Tory insistence that ‘schools are safe’ was already discredited, but now it’s blown apart by DfE’s own data
The Department for Education (DfE) has finally released data on the impact of coronavirus on the school workforce in its report “Attendance in education and early years settings during the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak”.
The dataset includes the number of teachers and school leaders, teaching assistants and other staff absent with a confirmed case of coronavirus – and it reveals what commonsense and science dictated, but the government has persistently denied, instead claiming ‘schools are safe’.
The National Education Union (NEU) has used the government’s data to calculate the estimated rate of coronavirus infection amongst school staff – and the data show that there are much higher rates of COVID infection amongst teachers and other school staff than for the general population.
The finding is in direct contradiction to the reassurances regularly given by the Department and by Public Health England, including by Dr Jenny Harries giving evidence to the Education Select Committee yesterday morning. Harries told the committee that even for the new, supposedly much more transmissible variant, there was no ‘significant evidence’ to suggest that schools are drivers of the pandemic:
But the DfE’s own data reveal a different story. On average the rate of COVID infection is 1.9 times higher amongst primary and secondary teachers than the general population – and 2 times higher for special school teachers.
And for teaching assistants and other staff, the rate of COVID infection is three times higher in primary schools and almost seven times higher in special schools.
The Government has been collecting this information since early October, so if the new variant is more transmissible, the situation will get worse. During most of this period, Health Secretary Matt Hancock has denied that school pupils were likely to transmit the virus to teachers or to their own families.
Dr Mary Bousted, Joint General Secretary of the National Education Union, said that the data raised ‘further very serious questions’ about the Tory government’s decisions on schools during the pandemic:
These shocking figures raise further very serious questions about the handling of coronavirus in schools. What investigations have the Department for Education made into these figures?
Why have the ministers repeatedly told school staff and the public that there was no reason for concern when these figures indicate that there should have been real concern about the much higher COVID infection rates of teachers and other school staff?
Why did ministers deny clinically extremely vulnerable staff the right to work from home?
Why has it taken ministers so long to release this data? What mitigating measures will ministers now propose?
The Office for National Statistics has not updated its death statistics for school staff since June last year, at which point 148 teachers had died, but hundreds of education staff are now believed to have died of the virus.
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Teachers are cannon fodder, just as care home residents were the first time around. The requirement for any adult to spend all their working time in rooms, corridors, and other communal spaces with hordes of smaller humans, all of which can carry a potentially lethal virus, is appalling. It’s obviously dangerous, and in the fullness of time when the statistics are fully collated and death rates among teachers is shown to be significantly above the norm, this government will be held responsible. Or maybe it won’t. After all, over 1600 people died yesterday, and our awful media doesn’t bat an eyelid, let alone turn on this Tory shower who’s incompetence is only exceeded by their arrogant callousness.
This highlights the callousness of Bozo and his government and in certain instances that of Keir Starmer. They were willing to wait to see how many caught the virus and died as a result before they were willing to act.
‘ Mary Bousted, Joint General Secretary of the National Education Union, said that the data raised ‘further very serious questions’ about the Tory government’s decisions on schools during the pandemic’.
And Labour under Starmer’s ‘leadership’ too.
Just natural wastage to the neo liberal alliance of the conservative and Labour party.And it never needed to happen,and that’s why the country has never needed a effective Opposition more today than ever before.We are going through a massive rebalancing of the world economic system and the British people deserve better than the tacticians and ideological freaks of a neo liberal alliance hellbent on a reset of the society’ we fought for and our parants and grandparents sacrificed blood for..They may think that we can be herded and treated like cattle,but their reign will be short lived even with the demise of the establishment Labour party,.The country and the membership will never forget this moment in history or the Labour party that did nothing.and sat back.ITs going to be a long hard winter for many of our comrades and people…but keep the faith and the tyrants will eventually destroy themselves.
Well said, that man.
Indeed.
https://www.spiegel.de/international/germany/new-study-explores-risk-played-by-children-in-covid-spread-a-b0a90b6f-1d21-41e8-a2d0-13751aa3ce09
“We’re Playing Roulette” c
New Study Explores Risk Played By Children in COVID Spread
Few other issues are as hotly debated as school closures to prevent the spread of the coronavirus. New data from Austria now provides further evidence of the risk posed by children. The virus mutant B.1.1.7 could make the situation even worse.
https://www.spiegel.de/international/world/can-germany-stop-the-new-supervirus-a-e9ffc207-0015-4330-8361-b306f6053e15
“What We’re Dealing with Now Is a New Pandemic”
Can We Stop a Super Coronavirus?
The new variants of the coronavirus are even more dangerous than those known so far. Researchers and politicians fear a sharp increase in the number of infections, with dramatic consequences like those seen in Britain. Can Germany still stop the new killers?
Nurse, new bedsheets!
timfrom – You are being silly. I’m doubt the thousands who have lost loved ones will find your immature musings.as funny as you obviously do.
SteveH, forgive my ‘obsession’. You don’t agree that Zionism, the doctrine which is destroying the Labour Party as a Socialist Party is racism but do you welcome the recruitment of the Israeli government spy into the Party’s ranks?
Jack – As I’ve said before your obsession is your problem, not mine, however you should stop presuming to know what others think. Your conjecture isn’t evidence of anything apart from your febrile imagination.
Thanks SteveH it’s now abudantly clear where you stand, good luck in the Labour Zionist Party of Britain.
Jack – There you go again falsely claiming to know what other people think. Whilst I appreciate that it doesn’t fit with your agenda it is undeniable that I have made it very clear on several occasions that I think that all religious organisations (all 2 of them) should be disaffiliated from the Labour party.
