article

Teachers and pupils are working in freezing, unclean classrooms amid persistent and growing fears over the safety of Scotland's schools during the
coronavirus
  pandemic, a national staff survey indicates.
The Educational Institute of
Scotland
  (EIS), the country's largest teaching union, said responses from almost 19,000 teachers had also highlighted concerns over whether Covid outbreaks are
being recorded accurately.
And responses suggest staff simply do not believe the Scottish Government position that there is no evidence to suggest coronavirus transmission is happening on
campuses.
list of 1 items

list end
However, a major new report published by Public Health Scotland indicates that
education
  staff and pupils have not been at an increased risk of severe Covid-19 as a result of being in school.
The latest developments come as teachers move towards possible industrial action over school safety and arrangements for remote learning before and after
the Christmas break.
On Tuesday it emerged that staff in three local authority areas – Glasgow, Fife and West Dunbartonshire – had voted "overwhelmingly" in favour of declaring
a formal dispute, claiming employers are failing to provide a safe working environment for staff in light of the continuing threat from the COVID-19 pandemic.
On Wednesday, staff in Glasgow formally submitted dispute notification to education bosses at the city council.
One secondary school respondent told the EIS: “One third of pupils in the school are not wearing face coverings in corridors and communal areas.
"Approximately 5% of S4-6 pupils are not wearing face coverings in the classroom.
"Windows are left opened to ventilate the classroom resulting in the room being cold. The school heating is normally switched off.
"During one school week before the October holiday, over 100 pupils were asked to self-isolate.
"A number of staff also tested positive for COVID and were off sick. Referred to a letter that there was no evidence of in-school transmission. Utter nonsense
and frankly unacceptable.”list of 1 items
list end
On the issue of cleanliness, one primary school respondent said: "I feel there has been a real failure to ensure that enhanced cleaning is done and the
promised investment hasn’t materialised.
"We had a member of cleaning staff absent which meant 6 classrooms and the pupil toilets weren’t cleaned for 2 days.
"Teaching and support staff cleaned instead to keep ourselves and the children safe.
"This is a huge issue and, in my
opinion,
a massive failing on the part of our employer. Staff are buying their own wipes for wiping computers and teaching tables."
The respondent added: "It’s also incredibly difficult to socially distance in a classroom full of 30 young children.
"All of these things (plus many more) make for a stressful experience every day just now. Staff
health
  needs to be more of a priority.”
However, the findings of the EIS survey come as a major new Public Health Scotland report, published on Wednesday, suggests teachers and pupils are not
at increased risk of severe coronavirus disease.
The PHS summary states: "Data shows that the occurrence of COVID-19 in school pupils and staff across Scotland is consistent with the trends seen in the
wider population during the autumn term, such as the rise and fall of infection rates across local authorities and that the proportion of education staff
with antibodies for COVID-19 reflects that of the general adult population.
"New analysis also shows that teachers have not been at higher risk of hospitalisation due to COVID-19 than the general population since the return to
school.
"Taken together, the reports indicate that education staff and pupils have not been at an increased risk of severe COVID-19 by being in school."

now melina when will life be normal this article makes it feel worse i am not at school but i do wonder what special needs schools are doing with covid as they can not have 2 meters apart some of them need full hands on support its like michelles job/cloeys job all in the one roll

even for them to take part in lessons its hands on all day and some of them do need changed if they can not use the restroom on there own so from 9  am its hands on all day the only time michelle had time to her self was when she was in the staff room and that is only if she was not asked to cover fayes job in the care team and do a day shift on there the only time the phew staff have time for supper is when they are not feeding less able users and they even have to have breakfast on shift what i mean janice might have some coffee and toast only if she is not doing a task with a guest or she is waiting on me to shower me its heavy work and if you hit a hich you might not go home in time you could have to lie on until you speak to some one