Any Other School Staff Going On Strike?

[Lexingtongue]

I suppose it's safe for prison officers, nurses, coppers, civil servants etc to go to work. Imagine if all of us keyworkers had the attitude of the teaching unions we would be in even more shit. The average age of a covid death is 83, how many teachers or teaching staff are around the age. Anyone who is vulnerable wouldnt be at work anyway. And kids who go to school are hardly mixing outside of school as everywhere is shut and families shouldn't be mixing with older family members. Once schools closed what do we want shut next hospitals?

On my way back from work roday I saw two separate groups of students walking the streets together. This when they should have been at home learning remotely as well.

 

[Gaz]

Dear Parents and Carers

It was lovely to see so many children back in school today. They have settled back in really well and are working hard.

As school is open to all children at this time, we will not be providing remote learning where families have chosen to keep children at home. While we understand your concerns, we are following government direction to open, and are providing face to face education.

We will continue to provide remote learning where a child is self-isolating due to a Covid case in the family home or if they have had contact with a positive case. Self-isolation must be as a result of instructions from NHS test and trace or school contact-tracing. In the case of NHS test and trace situations, evidence will be required.

Thank you for your support.

______________________________________________________________________
So basically if I don't send the bairn in and risk his and my health in the classroom they'll not be providing any educational support at all they'd rather my son goes into school, potentially contracting Covid to potentially transmit it at home to his mam who could subsequently die - classy, caring bastards.

Won’t matter after tonight probably, but just say your child is self isolating imo

 

[ATS]

I just don’t see how remote learning works at primary school level they are too young to sit in front of zoom/teams

My son is not primary (he's year 7) but has had no lessons done over zoom/teams. It is all done via ClassCharts, the work is set for them and they are just left to get on with it.

 

[look out piano]

Won’t matter after tonight probably, but just say your child is self isolating imo

I cant, see their f***ing snarky email - they'll want proof lol

 

[AC Mack]

Yup, I found that generic email a bit snarky, I sent them a really detailed / reasoned one yesterday outlining my reasons for keeping my son off.......


Hi,

I'm just contacting you to advise of my decision to keep **** off school for at least the next week or two (to allow the catch up on new Covid cases that will result from the Christmas / New Year period). I am a high risk individual awaiting a vaccine who has kept themselves safe since March, I have not "mingled" with anyone at all and **** is the only person in my bubble.

As we all know we're a tier 4 area, London is tier 4 and ALL schools are shut as it's deemed unsafe for them to open - so I disagree with North East school kids being used as guinea pigs.

The kids sit in a classroom where they are not socially distanced enough (4 to a table, right next to each other) and I also think many folks will have mingled with other households over the festive period which will have increased transmission and I refuse to allow my child to be immediately exposed to that risk on January 4th 2021.

Ideally Boris should have made this decision for us, but sadly it seems he's happy enough to leave this down to local authorities or even individual schools.

I will therefore ask that he is given exercises to do in line with the curriculum / access to learning remotely (without being overloaded with work as he'll simply struggle to engage / be overwhelmed etc).

I would much prefer him to be in the classroom, but it's simply playing Russian roulette with our health if I was to send him in on the 4th Jan where he'll be sitting right next to kids that could be infectious / unknowingly spreading Covid (with few visible symptoms - especially the new highly contagious variant that affects kids more).

I'm sure if needs be I could get a doctor to confirm my risk / health situation, I would also strongly disagree with any notion I could be fined for trying to keep my household Covid free and myself and my son alive and well (especially when the vaccine is being rolled out).

I will reassess the situation again at the end of the week (ie I'll be looking out for parents being informed of positive cases within his year 6 class, fingers crossed there are none). Most Schools are going back on 18th January 2021 down South in tier 4 areas, this should have also been the case for ALL other tier 4 areas so we could see what damage the festive period has had in respect of community transmission.

The cases have skyrocketed over the last week and the deaths are rising, I think the right thing to do is to keep kids / teachers / staff and vulnerable parents safe rather than potentially facilitating a more widespread public health emergency.

Best wishes

It sounds a bit harsh but I understand their viewpoint. There may be other factors but if school is open and most children are in, it's quite a big burden for a teacher to carry out their normal day to day tasks, and then on top of that provide remote learning for children who aren't in.

There are two sides to every story as I'm sure you're aware, and the school need to have a cut off point somewhere.

 

[Edinburgh Black Cat]

Dear Parents and Carers

It was lovely to see so many children back in school today. They have settled back in really well and are working hard.

As school is open to all children at this time, we will not be providing remote learning where families have chosen to keep children at home. While we understand your concerns, we are following government direction to open, and are providing face to face education.

We will continue to provide remote learning where a child is self-isolating due to a Covid case in the family home or if they have had contact with a positive case. Self-isolation must be as a result of instructions from NHS test and trace or school contact-tracing. In the case of NHS test and trace situations, evidence will be required.

Thank you for your support.

______________________________________________________________________
So basically if I don't send the bairn in and risk his and my health in the classroom they'll not be providing any educational support at all they'd rather my son goes into school, potentially contracting Covid to potentially transmit it at home to his mam who could subsequently die - classy, caring bastards.

Ridiculous. No reason why there can't be both if required. Piss poor as per.

 

[Lexingtongue]

I used to be a teacher too. There are too many in the profession who act like this and give teachers a bad name. Do you also think supermarket staff should stop going to work as that’s even more risky than teaching?

I run a nuclear facility and we have 16 staff all working in an environment that cannot be covid secure. Should I send all of them home and hope nothing happens to the plant? As it’s less secure than your classroom.

