The Sixty-Fifth Republic - The Covid School Phoney War under way so who will the gold medal and who will get the wooden spoon?

[Staffholidayclubrep]

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 for school staff to let off steam.

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.

Do not give the staffroom password to non-staff as it attracts the wrong sort of crowd.

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.

You can sit on chairs but keep the windows open. You don’t have to upload LFT results during the holidays. You do not have to wear mask - free choice

I did wonder if that's why they stopped discussing vaccinating kids - having realised they were going to need pfizer as boosters for the vulnerable who'd been given AZ. I was given it for a health reason rather than in my age group as was my dad and we both got AZ. My mum who had it in her age group time got pfizer.

Just seen this on Beeb website

Business minister Paul Scully is also asked about the government's idea that people going to nightclubs will need to be double jabbed from September.

Scully says there are two reasons for waiting until September to begin the requirement (current rules until then mean anyone can go clubbing). He says it gives the government time to get the detail sorted, and also allows more time for younger people to be fully vaccinated.

When on earth did they “get the detail sorted”, or allow themselves time to do that UNLESS it suited them?!

(Last para mine, obvs!)

They could have done fully jabbed or negative test, except they’ve run out of LFTs.

That’s my betting anyway.

Tiresome wrangling on the World at One with a (business?) minister about isolation if pinged, saying “advisory” every time he was asked and deliberately evading questions to do with your employer insisting you come to work even if pinged.

Oh they have published attendance data for last Thursday….67.3% for secondary and 82.8% for primary.

14.8% of secondary kids off were for non-covid reasons.

How does that fit in with the quoted 1 million school kids off this week reported today?

Why have they stopped publishing data after last Thursday?!

I mean, I know ‘why’ they’ve done it, but HOW can they justify doing so?!

We don’t matter Appuskidu of course! Just like Boris doesn’t care about anyone aged 80 or over, he doesn’t care about children and education staff either.

www.thenorthernecho.co.uk/news/19453036.durham-school-trial-new-airborne-covid-detection-system/?fbclid=IwAR1dhjs_LPo8obBwcaMuLC2ziBwkQEIT75sDDpx4hqrJoyNtetfFQ2Pw1fQ

Full on Wicked Witch of the West here. I have melted. Just the hat left as a memorial.

If they say children/staff with covid can go to work that's my notice handed in. I also don't want to catch it from a nurse/Dr as if I'm seeing them I'm already bloody ill! There's learning to live with it and realising going to work sick is just bloody selfish and the one good thing has been lack of usual colds etc.

Local secondary closed as 3/4 of school isolating as contacts so no point in opening for last 2 days. Local primary also shut and another who asked y6 to stay at home beginning of week to avoid the bubble bursting before their residential it's crazy.

Melting here too! I've got a lot of news etc to catch up on. Strongly suspect school staff will be among the group told to continue working even if positive - this government holds so many workers in contempt.

One more day to go here. I've no idea how I will get through it.

Strongly suspect school staff will be among the group told to continue working even if positive

That would be utterly bonkers, so I expect the government will think it’s an excellent idea!

I thought if you tested positive you need to isolate, it’s just that you no longer isolate if you’re a close contact of a positive case.

Apologies if anyone else has already made this point, but you know those three Cs JVT was talking about at the press conference yesterday? Confined spaces, crowded places, close contacts? Did anyone else yell, "You've just described classrooms !" at him?

Also, why aren't the journalists back in the very expensive press room?

@StationView yup DH and I shout it at the screen every time they mention enclosed busy spaces with poor ventilation.

@StationView

Apologies if anyone else has already made this point, but you know those three Cs JVT was talking about at the press conference yesterday? Confined spaces, crowded places, close contacts? Did anyone else yell, "You've just described classrooms !" at him?

Also, why aren't the journalists back in the very expensive press room?

Missed the conference on Monday. Have we finally caught up with 3Cs then? It’s only been around since spring last year.

Hit 38 degrees in my classroom today. So that's a lovely working environment.

Only have the real basics to do for end of term now.

@RuleWithAWoodenFoot

Hit 38 degrees in my classroom today. So that's a lovely working environment.

Only have the real basics to do for end of term now.

Wow!! That's unbearable! And I would assume you get a delightful odour of hot child as well. Although, is it less stinky with younger kids? Hot teenagers properly reek!!!😅😅👃

It was 36 by the time I left at 6. Balmy.

I'm so tired now - physically too. Got home to find partner half pissed and in a ranty mood about Johnson. I'm now on the sofa with him ranting and child watching fecking Angry Birds on the telly at a slightly too high volume.

Scream.

Surely that's the temperature where you decamp outside and sit under a tree?

No need to quit but I certainly won’t be going into school if positive. Surely any teacher with a conscience will say they feel too ill and take the hit to their absence record?

How could we ever face parents or children claiming we take our responsibility to them and our whole community seriously if we put them at risk like that?

I was thinking that, Honey. If we have Covid, we are ill. And I say that as someone who struggles in half dead (like the rest of the profession!) and hasn't had a day off sick since 2007! < Touches wood superstitiously >