Teachers getting back to work

[BeElBeeBub]

I have several friends who are teachers (at various levels), kids myself and I'm a school governor.



First, it seems.like the government's communications with the teachers has been extremely poor (to put it mildly).



Apparently, on the Friday before BJs 11th May speech, the government met the unions and told them that school reopening was not on the cards.



So the unions were somewhat out out when it was announced that schools would be reopening in 3 weeks time.



Bear in mind the speech had been recorded the day before the meeting with the unions.



Such actions do not generate trust. The unions are not saying they won't go back to work, just that they need to see the plans and guidance for them to get back to work safely.  The government has already thrown NHS workers and care workers under a bus, so it behoves the teachers to be wary.



Notably, in Denmark (often cited in this discussion) the unions were initially wary, but the government worked with them to address their concerns so they were happy and supported the return.



The ostensible reason for the return is the government's concern over children's education, especially those from vulnerable households.



This would seem to be a little out of character given the government's previous actions in the education sector.



Vunerable children are already allocated places at schools although the take up has been lower than expected. My friends teaching say the schooling provided, particularly for the early years is necessarily far short of normal schooling.  Basically trying to keep them occupied and safe for the day.



The idea that children will fall behind is daft. Everyone is going to have missed a term of schooling.  This will have a lasting impact, but only if the education's system (curriculum, exams etc) continues to act as if nothing happened.



It would easily be within the government's power to adjust the education system to take account of the fact everyone missed a term.



It seems this school reopening is driven by a desire for the government to be able to say it's reopening rather than a concern for what's best for the kids.



The conditions for a.safe school reopening haven't been met (there won't be a track and trace system.up by then), it's not u likely that schools may have to close shortly after if infections start to.rise (as theyay we given the fraying of the lockdown the mixed gov messaging has resulted in) and even at best the kids will experience 6 weeks of very un-school like conditions (limited activities, time and interaction) before summer.



Finally, it seems there is the idea that this is about teachers not wanting "to get back to work" as if teachers were sitting around sunning themselves in the garden.



Every teacher I know has been working harder since lockdown. They are having to go in to run classes, often in unfamiliar schools with unfamiliar children in a stressful environment, redo lesson plans for the new circumstances and manage unfamiliar home learning platforms for all the other kids.



This brief opening, with little clarity from the government beyond attacks that they are workshy cowards for not jumping to the party line is doing little to help them.

[Borg Refinery]

https://www.thenational.scot/news/18463908.boris-johnson-u-turn-english-schools-reopening-june/">https://www.thenational.scot/news/18463 ... ning-june/">https://www.thenational.scot/news/18463908.boris-johnson-u-turn-english-schools-reopening-june/



Boris Johnson in U-turn over English schools reopening in June



U-turns and doubling, tripling back on himself. I'm dizzy...

[papasmurf]

Eton school not reopening until September.

Like my sons school fee paying Eton had to make a business decision rather than a medical or educational one .  Though Im sure the medical and educational matters were considered the bottom line is god .

Well we can't have the future "elite" of Britain carking it, can we?

[Streetwalker]

Eton school not reopening until September.

Like my sons school fee paying Eton had to make a business decision rather than a medical or educational one .  Though Im sure the medical and educational matters were considered the bottom line is god .

[papasmurf]

Eton school not reopening until September.

[papasmurf]

I suggest the two very nasty journalists from the Daily Heil should be forced into a classroom full of children for a week. Their front page story was a total disgrace.

The teachers are expressing legitimate concerns.

[Barry]

Apparently the scientific studies from all round the world, which are coming in on an almost daily basis.



As of this morning, it's not totally definitive but the evidence still points to:

- Children are less likely to catch it when exposed than adults.



- Children are less likely to be seriously affected than adults when they do catch it - for example they are much more likely to be killed or seriously injured from various other risks than Covid-19 on any normal day.



- Children do not seem to transmit the virus much to others. Studies are finding that most of the time, when children catch Covid-19 they catch it from an adult.



We should treat this with caution, but as of now, it looks like children and teachers in an open school are in less danger than, for example, people on a bus or train.



We should keep in mind that the death of a child through Covid-19 is tragic, and is so rare that it's reported on national news. The death of a child from a car accident wouldn't normally even make the national news but it's actually more common.



Therefore the teachers should engage with the process and the science, and go back if the science indicates that they are not less safe than NHS or care workers.



However that does not mean they should be forced back by claims that they are cowards - if that is the main thrust of the government's argument, I would say they should go on strike until there is proper trust and engagement.

You've posted all that as if it were new enlightening information, but it has been known for ages.

Teachers should not be forced back to work by claims they are cowards, they should be expected back at work by the nature of their contracts.

If the NHS staff had run away how would so many have survived?



Actually, I don't think it is so much about fear, I think it is about the unions trying to hold the government to ransom, when logic says it is safe to go back to work.

