Off Topic London Calling: Summer Holidays Abroad 2021 in doubt?

Well the primary school I am in reopens tomorrow. We've about 150 parents wanting to send their kids in - we whittled this down to 85, based on the guidance we were given about key workers on 31st December. Then we were told by an irate parent that we were wrong and the guidance had changed as of today.

Turns out she was right, it had changed without us being told, so now we have 150 kids eligible to attend after all. We've got 90 staff in each day to ensure we can meet the needs of these kids. Meanwhile, we have to teach 650 kids online at the same time as those kids in school. Not impossible, but then we found out that 6 staff have tested positive over the weekend.

It's impossible to manage safely - a lot of people think that schools are shut. They're not. They're filled with children who have been in and pit of each others houses over the past few weeks. They're generally asymptomatic carriers of the virus and are now spreading it to other kids and staff.

As a profession I know a lot of us moan like **** and get castigated for it, but this isn't about our jobs. In the three weeks before Christmas we had 15 staff test positive for Covid. Another 5 over the holidays and 6 this week. We had a **** load of kids test positive too - around 25 - but they're only the ones we know took a test. It was obvious daily when classes were being sent home that the virus was spreading like wildfire and we've been exceptionally careful and insisted on staff wearing face masks full time etc (DfE guidance states this should not be used).

The government knew this was happening before Christmas but dug their heels in and unfortunately this led to this huge spike, which in turn will lead to deaths in the wider community. And now the majority of kids are at home, but the schools are still open and still filled with little germ magnets.


TLDR: Teacher moaning again, having a little rant. Don't they know they're lucky to have jobs and good holidays? Bout time they did some ****ing work anyway.

 

But dont you know schools are safe - Boris said so on Sunday or have I missed something in between then and now : cue the brown shirts

 

They are absolutely covid safe and a vector for transmission so need to be shut, ut if your child is in school, it is perfectly safe.

I think

 

Ha ha aye, it's funny how aggressive defiance can be misconstrued as presious and fragile

 

You can't be political man it's only your life

 

Our boy is online learning but my daughters special school is open from tomorrow amd she can go in, but we are keeping her off this week as they have loads of staff off isolating or ill and have had to mix 3 bubbles to keep going.

The special school have been brilliant over Christmas with keeping us informed and changing things as things developed

 

And no room left for 'roliing out', 'following the science' or 'straining every sinew'.

 

My wife works in a special school. They all have to open for all pupils. In her place, they're down to half the staff due to self-isolation, illness, clinically extremely vulnerable etc.

No PPE, with children who can't socially distance or keep hygienic.

They're all terrified. It was made worse that one of the bairns died over the summer - it was 3 weeks after he had covid.

Obviously everyone's situation is different, but I think you're doing the right thing keeping your girl off.

 

I'm struggling to understand why we don't have a definitive plan for vaccination.

We've had 9 months to get it organised.

Yet, even now retired GP's, nurses, etc, with blameless records, are having to fill in 20 page forms asking about their views on racial inequality, etc.

That's bad enough but my main concern is that they're doing it now.

We've had 9 months of knowing there'd be a vaccine but only now is the government suggesting the army, considering pharmacies, setting up vaccination centres.

Why?

 

I stand in solidarity with you on this.
The attitude of the public towards schools has been disgusting throughout this.
And now, people appear to be looking for excuses to send their kids into school when the safest thing, for everyone, is to keep them at home.
People seem to have no consideration for teachers. They'll argue that "education is of the utmost importance" but the safety and well being of those in education settings doesn't matter at all.

 

I've no idea of the facts but aren't parents obliged, by the government of the day, to send children to school if they're open?

I really don't know mate, just curious.

 

News today that UK thinking of ensuring travellers from abroad have negative test before entering UK. I'm in lockdown but travellers from abroad can enter willy nilly? I thought this was already in place.

 

Not during lockdown they're not. The schools are open for the children of key workers.
That's not really the issue though. People have criticised teachers through this. But they've been working harder than ever. And teachers work hard at the best of times.

 

Yes mate it’s ****ing pathetic, I’ve just dropped my son off in Holland I had to have a negative test with paperwork to enter the Netherlands but on the way back absolutely nothing.

 

They reckon 30 to 40 million incoming journeys into the UK since March and not one test required.

After stranded Brits have come home only a handful of those flights were essential.

Business flights are not essential ...

... but they are profitable.

 

I haven't criticised teachers ...

... I think they've been thrown under a bus.

 

I didn't say you had. Was just pointing out the basis for my previous rant. They certainly have been thrown under a bus.

 

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Aeroplanes haven't been grounded. Ports haven't come to a halt. There's zero shortages. Dover isn't a gridlocked carpark. The stock market is on course to record it's highest ever week 1 of a year. The pound has risen against the euro and the dollar. My old Virgin Media shares are at the highest they've been in a long time.

#Brexit