SteveH who are the ‘other people’ to whom you refer? It’s rather ironic you criticise me for presuming to know what other people think and then you presume you know what my agenda is – which is?
Jack – For goodness sake grow up .I really can’t be bothered with this immature nonsense.
Jack T ..I am sure that the media and the conservatives have noted the influence of the Zionist government of Israel in the Labour party and the leader of the Labour party that has relatives there and holidays there.I have no doubt that this will be used against the Labour party in the next general election campaign.The British are still patriotic and the infiltration will be used for good measure by a Tory government.Lazy journalists potraying black ops spys hounding ordinary salt of the earth Labour members…Foreign takover and funding of the Labour party “.ITs really not too difficult to see how the torys will wheel out the negative campaigning because a government in trouble will grasp at straws when they are in real trouble as they will be..A knight in shining armour and the Labour party for the people?.e have already wtitten the headlines for labours “Last stand” in the last chance saloon.of the next general election campaign.
SteveH, nowhere to go and nothing to say. You are yet another fraud in the Labour Party masquerading as a Socialist.
“I don’t just want all children back at school next month, I expect them back at school. No ifs, no buts, no equivocation,”
Keith Starmer.
https://i.ibb.co/SnnQgKH/Eo-Jz-Dd-WWEAINAAf.png
Instead of relying on a short out of context quote you can read the rest of what Keir said here
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/debate/article-8631381/SIR-KEIR-STARMER-writes-response-Boris-Johnson-said-return-school-moral-duty.html
Nope.
His name is Keith, and it is no surprise that you use the daily heil as a source.
Here is the quote from your far right source:
I don’t just want all our children back in school, I expect it. No ifs, no buts: Labour’s leader SIR KEIR STARMER writes in response after Boris Johnson said the return was a ‘moral duty’
So what is your problem?
the same old frank – I don’t have one, do you? All I have done is post a link to the full article so that people can see your selective quotation in context, why would you have a problem with this?
I can’t say that I’m very impressed by your childish switching of Keir’s name, it’s a pathetic thing to do.
“I can’t say that I’m very impressed by your childish switching of Keir’s name, it’s a pathetic thing to do”.
But not as pathetic of your hard right trolling.
Say hi your mate, Lee Harpin.
frank – Oh dear you are sounding desperate. Perhaps you could give me some examples of this “hard right trolling” that you accuse me of.
SteveH
Every one of your right wing posts, attest to that.
Now go and play on a main road.
Hopefully, you will get hit by Keith, drunk driving again.
frank – Oh dearie, dearie me, how embarrassing for you, is that really the best you could come up with Run rabbit run, back down your hole.
https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/tony-blairs-son-euan-now-23352182
The eldest son of former prime minister Tony Blair is thought to be worth more than his dad after his education start-up was valued at nearly £150m.
Euan Blair, 37, is the CEO of Multiverse, previously named WhiteHat – a London-based company offering young people alternatives to university.
It was revealed yesterday that the business has secured an investment of £32m from investors, who valued it a reported £147m – indicating a potential fortune for the former investment banker.
Reports suggest Euan owns almost 50 per cent of the firm, which means he could now be worth up to an eye-watering £73m – more than his ex-Labour leader dad.
Euen Blair is a product of Brompton Horror tory school in Kensington.Whilst I attended mass at the church I used to see bliar on his knees praying no doubt for his son to be allowed into the exclusive school for the betters.Strange really how the Labour party have never been backward in supporting apparthied education,titles,packing the house of lords and generally proping up the filthy rotten system.I must have been half asleep 😴to have not bailed out sooner.Even Diane Abbott droped the principles,when it came to me first and proped up the public school system…With that type of hypocrisy is it any wonder that the public reject animal farm Labour party government.What we have in the leadership now is a insult to the Labour voting public with a titled leader prancing around for all to veiw the stupidity of a membership that supported a apartheid political system that honours the “Elite”
You sound proud.
the same old frank – If you are referring to my comment at 2:34pm then you’ve obviously missed the fact that none of the words are mine. The entirety of my comment is a direct quotation.
What did you say?
I don’t speak right wing troll.
frank – As Plato said empty vessels make the most noise. GFY
SteveH
Enough about you.
hapless frank -. You’re the saddo who is making the empty and baseless accusations. Please stop embarrassing yourself, either put-up or shut-up.
Name the day, and the place.
I’ll put them up.
You vile right wing troll.
frank – ….and yet you are unable to quote anything to back up your empty playground rhetoric. You are behaving like a tiresome child.
For someone who loves to complain about how “childish” other commenters are, you spend an awful lot of time hanging around the playground…
Well if its anything like the dross you quote Steve H from the toilet paper bible your daily mail then we dont want to hear it….hows the trinnidad holiday gone?davdh?
I said name the day and place.
But you pussied out.
Come on, you right wing twat.
I put many a Nazi in hospital in the 80s, one vile twat more.
Name the time and place.
Come on Steve, you started this.
I will meet you.
I will put up.
ON the day that the neo liberal alliance in the US replace another capitalist loose cannon with a more compliant neo liberal alliance, member joe Biden’ the world cheers.for the new government of the most powerful and dangerous nation on earth..We have seen four years of no new war fronts being opened up by the US,now does anyone really expect the war machine that makes so much money for the American economy will remain dormant under mr “trilateral member Joe Biden?.Corruption and professional politics is back and prepare for eternal wars from your progressive President Joe Biden.Beware the British….uncle Joe “hates the brits” and has said so amongst the Hibernian society mtgs. …now what about that trade deal?
StevH.
I want to batter you.
Name the time and place.
Come on hard bloke.
Name it!
Or shut the fuck up!!!!!!!!!