Coronavirus: General discussion (see opening post for rules)

[kennysarmy]

I'd say we have at least 70-80 students home or on their way home out of around 1350.

 

I expect by the end of the week this will be in the 100's!

 

If the staff are off at the same rate I guess we can stay open...

[mikeprice]

Just finished cancelling my wife's 60th birthday stuff - all of it - it's her birthday today

 

family meal out in a pub tonight - cancelled

hotel in Stratford for 4 nights - cancelled

tickets to see 2 RSC plays on Friday and Saturday - cancelled

 

 

BUT - good thing - everyone I had rung has been OK about the cancellation and has refunded the money with no problem

 

as soon as all this dies down we will be re-booking - but probably not in time for our 2nd anniversary next month (note to self - must check date!!!)

[keyboards]

We've got the finance trust department off but we're still waiting for any communication, it's a bit wrong and odd.

[Seb1780]

Interesting (to data heads)

 

https://www.washingtonpost.com/graphics/2020/world/corona-simulator/

[paulkerton]

I feel for my technicians that can be coming in to contact with a keyboard that's being used by 6-7 different kids every day.

 

Use rubber gloves if they are available? I'm literally carrying 4 pairs, just in case I have to interact with devices.

Wash hands before, wash hands after. Do not touch your face.

That's all they can do.

Because of my living situation I've been given the go ahead to work from home as of tomorrow, but it isn't as simple for everyone. (I'm still going in to help train!)

[Dos_Box]

Interesting (to data heads)

 

https://www.washingtonpost.com/graphics/2020/world/corona-simulator/

 

That is actually very informative in a visual way.

[FishCustard]

Very interesting, and illustrates why locking people and places down hard may not be the best route forward.

[CalmBlueOcean]

These messages about the number of staff off are darkly amusing to me - that's roughly our percentage off on a regular good day, before most of us had ever heard of Coronavirus!

[Lonix]

So to expand on that; our stance appears to be:

Staff and students who don't have symptoms are expected to be in as normal.

If school closures are announced, we will seek clarification as to whether it's an advisory or compulsory. If it's compulsory, then the outcome is obvious - we shut. If it's advisory, then Year 11 are expected in for effective revision sessions, a skeleton staff to look after them and catering staff, with the school being open from 8am-12pm. We would also open the canteen to any student that qualifies for Free School Meals (even if they're Years 7-10 and not in - they would come in for their meal if they want) as "it's often their best meal of the day". Support staff are expected to rota in to cover.

Not sure I agree with that to be honest - the head seems hell bent on keeping things running without care for he health of students and employees.

We've also heard through the grapevine that those close to maternity leave are being asked to take it early. Presumably because it means they'll come back to work earlier and it saves the school paying both sick/isolation pay and maternity pay.

 

Bit of a mess really. I see the exams being shutdown and put on serious hold. Revisions makes an assumption that school will resume normal in what 4-6 weeks? How much missed lesson time will that be? Yes, I can see it being like Football, some one will decide to cancel or delay it all till later. It will be a hard call but I can see it being made. People need to remember that not everyone will get it within that period, meaning staff will still be taking sick leave. That means staff shortages nationwide. You look at today and its not normal. Short on staff, less students on site and even families self isolation.

 

I appreciate that exams must be prepared for but I think certain people just can't accept the seriousness of the situation we're in. It does seem that we need our nation to be completely shutdown for people to open their eyes on how serious this is. The comparisons to flu have seriously dropped and those that would generally down play this are fast vanishing.

 

Even those in my family that generally would brush it off "in my day we got on with it" etc.. they've changed their tone to being quite cautious.

[ICTDirect_Dave]

Interesting (to data heads)

 

https://www.washingtonpost.com/graphics/2020/world/corona-simulator/

 

That really is a very good way of showing how different measures work

[paulkerton]

Ofsted pauses routine inspections (SchoolsWeek)

Well after they spent a weekend putting out advice that they'd continue, and that they'd consider what to do if the headteacher had died, then I think they've probably realised, tail between legs, that they look inhumane and monstrous.

 

In other news, the Foreign Office has now advised against all non-essential travel for the next 30 days.

 

Out of the country, obvs.

[Andycat]

Well after they spent a weekend putting out advice that they'd continue, and that they'd consider what to do if the headteacher had died, then I think they've probably realised, tail between legs, that they look inhumane and monstrous.

 

In other news, the Foreign Office has now advised against all non-essential travel for the next 30 days.

 

Out of the country, obvs.

 

"Advised" again.