You don't sound like an ex-teacher to me. I don't particularly like most other teachers, but your lack of consideration to the other side of the coin leads me to believe you're telling porkies to prove your point. Unless you can provide some evidence?

 

[Gaz]

I cant, see their f***ing snarky email - they'll want proof lol

cough & temperature it is then

in all seriousness, do what is right for you and your child. It’ll not be an issue tonight

 

[look out piano]

It sounds a bit harsh but I understand their viewpoint. There may be other factors but if school is open and most children are in, it's quite a big burden for a teacher to carry out their normal day to day tasks, and then on top of that provide remote learning for children who aren't in.

There are two sides to every story as in sure you're aware, and the school need to have a cut off point somewhere.

Thy could have at least emailed a few worksheets, even just a synopsis of something they need to learn / write about at the very least - refusing to do anything is a shitty thing to do.

cough & temperature it is then

in all seriousness, do what is right for you and your child. It’ll not be an issue tonight

I know, I feel like emailing a snotty response back saying summat like "you'll have to tomorrow when we're locked down and schools are shut".

 

[Axerty]

My son is not primary (he's year 7) but has had no lessons done over zoom/teams. It is all done via ClassCharts, the work is set for them and they are just left to get on with it.

eldest is 6 first time round they didn’t set or send anything - we did huge amount with him sending in big bookfull of work he completed that wasn’t even looked at

they’ve now set them all up with teams accounts which homework has been set on so far this year - there’s no way he can sit and do work alone so I’ll be back teaching during day and doing my work early morning & on nights

 

[AC Mack]

Thy could have at least emailed a few worksheets, even just a synopsis of something they need to learn / write about at the very least - refusing to do anything is a shitty thing to do.

I know, I feel like emailing a snotty response back saying summat like "you'll have to tomorrow when we're locked down and schools are shut".

I understand both viewpoints.

I was very critical last year on here over some schools and their clear lack of engagement with remote learning. As far as I was concerned that wasn't acceptable. This is a slightly different scenario.

I'm not saying they shouldn't be providing you with anything, by the way.

 

[Edinburgh Black Cat]

I understand both viewpoints.

I was very critical last year on here over some schools and their clear lack of engagement with remote learning. As far as I was concerned that wasn't acceptable. This is a slightly different scenario.

I'm not saying they shouldn't be providing you with anything, by the way.

It's a piss poor response. Granted they probably don't have the authority or capability to do much better but it's piss poor nonetheless.

 

[look out piano]

I understand both viewpoints.

I was very critical last year on here over some schools and their clear lack of engagement with remote learning. As far as I was concerned that wasn't acceptable. This is a slightly different scenario.

I'm not saying they shouldn't be providing you with anything, by the way.

Well they've pissed me off now

 

[AC Mack]

It's a piss poor response. Granted they probably don't have the authority or capability to do much better but it's piss poor nonetheless.

I'm not saying what they've done is the best outcome, but what would you suggest?

You've got to remember the email was sent with the assumption that school would open as normal and teachers would be teaching as normal.

Well they've pissed me off now

Before going out and throwing petrol all over the school, I'd try to consider their situation.

 

[Don'tListenToTheHat]

I thought our agenda would have been amended slightly but it wasn't. Fair play to the head and deputy really.

You've got to remember that we had numerous planning meetings and so on last year so if the lockdown was to occur again, we can pick up where we left off.

We'd need a meeting tomorrow, mind.

I work in the office so it leads itself to a bit more chatter. We all got on with our work mind and I know the teachers were focused. Fair play to your team though.

 

[look out piano]

I'm not saying what they've done is the best outcome, but what would you suggest?

You've got to remember the email was sent with the assumption that school would open as normal and teachers would be teaching as normal.




Before going out and throwing petrol all over the school, I'd try to consider their situation.

Lets not get hasty now man hew I just think an email with a few ideas / exercises wouldn't have been too hard to do.

 

[TravellingMackem]

You don't sound like an ex-teacher to me. I don't particularly like most other teachers, but your lack of consideration to the other side of the coin leads me to believe you're telling porkies to prove your point. Unless you can provide some evidence?

Evidence? What the fuck are you on about. What a clown. Sure I’ll just stick a payslip of mine on an Internet forum to prove a point...

 

[Edinburgh Black Cat]

I'm not saying what they've done is the best outcome, but what would you suggest?

You've got to remember the email was sent with the assumption that school would open as normal and teachers would be teaching as normal.


Before going out and throwing petrol all over the school, I'd try to consider their situation.

For that particular school. I'd suggest using some initiative and providing the remote learning facilities that they referenced they have available. As at absolute minimum they should be showing some empathy and asking people who are in exceptional circumstances to get in touch.

Generally, there should've been a nationwide remote learning programme put in place months ago. That could’ve been delivered using a fairly small project team but it would take pressure off hundreds of schools around the country. I mentioned it months ago, we are where we are, but not too late - someone should be put in charge of it tonight with the project set up starting tomorrow.

 

[Lexingtongue]

Evidence? What the fuck are you on about. What a clown. Sure I’ll just stick a payslip of mine on an Internet forum to prove a point...

Then I call bullshit.

 

[lawe toppa]

Teachers who are refusing to come to work should not be paid a salary at the end of the month. All other key workers attend work but these pre madonna public sector workers think they have it so bad. They need to have a look at the private sector to see what poor work conditions are really like. Failing children's education yet again...disgrace.
So say they shut for 4 weeks, what on earth will change so drastically in those weeks so that it will be much safer for them when they do feel.like going back???