Schools

gillybob of course it's a shambles. Schools should have been closed before this. Many of us know teachers usually work through coughs and colds and now wouldn't be able to, so the staffing levels would drop and exactly what has happened to your DGS would happen. Sorry it happened but it was predictable.

My DGS was specifically told to come into school today as normal (his sisters in another school were told not to) . I took him to school today only to be met by someone at the gate saying they had decided not to open. Well thank you for that ! What a shambles.

Grandad1943 I called you ignorant because you have in the past, and still persist in imagining that you know exactly what teachers are doing and will do. Effectively you like most people know little or nothing of the real tasks involved. I wouldn't dream of walking into your place of work and criticising what you do but hey anybody can teach can't they?
What this does prove is how hugely society depends upon the very people you are now denigrating. Who actually won't be at home. They will be setting work, trying to keep some sort of education running especially for those in critical years. They will be trying to work out what to do in September when all the processes which are usually in place before the summer holidays to enable progression for pupils will not have happened and will need to be enabled in some way. It is a widely held and completely erronious concept that all teachers do is work when children are in school. They are working many more hours and they will continue to work. In fact they will have more to do because all the usual planned processes have just been destroyed.

Good heavens, some are showing their true colours on this thread! I'm appalled at the vitriol thrown at teachers by those who can see no further than the length of a school day. My DD is a primary school teacher and she works harder than anyone else I know. She has her own small children and she is also in a high risk category for coronavirus. Their school has been preparing for weeks should school closure become inevitable. While I am relieved that her risk of contracting the virus will now be reduced, she is fretting for the wellbeing of her class.

I’d have thought that anyone with young grandchildren in school or nursery would understand what prime germ-factories those places are, hence teachers being off with suspect symptoms.

Dh and I, who so rarely had colds before Gdcs in school or nursery, have constantly picked up coughs and colds from them - and that’s while usually seeing them only once a week.

I don’t think Grandad demonizing teachers on this way is justified, they are still op under contract and I am sure they will be deployed where they can be beneficial. A good proportion of them will be needed to cope with the children of key workers.

Although Exams have been cancelled those children have got to have a way to move forward to college or university in September. I’m sure some kind of online tuition and assessment will be needed to enable this.

I’m stunned at the vitriol on here towards teaching staff as if they had engineered this pandemic so they could have a few weeks jollies. My neighbour is a music teacher - guess what she’s not getting paid and will have no private pupils or concerts to fall back on. I often wonder why those who think teaching is such a lucrative doddle they haven’t all joined the profession, and why there is a massive staff shortage. It is the government who have closed the schools not the teachers btw. Including pregnant women in the list of self isolators didn’t help - even when there is no scientific evidence they are at any more risk- most people would agree that it is better to err on the side of caution.

Beginning this week, we are told not to watch GC (in US). Miss them terribly, but know they would miss me more if I died from this virus. I am trying to help them and myself accept the concept of imposed mitigation. All our lives we value personal choice and now must admit exceptions exist.

Thank you May7. It's sh*t but I'm not the only one. There are going to be thousands, if not millions of people out of jobs or self-employed with no businesses. It really would be good, if people didn't take out their anger on others.

Anyway, good night for I have to be working in the morning Grandad1943 @22:49
Maybe you should have done just that.
Our teachers are amazingly dedicated people with the same worries as the rest of us and I also think you are very wrong to believe that the teaching profession in the United Kingdom has lost all credibility with much of the British public
Sorry for you growstuff awful position for you to be in

My SIL has left a secure job for one in which he has to live in London during the week. The new job is now under threat because of all this. He will get no redundancy. I'm worried sick for them. No ones job is safe any more.

BTW gillybob I'm self-employed and have just lost income overnight. My own health means I'm in at risk categories and should have been self-isolating anyway. Two and a half years ago, I was in an ambulance and thought I wouldn't make it to the hospital. Ever since then, my perspective has changed. Anger is self-destructive, as is blame.

Don't be silly eazybee. Unfortunately, there are some who really don't understand that teachers aren't skiving. They're useful punchbags.

gillybob There are plenty of people who have much sympathy with your situation and understand your anger, but blaming public service workers is misplaced. Many teachers do understand because they come into contact with children in similar situations all the time. Believe it or not, some of them go out of their way to try and help them - more than they would children from easier families.

Grandad1943 Wed 18-Mar-20 23:42:34
I believe that the teaching profession in the United Kingdom has lost all credibility with much of the British public in the last week, and that will take much in the way of rebuilding when this crisis is all over

Deputy Chief Medical Officer Jenny Harries said the move was not prompted because children were at any particular risk, but because it was necessary to reduce social contact throughout society.
But I don't suppose an apology will be forthcoming.

I’m not stressed Labaik I’m Almost suicidal.

2 children, 1 DiL all work in the private sector. No work equals no pay. My DD in tears tonight because her shop is closing. Means she can’t pay her mortgage . My own business is finished. DH is very ill and to be honest doesn’t care what day it is.

Does anyone understand ? No of course not. Bust as long as the teachers are okay .

Goodnight x

Grandad1943 voiced my concern over exactly what are key workers'? The food production industry, pickers and packers, delivery drivers and supermarket staff are all essential or there will be no food. Likewise anyone involved in the pharmaceutical industry or we'll get no drugs. Then we have those who maintain the highways and railways, all essential. Emergency workers, fire, Police, ambulance. Care workers. Prison workers. There are so many that I would call 'key workers' and we cannot function without them.

I know you work your socks off, gilly As a mother and grandmother (sorry if I sound like the Queen) my worries and sleepless nights concern my family earning a living in London.

At least our med student DGD has been sent home to study as all face to face lectures have been cancelled. She has been in Guys and St. Thomas's so that's one less family member to worry about.

I'm not the only one with family in the firing line. Let's face it, when it comes to the crunch we just want our loved ones to be safe and that includes teachers.

Oh thank god for that eazybee where shall is end my grandchildren tomorrow and for the foreseeable ?

gillybob; I know you're stressed and I can understand that. But teachers haven't asked for this and I can't imagine that there's a single one of them that wouldn't rather be working than have this terrible crisis unfolding around us.

Thank you Grandad1943 of course the teachers are keen to see the schools closed . Why wouldn’t they ? Full pay, at home, what not to like ?

Because, Gilly, many of us actually enjoy our job and aren't in it for the money. That is why it is called a vocation.

I’m with you all the way grandad1943 I only have 5 employees these days but I cannot see past this Friday. All contracts we had in place are now suspended .

I believe that the teaching profession in the United Kingdom has lost all credibility with much of the British public in the last week, and that will take much in the way of rebuilding when this crisis is all over.

It's not off work. They have been told to work remotely and will still do all the assessments they always do. They are being expected to set and mark work.

Don’t we all work out socks off merlot ? I know I bloody well do. Haven’t had a wage for 13 weeks either .

So have they taken their pupils home eazybee. Can my DiL go to work tomorrow ? Unless of course I step up as usual and take the children myself ? But no of course not, the vulnerable, poorly cannot possibly look after the children can they ?

I’m passed caring about being rude.