Are you satisfied with the COVID protocols in place at your school?

[PinkRanger85]

When the NHS screamed for more PPE last year nobody argued against providing them that and the powers that be got the logistics and money in place to get it done

It seemed that the issue of schools reopening became so polarised so quickly in to open or close with no nuance or pragmatism about how to open safely.

To me the answer was obvious. reduce staff to pupil ratio to say 1 to 15 so that kids can socially distance in a typical classroom and then give schools ppe and cleaning equipment, maybe outdoor canopy’s and heaters for outdoor classes.. Ask schools to open 7 days a week and year around to spread the kids out more. My experience with working mothers tells me that getting childcare for 2 days a week year round is much easier than it is for a 6 week block during the summer. My mum was fired because she couldn’t work the summer holidays when I was 5.

So, as the title says. Now that schools are reopened. Do you feel safe going in everyday?

Which paper will your article appear in?

I failed gcse English so if I was a reporter it would be one that’s worth as much as the last physical newspaper I got in the 1990s to wrap fish and chips in.

Strange first post if you aren’t.

I always have a news channel on tv in the background as I relax at home so maybe I have just watched too much question time and CNN.

Sorry if I broke any rules I was just asking an honest question.

I'm not sure many teachers would suddenly want to work weekends and through the holidays. How would that work anyway - which children in the class would get their usual class teacher and which would have to come in on weekends. Would siblings go to school on the same days? My childcare is booked for the days I am contracted to work so I would need to continue to work those days...

I would let the students decide which classes to attend. I know that I didn’t find every class productive or useful to my education. Sometimes my classmates where disruptive the whole time and teacher wasn’t even able to give their lecture. Other times we just repeated material from the previous year that I had already mastered.

My favourite subjects where maths and science and even then only maybe 60% of classes where useful. The rest of the time I honestly would have been better off self studying in the library with my friends.

This was a debate a year ago - why are you trying to reignite it now?

Because we are still in the pandemic so it’s still relevant. Who knows what issues variants could cause. Will the vaccine be sufficient to keep those at bay come this winter .. etc.

the teacher wasn't able to give their lecture
What kind of school did you attend OP? This does not sound like any school I recognise.
What is your current experience and connection with schools? I wonder how familiar you are with how schools work now before you speculate about changing the system.

I went to a bog standard comprehensive school, entered year 7 in September 1996, did my GCSEs in 2001.

Lecture was the best word I thought to describe it although I know that its usually used in universities. I meant teaching something out loud to the class while writing on the white board. It’s not “lesson” or “class” because that just means the time period and the students physically being in that room, not necessary them learning anything.

No, that’s a lesson.

Also my youngest sister is 21 and in university so she was in secondary school until recently so I know through her how schools work now. The tech is better but not much else seems to have changed since my time. Her biology teacher still brought in an animal body part to demonstrate anatomy snd psychology snd you can still tell who the future medics where from everyone’s reaction 😂.

Also my youngest sister is 21 and in university so she was in secondary school until recently so I know through her how schools work now.

No, you know what she’s told you from a pupil’s perspective of what her school was like three years ago. You really don’t know ‘how schools work now’. You did realise that this post is in The Staffroom, didn’t you?

The pupils perspective is the only perspective that matters. Schools are of service to them. They are the boss and the customer.

@PinkRanger85

The pupils perspective is the only perspective that matters. Schools are of service to them. They are the boss and the customer.

Ok, just confirming what I thought, bye now!

“They are the boss and the customer”.

Thank you for giving me the best laugh I’ve had in ages OP!

I thought this was about covid protocols??

@PinkRanger85

The pupils perspective is the only perspective that matters. Schools are of service to them. They are the boss and the customer.

Hahhahahahhaha. It’s just so clever and funny that you’re here to wind up teachers.

No. Really. It’s not. Fuck off.

Why do Homeschooled kids perform so well academically if student led learning is so laughable?

How did my Sri Lankan born parents and their 4 siblings all get upper middle class professional careers in the west when their base line education was only 5 months of 3 days a week state education and they had to supplement the rest of their national exam prep themselves ?

Your OP literally asks about covid ...

@PinkRanger85

When the NHS screamed for more PPE last year nobody argued against providing them that and the powers that be got the logistics and money in place to get it done

It seemed that the issue of schools reopening became so polarised so quickly in to open or close with no nuance or pragmatism about how to open safely.

To me the answer was obvious. reduce staff to pupil ratio to say 1 to 15 so that kids can socially distance in a typical classroom and then give schools ppe and cleaning equipment, maybe outdoor canopy’s and heaters for outdoor classes.. Ask schools to open 7 days a week and year around to spread the kids out more. My experience with working mothers tells me that getting childcare for 2 days a week year round is much easier than it is for a 6 week block during the summer. My mum was fired because she couldn’t work the summer holidays when I was 5.

So, as the title says. Now that schools are reopened. Do you feel safe going in everyday?

I feel safer now that all of the elderly and vulnerable have been offered vaccines, as my primary concern was catching COVID at work and passing it on to others who aren't young and healthy like myself.

But, on the whole, no. Haven't felt safe from September. Even in the Jan/Feb/March lockdown we had 15+ students in tiny classrooms with tiny windows and all crammed together. I was involved in testing and we only got masks as PPE, nothing else. I had to fight against SLT and insist on better safety measures as even staff who I was registering for testing were coming within 15cm of me. It was honestly awful and I fought every day for safer working practices because it was wholly unacceptable.

I felt so let down by those 'above'.

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/may/22/no-10-tried-to-block-data-on-spread-of-new-covid-variant-in-english-schools

Don't feel schools are particularly 'safe' tbh

@PinkRanger85

Why do Homeschooled kids perform so well academically if student led learning is so laughable?

How did my Sri Lankan born parents and their 4 siblings all get upper middle class professional careers in the west when their base line education was only 5 months of 3 days a week state education and they had to supplement the rest of their national exam prep themselves ?

Your Op and title is asking about Covid protocols. Not sure what homeschooling has to do with that?

@BeaMinus

[[https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/may/22/no-10-tried-to-block-data-on-spread-of-new-covid-variant-in-english-schools]]

Don't feel schools are particularly 'safe' tbh

I work for the NHS and aggressive testing and segregated wards and departments was how we have been able to contain the virus within the hospital . A patient who comes in off the street is tested as soon as they enter A/E and 3 hours later they can be referred to a “red” or “green” ward should they need admission.

With schools government just seemed to put their hands over their ears and eyes like a kid and say “ I can’t see it it’s not there” they purposely didn’t test to suppress the real numbers and it’s real people who suffer for it. Data and information is the tool to eradicate it.