[CAM]

Bit of a mess really. I see the exams being shutdown and put on serious hold. Revisions makes an assumption that school will resume normal in what 4-6 weeks? How much missed lesson time will that be? Yes, I can see it being like Football, some one will decide to cancel or delay it all till later. It will be a hard call but I can see it being made. People need to remember that not everyone will get it within that period, meaning staff will still be taking sick leave. That means staff shortages nationwide. You look at today and its not normal. Short on staff, less students on site and even families self isolation.

 

I appreciate that exams must be prepared for but I think certain people just can't accept the seriousness of the situation we're in. It does seem that we need our nation to be completely shutdown for people to open their eyes on how serious this is. The comparisons to flu have seriously dropped and those that would generally down play this are fast vanishing.

 

Even those in my family that generally would brush it off "in my day we got on with it" etc.. they've changed their tone to being quite cautious.

 

Less of an impact than you think. year 11 are mostly revising now. Anything still needing to be covered will be small and could be delivered online.

[paulkerton]

"Advised" again.

 

Yup. It'll be the same for schools, no doubt. No one will be ordered to close, it'll be advised to.

However, I think that should be enough to trigger travel insurance. I think!

[FishCustard]

"Advised" again.

 

That's what the FCO does - it doesn't say "you must not travel", it doesn't have that power (well I suppose in extremis it might...), it issues advice to allow people and companies to make up their own mind.

 

As others have said, the important thing is that an FCO advisory often allows a travel insurance claim.

[synaesthesia]

The government have specifically said they do have that power, but to use it would be disproportionate and that we're sensible enough anyway.

 

 

Yes, I chuckled at that last bit too.

[elsiegee40]

A friend teaches at a school in the Midlands where they have put together bags of essentials for vulnerable families

2 bags per household for our most vulnerable families - those who rely on the food bank significantly. Contents - large bottle of squash, huge pack of pasta and tin of sauce, tea bags, cereal, coffee, UHT milk, biscuits, crisps, some Easter chocolate, toothbrushes and toothpaste, soap/handwash and a few other bits. In addition all FSM kids have vouchers for food from Morrison’s.

It’s being paid for by the trust The school kitchen/caterers have sourced a lot of it.

[Duke5A]

I'm going to lose my shit on people. I just had a staff member feel the need to come into my office, place her hand on my desk and lean against it to tell me a stupid joke. I told her to leave and she comes back with a bleach wipe, wipes the spot on my desk, then proceeds to pick up a banana on my desk with her free hand to wipe under it. At which I just yelled at her to GTFO. People are complete idiots.

[mikeprice]

Just found this on Twitter

 

I am 30 minutes into home schooling my 6 year old. I suggest that all school teachers are paid £1m per year from now on.

 

 

I know it is a bit teacher focussed - but a lot of people are going to be feeling like this

[the_quick]

We have around 300 kids absent, out of 1250. Around 5 members of staff self isolating for 14 days - we predict more will follow.

 

I'm lost for words. Small businesses, pubs and restaurants, people on 0 hours contacts and those just made unemployed - all those groups are screwed.

[Theblacksheep]

We have around 300 kids absent, out of 1250. Around 5 members of staff self isolating for 14 days - we predict more will follow.

 

I'm lost for words. Small businesses, pubs and restaurants, people on 0 hours contacts and those just made unemployed - all those groups are screwed.

 

We will follow Macron's leadership today.

 

Hopefully, it's not just propping up big business. Capitalist companies sending socialist begging letters already.

[Andrew_C]

Capitalist companies sending socialist begging letters already.

cv Beardy Branson. He could pay his airline staff out of his own pocket for weeks, and at the end of it, he'd be down to his last £4billion.

[mikeprice]

We have around 300 kids absent, out of 1250. Around 5 members of staff self isolating for 14 days - we predict more will follow.

 

I'm lost for words. Small businesses, pubs and restaurants, people on 0 hours contacts and those just made unemployed - all those groups are screwed.

 

Yup - those of us that have a protected salary should remember that we are lucky

 

my brother-in-law is a taxi driver - can't see it being easy for him to make any money over the next few months - and he has only just got back to fully working after an operation

 

even people working for proper companies will be affected as a lot of then will be forced to cut back due to secondary impacts

 

This whole thing is going to have massive impacts everywhere

 

I'm just hoping that the company that I used to work for doesn't go bust - if it does my pensions - and hence my financial plans for the next 30 (if we are lucky) years are a problem - but at least I have money coming in which is fairly secure

[the_quick]

The advice from the government about distancing is not going to work, as it is just an advice, examples:

 

- staff member at home as the child shows symptoms - her partner at work, as if he doesn't work, ho doesn't get paid

- another person asked if he will be going to the local pub - of course, we need to support them in those difficult times.

 

I think it is very British, to not do what you being told.

[FishCustard]

- another person asked if he will be going to the local pub - of course, we need to support them in those difficult times.

And risk contracting / transmitting the virus? I don't think so!