Letters - Monday November 16, 2020

The Covid-19 pandemic continues to impact on all of us, but the impact this virus has upon our schools is paramount.

I wish to spotlight how headteachers and staff rise to the challenge of trying to run a school under these circumstances.

A school in normal circumstances is a difficult challenge to balance but under Covid-19, heads and staff are continuing to demonstrate their commitment and selflessness.

Under Covid-19, staff and children who show symptoms are having to be sent home to isolate.

This can and has left schools running with staff shortages, staff having to stand-in for absent teachers in class, with extra online lessons for classes, or children sent home.

The pressure that schools are under is soul-destroying and, in many schools, staff are heading for burnout.

The children are sent home to self-isolate, though this at times is not possible and the virus spreads quickly through families.

Nobody that I am aware of knows the impact of this virus in later years.

Teachers are open to the virus on a daily basis, but through their vocation in teaching they turn up, despite the personal risk to themselves and their families.

After numerous years as a Chairman of Governors, I am more than aware of the workings of a school in normal times and the dedication from all staff members.

I agree that children do require an education, but under these circumstances schools need our support.

In the list of who will be able to get the Covid-19 vaccine, there is no mention on the list of the school staff who are the frontline workers, who work day-in, day-out to support our children.

Let’s hope our well deserved teachers and staff that sacrifice themselves on a daily basis be given the chance to be first in line.

I am in awe of how schools are managing to keep going under these difficult times.

Let’s hope the Government takes into account the true value of our schools and supports them and gives them the recognition that they deserve.

JJ Briscoe

Blackpool

Children

Bad parenting is to blame here

According to an Ofsted report, closing schools and nurseries means many children have gone back to wearing nappies and forgotten how to use a knife and fork. Seems to me that the Ofsted inspectors are apportioning blame wrongly here. These problems have nothing to do with the virus or Government restrictions, but everything to do with bad parenting.

Paul Morley

via email

Response

It is time the people woke up

In reply to Malcolm Naylor’s letter (Your Say, November 12, ‘Welcome to communism’) I am in full agreement with all that Mr Naylor says.

The virus has been a cover for the government to start the implementation of UN agenda 2021.

The public in this country are very quiet and uncomplaining about their rights and freedoms being taken from them... lockdowns, masks, keeping a distance from others and so on.

May I therefore quote Lord Sumption former Lord chief of Justice?

“The British public has not even begun to understand the seriousness of what is happening in our country, many perhaps most of them don’t care, won’t care until it is too late. They instinctively feel that the ends justify the means, the motto of every totalitarian regime that has ever existed.”

I believe that this country is sleep walking into communism/globalism and that we will regret it at our own leisure.

It is long overdue that the British people woke up.

Alan Steele

Freckleton

Aid

Hospices need financial help

It is reported that hospices in the UK are in financial crisis and 80 per cent of them will need to make staff redundant very soon.

At a time when demand for their services is not declining and their abilities to raise money have been wiped out, surely, in a caring society, this cannot continue?

We spend £13.4bn on international aid per year; much of it on spurious vanity projects.

Surely it is time for aid (charity) to be spent at home in this current health crisis?

If we gave £5m from this fund to each of the approximately 200 hospices, it would be £1bn – just under seven per cent of the total allocated to overseas development.

Is this not a reasonable solution to a funding crisis for an important sector in our own caring society?

Michael Gilbert

via email

Virus

Good news - while it lasted...

Like most people I was delighted to hear that we may have a Covid-19 vaccine by Christmas.

However, on the news Matt Hancock announced that he and his team have been working on the roll-out for many weeks.

Oh well, it was good news while it lasted.

Alan Tidswell

address supplied