(Exception being high risk category people who are unlikely to be able to hold down a job as a teacher)

[Javert]

Apparently the scientific studies from all round the world, which are coming in on an almost daily basis.



As of this morning, it's not totally definitive but the evidence still points to:

- Children are less likely to catch it when exposed than adults.



- Children are less likely to be seriously affected than adults when they do catch it - for example they are much more likely to be killed or seriously injured from various other risks than Covid-19 on any normal day.



- Children do not seem to transmit the virus much to others. Studies are finding that most of the time, when children catch Covid-19 they catch it from an adult.



We should treat this with caution, but as of now, it looks like children and teachers in an open school are in less danger than, for example, people on a bus or train.



We should keep in mind that the death of a child through Covid-19 is tragic, and is so rare that it's reported on national news. The death of a child from a car accident wouldn't normally even make the national news but it's actually more common.



Therefore the teachers should engage with the process and the science, and go back if the science indicates that they are not less safe than NHS or care workers.



However that does not mean they should be forced back by claims that they are cowards - if that is the main thrust of the government's argument, I would say they should go on strike until there is proper trust and engagement.

[johnofgwent]

My eldest who is a teacher at a primary school has been told this morning that nothing is happening until September at the earliest .  So much for getting back to work

My eldest, who is still being paid her part time salary for the couple of hours she puts in but hasn't for the past seven weeks, has heard absolutely sod all. She is not expecting to be going back and little madam is getting pissed off at not being in school.

[B0ycey]

Gives parents the clarity they need to get organised or do what they have to for the next few months .

The problem with parents are they are so cautious with their children. But what is striking with the data figures is how much children are not at risk from Covid19, especially if they do not have health issues. And that hasn't been communicated well by the government at all. But by all means let parents keep their children at home to home learn if they choose and let them keep on complaining that the government doesn't care about the safety of their children on Twitter. That just frees up more room at schools to enact social distancing and o protect teachers who are scared of their pupils coughing on them I guess.

[Streetwalker]

So are school teachers expecting things to be different in September or something?



This is the thing. We have three year groups going back to school at that is it. In June, social distancing measures should be easier to maintain as at this moment in time there are more class rooms available than normally would be. I understand year 1 and reception children will find it difficult to social distance but that is perhaps this is why figuring out a strategy in a way to teach them that will work for schools is better to be found in June than September. Basically my point is that June is really only the test study to work out a plan that works for all children to return in September and teachers should embrace this now with a limited amount of children because it is. And if they believe PPE is needed to protect themselves from children they can work out what they need for the big return I guess as the risk of healthy children from Covid19 is incredibly low indeed.

I don't know , I don't suppose anyone does but maybe someone has made a decision that ends the are we aren't we . Gives parents the clarity they need to get organised or do what they have to for the next few months .

I get your dry run theory , maybe there is something in that but can parents really be expected to expose their families to the virus at this  time when in September hopefully it will be a rarer occurrence .

[B0ycey]

So are school teachers expecting things to be different in September or something?



This is the thing. We have three year groups going back to school at that is it. In June, social distancing measures should be easier to maintain as at this moment in time there are more class rooms available than normally would be. I understand year 1 and reception children will find it difficult to social distance but that is perhaps this is why figuring out a strategy in a way to teach them that will work for schools is better to be found in June than September. Basically my point is that June is really only the test study to work out a plan that works for all children to return in September and teachers should embrace this now with a limited amount of children because it is. And if they believe PPE is needed to protect themselves from children they can work out what they need for the big return I guess as the risk of healthy children from Covid19 is incredibly low indeed.

[Streetwalker]

My eldest who is a teacher at a primary school has been told this morning that nothing is happening until September at the earliest .  So much for getting back to work

[Bright Young Thing]

Will the parents need to don PPE when the kids get home from school?

Maybe, maybe not, but I'm sure parents, currently on lockdown and knowing there's a fair chance their kids are safe from the virus, will be equally apprehensive about allowing them back to school, where the risk of becoming infected or carrying and infecting others, is far, far greater.



There is an article on FB just now, purporting to be from a head teacher, laying out just how different, difficult and strange school will be. If it's true, she has spoken plainly about the conditions and risks, and its an eye-opener.



I wonder if it will be mandatory for children to return or if it will be the parents decision, surely truancy cannot be enforced if the parents feel it is not safe to their children to go back. Of course that would open another can of worms in that the parent s who just can't be arsed sending them back will have no penalties.

[Hyperduck Quack Quack]

If everyone went back to work too early, the number of covid-19 cases would skyrocket and that would put you and your NHS colleagues in even greater danger and under more pressure again.



NHS workers I've seen on TV, mainly doctors and nurses, generally recommend that people should stay home.



As well as the concept of "we're all in this together", there's also "sharing the burden".  Schools reopening and teachers going back to work isn't going to share the burden of coping with of the pandemic at all. It's more likely to increase the burden.