Teachers quandary

[Dong]

Would you be happy for your partner to return to the class-room, as is planned, this September?

 

[Dong]

Have just seen news of tests of schoolkids in the USA for Corona.
Over 100 000 were found to be positive,
Are we testing yet?

 

[Dong]

Kids seldom get the disease but they certainly can carry it!
Sixty year old teacher I know is worried.

 

[Common-Carnage]

Not like people have much choice, would you be happy with your partner working in a nursing home, as people have been doing throughout the pandemic? Or a supermarket, factory, warehouse etc etc.

 

[supercookie123]

Would you be happy for your partner to return to the class-room, as is planned, this September?

Unsure about my partner, as he won't be returning to a classroom, but I will and I have very mixed feelings. I do lots of jobs daily for my terminally-ill parents; I'm not going anywhere alse apart from Asda and haven't for months so going back to work will mean a sudden and extreme return to being around people. Obviously I am concerned for my parents' safety and wellbeing but I also realise many people believe we have been 'off' for 5 months and really want that to end. I am also concerned for the kids; these people will have exams. They also have parents who are struggling to go to work with kids at home (no longer grandparents too look after them, as they are shielding!).

People will have concerns, but I have to say that the steps we have taken in our school mean that we will be as safe there as anywhere.

 

[Dong]

Not like people have much choice, would you be happy with your partner working in a nursing home, as people have been doing throughout the pandemic? Or a supermarket, factory, warehouse etc etc.

Thing is, many are scared, believing it to be suicidal to go back to the school room.
The Government certainly put a scare in to a lot of vulnerable people.

 

[LadyOnArooftop]

The teacher in our close seems to have spent all summer in her hot tub, at the same time I know there will be teachers in bits knowing children are missing out on an education. One teaching union has said the kids can't go back till there is NO risk, this is madness, there's a risk in everything. The kids just have to go back to school, as our leader Boris says - it's vitally important!

 

[supercookie123]

Thing is, many are scared, believing it to be suicidal to go back to the school room.
The Government certainly put a scare in to a lot of vulnerable people.

I spoke to someone today who was adamant that schools should not have closed at all. Now, Government is saying that they will be the last to close if anything similar happens again. It's just been so disruptive for so many.

Personally, I have never spent such a miserable, stressful few months and I'd be happy to try to deal with it some other way if need in future. Heads of Year and Headteachers, among others, have had few if any days off and have worked stupid hours. To have changed schools to the extent necessary for September (in our case, there has even been construction!), in such a brief space of time, has been difficult. There is no guarantee it will all be necessary or worth it, but it has to be done!

 

[Common-Carnage]

Thing is, many are scared, believing it to be suicidal to go back to the school room.
The Government certainly put a scare in to a lot of vulnerable people.

A lot of people have been scared throughout whilst they continued to work as normal , that's not to say that teachers haven't been working, just in a different way, but kids can't stay off indefinitely, the whole point of lockdown and schools shutting down (which, actually many didn't close, as they were open for the children of keyworkers to attend, albeit with reduced numbers ) wasn't to protect teachers/other school staff from ever catching the virus but to try and limit the spread to avoid overwhelming the NHS.

Anybody who is particularly vulnerable/has family who are vulnerable, should talk to their boss if they think that returning to the workplace poses too big a risk/ they are not happy to return. Good bosses should know who these people are anyway.

They should also bear in mind that their bosses have a duty of care towards their staff and they are well within their rights to speak up if they are unhappy about anything.

 

[Dong]

The great puffball. James O'Brian of LBC said that there was no solution to this quandary.
No...but there is an answer,,,and that is to follow common sense, not some woke agenda,
What if one child dies because of school ? measure that against the futures of millions of kids who need their time in school.
Harsh? these are hard times.

 

[supercookie123]

A lot of people have been scared throughout whilst they continued to work as normal , that's not to say that teachers haven't been working, just in a different way, but kids can't stay off indefinitely, the whole point of lockdown and schools shutting down (which, actually many didn't close, as they were open for the children of keyworkers to attend, albeit with reduced numbers ) wasn't to protect teachers/other school staff from ever catching the virus but to try and limit the spread to avoid overwhelming the NHS.

Anybody who is particularly vulnerable/has family who are vulnerable, should talk to their boss if they think that returning to the workplace poses too big a risk/ they are not happy to return. Good bosses should know who these people are anyway.

They should also bear in mind that their bosses have a duty of care towards their staff and they are well within their rights to speak up if they are unhappy about anything.

Yup - agreed.

 

[Dong]

Right! There is no certainty that any child will die but......we can be certain that our schoolkids will be the real sufferers if they are denied an education.