children of critical workers who need to be in school. We know this means that attendance levels vary from school to school, but aggregate school attendance is much lower than full attendance, at around only 5% in secondary schools and 20% in primary schools at present, and so we will see the desired reduction in social contacts.

The Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health has recently made clear that the overwhelming majority of children and young people still have no symptoms, or very mild illness only. There is no evidence the new strain of the virus causes more serious illness in either children or adults. The Schools Infection Survey (covering 3 to 19 November) found the infection rate among teachers to be similar to that of the wider population. The way to control this virus is the same, whatever the variant.'

Thanks for the new thread.

bylinetimes.com/2021/01/21/parents-campaign-against-school-closures-receives-pr-support-from-boris-johnson-advisor/

Thanks for the new thread staff

Got a video parents eve tonight hoping it goes ok! This week has been alright but crazy busy. NQT is still poorly with covid bless him, although he feels a little better today which is a good sign

I see Gav will give us a full two weeks notice of school 'reopening' and hopes it will be before Easter. I reckon this is the precursor for them saying we will continue remotely after half term.

Not sure how they can give two weeks notice if they are 'guided by the best science'. Given how fats they claim the had to reacted to the new variant , I thought science sometimes dictated rapid response?

I see Gav will give us a full two weeks notice of school 'reopening' and hopes it will be before Easter

I heard him say that on Radio 4, it sounded like he made it up on the spot. But maybe it’s a firm policy (doesn’t really matter with this governments track record on uturns).

Interesting, Rafa. I’ve seen that stuff on twitter but interesting to see it all together in an article.

Why the bloody hell are the papers not doing this digging? Grassroots parent organisation my arse.

Blimey, Rafa! That article!!

Bloody hell the content of that (fantastically researched) BylineTimes article !

It leaves me wondering what stale all of these successful v right wing people have in making schools reopen fully?

Am reminded of Honey's posts a few days ago when she was musing on a similar question. This is something deep, to do with forces in our society.

*stake not stale, obvs

That's twice byline times have gone after them now. I'd never heard of the publication before.

No I hadn't before that other article on LFTs, think I need to subscribe!

If you were very cynical you'd think knowingly keeping open massive vector points of transmission open in working class communities meant wanting spread to continue.

Doesn't sound like the founders are dependent on overcrowded poorly ventilated secondary comps or that they'll be at risk of having to be in close quarters with the communities they are encouraging spread in.

What skin do they have in the game?

All I can think of is something akin to the terrible movement we now see (particularly on 6 Jan) in the US.... but I can't imagine any obvious gain to ultra right wingers and conspiracy theorists in keeping schools open.
Hmm if they're basically Covid deniers ... oh I don't know.

But it's not just schools in deprived working class areas which are kept open, is it?

I guess if I had time I'd dig around Tory Recovery Group and Farage's stuff.

It’s the Great Barrington Declaration lot.

Herd immunity. Best built up in schools where the kids don’t get it badly (which is why they hate teachers as we’re inconveniently objecting).

Anyone vulnerable should hide away while the healthy go about their business with no masks or restrictions.

That’s why they’re on here lots constantly undermining the vaccine.

Before the vaccine was approved they were dismissing the notion of a vaccine as unicorn dreams.

Now it’s approved it’s dodgy, doesn’t work, doesn’t reduce transmission. We can’t stay hidden till enough are vaccinated, we have to learn to ‘live with the virus’,

It’s all civil liberties stuff. Government can’t tell me how to live my life.

Tory Recovery Group

You’ll find it’s basically the ERG. Brexit lot. They found a new cause.