Coronavirus

[lemonjelly]

It also creates a scenario for issues with unions arguing workforces should not return until vaccinations have been done in their relevant sector. No idea if it'd be successful or not, but am pretty sure the government don't want to send that message out.

 

[Dire Wolf]

again I think (like a few others) that occupation is potentially too broad a brush. why teachers and not staff within universities for example? Prioritising one occupation will merely create more arguments than it resolves.

Surely that's because school staff, not just teachers, are the ones who are going to be in contact the soonest, and for the most extended periods, therefore being exposed to the highest viral loads? University staff are rarely enclosed in a small room with 30 other households for 6 hours at a time, are they? To me that's a spurious argument. You're comparing apples and oranges. Ignore the name of the profession and consider the circumstances and the risk involved and it appears a simple matter of common sense that staff in schools need vaccinating. Arguments otherwise are based simply on "That's not fair, why do they get it and we dont"...

 

[lemonjelly]

there's a shed load of close contact, with various groups, sometimes in the 100's. There is also a much greater population (staff and students alike) at universities, therefore a greater risk. Schools - especially primary are mainly in the same classes, so the contacts are more managed.
I do understand the concern for all school staff (like you, I also think just saying teachers isn't reasonable either). But there's little to suggest they are a special group contrasted to other occupations.

 

[Parkins left foot]

I got vaccinated just over 2 weeks ago, but doubt that I am fully protected yet so still taking precautions.

Worked in schools for 17 yrs before I retired & whilst not in a classroom role the last one was a small rural primary so still interacted with the staff & pupils on a daily basis - don't feel that I would have been at more at risk of serious complications than I am in going into a supermarket now.

The further down the age range we get on vaccination the more others are protected at a younger age - defining job roles for earlier jabs will create problems as it will just encourage competing voices, which all probably have valid arguments as to why they should be higher.

The task is to vaccinate as many as possible as soon as possible and not derail what has been the 1 issue that this lot have got right - just keep the rules simple and let the NHS complete this task.

 

[Dire Wolf]

there's a shed load of close contact, with various groups, sometimes in the 100's. There is also a much greater population (staff and students alike) at universities, therefore a greater risk. Schools - especially primary are mainly in the same classes, so the contacts are more managed.
I do understand the concern for all school staff (like you, I also think just saying teachers isn't reasonable either). But there's little to suggest they are a special group contrasted to other occupations.

Except that they are being the first workforce targeted to return, are they not? Weeks ahead of everyone else. Why?

And if they are returning earlier then maybe, just maybe, it makes sense for them to get their vaccination earlier.

 

[Tredman]

Except that they are being the first workforce targeted to return, are they not? Weeks ahead of everyone else. Why?

And if they are returning earlier then maybe, just maybe, it makes sense for them to get their vaccination earlier.

Surely supermarket workers would come first if the only issue is being indoors with lots of people? They’ve not had the opportunity to stay at home either.

As above it’s a minefield if you start to prioritise on perceived risk of contracting Covid, rather than actual risk of death.

 

[lemonjelly]

Yep. The same logic would dictate that all the essential service workers who have continued working throughout all lockdowns are prior to teachers/school staff.

 

[AndyWolves]

After some googling it seems around half of teachers are less than 40.

Vaccinating them seems like the wrong thing to do when there are still the 9 priority groups to do, which, if teachers fall into would get vaccinated anyway.

 

[Langers]

I am in agreement with Dire Wolf - although I admit I am biased seeing as my fiancee is a teacher.

Aside from the obvious exposure that sitting in a crammed classroom with 30 kids, the whole way she has had to work has changed. Her stress levels are through the roof - last summer, she was told that 'expert in education' Gavin Williamson obviously knew more about her students than she does by deciding to guess kids' grades, then was told she couldn't stay in her own classroom and has to move all her stuff across the school between each lesson, meaning no time for breaks as she weaves through cramped corridors, then she was told part of her job was to test kids' temperatures throughout the day.

As well as that, she's had to prepare the same lessons twice - in the classroom and online for those who weren't attending. The changes the government have made with the opening of schools has also been with very little notice, meaning her usual prep work has either had to be discarded, or she's had to do twice as much in half the time.

She also says that her main concern is the kids - some of them simply won't be able to recover from 12 months of disrupted schooling and whilst there's no easy solution to this in such trying times, teachers simply are not being listened to at all. They will know more about the welfare of the individuals they teach on a daily basis than some half witted cunt in a suit from Westminster who is making these decisions on a whim without ever consulting those 'on the front line'. Just to get a bit of good press.

I appreciate that it isn't just teachers who are suffering in all of this - we're just lucky that they're able to work at all when others aren't so fortunate - but there's very much a sense of 'Operation Human Shield' about the way they've been treated in the past 12 months.

 

[Johnny75]

Teachers as victims, how novel.

 

[Dire Wolf]

Teachers as victims, how novel.

Johnny as an arse, how novel.

 

[Tredman]

I still don't see how teachers are worse off than shop workers, bus drivers, etc, etc. Its shit, of course it is - but in the main they are with a group of people who have been proven to be less infectious in multiple studies, and they have been shown to be no more at risk of death or serious harm than anyone else in society. Human shield is a really emotive way to describe doing their job - its no different to people working in small corner shops who have had no choice or lockdown since March last year.

 

[Dire Wolf]

PPE.

 

[AndyWolves]

PPE.

Are face masks allowed / encouraged at schools?

I know it's not PPE per se, but I can't remember re: masks

 

[Tony Towner]

Are face masks allowed / encouraged at schools?

I know it's not PPE per se, but I can't remember re: masks

Obligatory for secondary schools when walking around the school, but not when sat in classrooms. That may change in March, but Government hasn't confirmed yet

 

[BillyDee]

Masks are only allowed in corridors, not in the classrooms...

 

[Tredman]

Mandatory now

The government has announced that some secondary school pupils in England will have to wear face coverings or masks in classrooms for an initial period when they return to school.

It's a big change as previously students only had to wear them in communal areas and some children don't have to wear them at all.

The Secretary of State for Education, Gavin Williamson, has said that the plan for children to wear masks in class will be reviewed after the first few weeks of school.

"We're reviewing that at the Easter holidays to see if that has had a positive impact... or whether it's going to continue to be necessary."

He didn't rule out that the policy could be in place until 21 June, the final date in the plan to ease the lockdown.

 

[AndyWolves]

Masks in classrooms along with ventilation between lessons seems like a reasonable mitigation to me, along with the usual hand sanitising etc

 

[Kenny]

After reading that foreign holiday bookings surged after the announcement of a possible lifting of restrictions on travel from May/June thought I would look at the cost of the flights I have booked for August 31st (rearranged from May 2020). When we rearranged we got a bargain, better seats for less money. As of this week if I want to do the same, about 70% higher in cost.

Still not 100% we will do the trip but glad I just rearranged rather than cancelling then rebooking.

 

[Tom Hark]

Masks in classrooms along with ventilation between lessons seems like a reasonable mitigation to me, along with the usual hand sanitising etc

Problem is when people start acting as though Covid-19 is akin to the bubonic plague. If it didn't kill people who are old or have underlying, no one would have batted an eyelid. Once all the vulnerable are vaccinated, the worst that's likely to happen to those still waiting is not much worse than a bad cold. (And, yes, I know there are exceptions, which is why I said likely. It's not likely I'll fall downstairs and kill myself today, but someone, somewhere will.) I've every sympathy for the extra workload, but trying to portray the classroom as some kind of existential biohazard is OTT imo.