1/ The Education Select Committee meeting this week relied on 4 witnesses depending on limited sources to justify the DfE current policies and they will try to use these to justify not improving safety measures in the future
2/ Stock phrase answers used in the meeting and regularly repeated in the media
"Teachers at no greater risk than other workers"
"Community transmission"
"No evidence that..."
"Low transmission"
"Appropriate measures in place"
"Balance of risk"
These statements need examining
3/"Teachers at no greater risk"
First of all this ignores support staff and those based in the classroom like TAs do appear to be at greater risk than teachers.
This phrase is a quote from an ONS report done on risk in the workplace, many issues have been raised about the report
4/ Complaints were lodged with the regulator regarding some of the methodology and how it was represented.
UK Statistics Authority has now responded again on this report, also the report covers a period before the new strain took off.
5/ When international comparisons are made to show education workers are at no greater risk many in media do not point out that the UK government's approach to schools and covid is an outlier.
Still no masks in classrooms, despite a more infectious and now more deadly strain
6/ Quite tricky to calculate risk to education workers in the UK,data is limited,FOIs are being told data isn't available, government won't even tell us how many have died. Aound 150 died up to June, nothing since then, but I think we will finally get new ONS report at some point
7/ NEU analysis of data this week shows greater risk, I appreciate better data is needed for a more accurate picture, why doesn't the government release it.
10/ PHE shows cases still rising quickly for children in fully open nurseries while we arent seeing the same growth in older students as we did I December now there are less students in buildings
11/ Latest PHE data shows the drop in outbreaks in secondary, a reduction but still considerable number in primary while fully open Special schools and Nurseries are cause for alarm
12/ ONS positivity surveillance data by age
13/ I find it difficult to believe that infections in students are mainly in the community when cases rise when schools are open, slow during half term, and now looking at age groups seem to be linked to number of students attending
Last term.
14/ So government says no evidence of greater risk using a questional report, dismisses the data that appears to show risk but hasn't provided enough data, so there's no evidence to prove we aren't at greater risk either.
Should have data to answer this but aren't releasing it
15/ ONS prevalence report, had some interesting findings, children are considerably more likely to bring infections into the household than other family members.
Doesn't really match the "low transmission" the Education Select Committee witnesses claimed
16/ Looking at this the claims of no greater risk, low transmission, community transmission not school transmission, all seem to be phrases based on technicalities not reality, hiding behind a defence of no or unclear evidence.
17/ When they talk of risk it also appears that they are using a narrow definition of risk.
Long Covid is never mentioned by government when schools are discussed, for staff or students.
18/ I worry that the government choosing to have a tolerable level of infection and then repeatedly reacting too slowly could be creating a longer term health problem that could impact people and the NHS for years
19/ We really don't understand yet what we are dealing with when it comes to Long Covid so how can the government comfortably claim they know risk is low?
20/ And most of this thread hasn't taken into account the new strain, if its more deadly will it also cause more long covid.
Across the pond many accept transmission in schools is real.
26/ Ontario shows student infections outstripping other age groups
27/ Fascinating interview here from Germany
Was a mistake to think schools wouldn't have a role in transmission, the data from the UK is unequivocal, real questions regarding how disinformation on schools spread.
Dail Mail annoyed a lot of people with its teacher bashing today.
Also misrepresents the unions saying we are telling members not to do live lessons, NEU recently set up a hub where people can share best practice and resources.
2/ Seemed like a large part of the article was designed to make out as if many teachers aren't trying to provide quality education in difficult circumstances.
Also noted the picture shows he's using a premade resource, no issue with the resource but feels like he's over selling
1/ Thread: Today @halfon4harlowMP chaired the Education Committee meeting on the science behind schools being included in lockdown.
It was supposed to look at the evidence behind the decision.
2/ I was worried the moment the witnesses were announced, no epidemiologists, no virologists, just the same people who have consistently claimed transmission in schools is low and there is no greater risk to education workers.
3/I was expecting the same stock answers from a limited range of older studies and a lack of acknowledgement of the incredible difficult and unsustainable conditions we faced in December.
I wasn't disappointed as it opened with the phrase "A balance of risks"
2/ Viner:
Late September he explained away disruption in schools as due to too many children being tested, said this was because they were getting tests for other symptoms.
This wasn't the case still tests for 3 main symptoms and there are concerns around this being too narrow
3/ "Misplaced and unscientific concerns about transmission in schools"
2/ SAGE NERVTAG said no
The manufacturer said no
The regulator said no
NHS said no to this as a replacement to isolation
Experts working in testing said no
So why did the DfE say yes?
3/ Original thread here.
This was more PR exercise rather than PH initiative.
DfE prioritised reducing isolation in exchange for increasing the risk of isolation.
Some really twisted logic going on here, whats the thought process going on behind this?
2/ Due to transmission in schools spreading into communities it was essential for schools to be included in the lockdown in order to protect NHS and save lives.
3/ A National Education Task Group involving all stake holders should be set up to look at the following points
2/ This is why they are scrapping the vaccine second dose, to get up to that 15m as fast as possible, of course there's also panic about rising rates but if they were that concerned about cutting transmission they wouldn't be planning 30 kids in classrooms without mask next week
3/ While a logical argument can be made about giving as many people the first dose as possible, it seems the move has alarmed many in the medical and scientific community.
It is a sudden change of strategy, first to suggest it was Tony Blair and that was met with derision.