Are some parents just never going to send their children back?

[thewheelsonthebus23]

It seems to me that it’s going to take an awful lot to change some parents’ minds on sending their children to school. We may still be in this position come September. On some Facebook groups and articles the comments are astonishing.
Someone said parents who send their children back are dicing with death. And another said something along the lines of ‘if these parents care about their children, they won’t be sending them in’.

[Bluntness100]

Nah, when it comes to it they will mostly send them back, guaranteed, they’d rather eat their own foot many of them than dereg and proper home educate.

[Greysparkles]

From what I read on here there won't be anything to get them back to if teachers refuse to go back to the classroom.

[DianaT1969]

It's probably a good thing that some parents won't. More space for social distancing. I understand that it isn't compulsory and they won't be fined. Even if the LA decides not to keep a place open for them in September, then the parents will surely know this and make permanent plans for long-term homeschooling.
But definitely a positive in terms of easing in social distancing.

[Thesearmsofmine]

I think when it comes to it most parents will send their children back.
Home educating long term is a huge commitment and often requires sacrifices that people won’t want to make.

[PicsInRed]

Nah, when it comes to it they will mostly send them back, guaranteed, they’d rather eat their own foot many of them than dereg and proper home educate.

This.

From what I read on here there won't be anything to get them back to if teachers refuse to go back to the classroom.

They'll go back when the pay stops.

[LolaSmiles]

I think many will go back when the government publishes a clear strategy that is workable.

Most people aren't tin foil hat wearers.

I sympathise with parents of school aged children. The government said originally schools would begin to reopen when certain criteria were met, now they've decided those criteria don't matter.
They've published one set of guidelines for adults in indoor spaces but decided it doesn't apply to schools. The DfE's own scientific advisor didn't bother to attend SAGE meetings, the current consensus on children in school is nobody is sure what the risk is, and the England proposals are nothing like other countries that have started to phase schools back again.

I'd struggle to have fail in the soundbites.

[LolaSmiles]

Faith in the soundbites.

[Bluntness100]

It's probably a good thing that some parents won't

They will send them back.

[CurlyEndive]

I think that most people will send their children back when schools reopen and they see others doing it. Whether that's in June / July / Sept. Basically we're going to have to learn to live with this virus.

[KindnessCrusader]

I don't know anyone sending their kids back to our school. Small village and 99% one stay at home parent though.

[FATEdestiny]

I think the parents at my primary are waiting until September because... urm, well maybe just to put off making a decision now.

I think they think school life will be different in September. But it won't, it will be exactly the same so by that time many will realise they have to be flexible in their thinking because the alternate is homeschooling without school support.

[TheHarryFormerlyKnownAsPrince]

If it is still the same in September we will home educate for the academic year and see what the situation is the following September.
I prefer doing it without work coming in from the school.

[Nicedayforawedding]

I would feel happier if there was more social distancing.Maximum groups of 6 children until things vastly improve. I think what the government are proposing is too much too soon.

[Keepdistance]

By sept
We might know the % with antibodies
There could be a vax
The rate could have dropped.
If half a class have already had it it will spread slower.
I might have had an antibody test
We might know if kids do spread it to adullts and other kids.
There might be more treatments
My vit d will be topped up


There might be more clarity on long term effects as wuhan people could be rechecked and how long people have symptoms 6+weeks.

But i think its very likely there will be another wave soon or a continuing of one throughout everywhere but london. We may only have 2-5% immunity.
Also BJ did say about quarantining people arriving.

[LilyPond2]

I'm sure most parents would like to send their children back to school, but they want some reassurance that the return plans are based on sound scientific advice. Sadly, there's been a complete abdication of responsibility on this from the government: refusal to publish the scientific advice on which its proposals are based, vague guidance which is unworkable for many schools, followed by more guidance rushed out to say "No rotas!" when schools tried to come up with solutions to comply with the guidance. I think a key problem is that parents don't trust the government on this and have the impression the government just wants to get kids back to school regardless of risk so that parents can go back to work.

[Carlislemumof4]

Hopefully by September the local infection rate here in Carlisle will have reduced significantly in which case we'll be prepared to consider sending our DCs back.

In the meantime it's madness thousands will be returning to school here in just over two weeks. Second wave coming unfortunately.

[LilyPond2]

What's your situation, OP? Do you have DC in the year groups that are set to return first?

[flamegame]

Homeschooling rates will go up a bit I think - some of us whose kids are struggling socially with school or sensory issues etc have found they’re doing much better and we have more idea how to home educate with all of the resources that have been unleashed - certainly for primary age.

I can’t see it being a huge effect because of economic factors though.

[headachehenry]

I think some people genuinely believe it'll all be over by September and everything will be back to normal.

My local Facebook page is full of 'my kids are going back in September when it's all it's fresh and the new year!'

Can't blame them I suppose. Government could do with being a bit more explicit that this is us for 18 months!

[flamegame]

In a way going into winter is the worst time to go back, the round of sickness October on is always high - November should be renamed norovirus as it’s so prevalent by then.

[Fantasisa]

The Government has handled this so poorly. It needs to start focusing on how statisticallly unlikely children are to catch it. This isn't going away any time soon. My DC will be going back, life is for living and I am working FT so cannot home school them.

[Thesispieces]

It will be the same if not worse sept (second wave/no vaccine avail. to the masses). Schools/teachers/gov will have to come up with a way to educate the children / provide the childcare/follow the curriculum/ allow parents to go back to work/get tax revenue to pay for public services etc. No choice. The economy has ground to a halt. Whatever the risk people will have to work and pay taxes (sad but true). The powers that be should start i.e. identifying the two parent families with a SAHP willing to homeschool and incentivise them to dereg their kids so those that don’t have a choice can send their kids back to school ASAP with more space available. There has to be a plan that allows parents to go back to work. Long before sept

[Thesispieces]

we are both frontline and use the school
Provision. No teaching. But we Have no choice.

[MelonsMcGee]

We aren't sending ours back but that's only because we have a 30minute commute to school and it's seems daft to take one DC without the other. As soon as all years go back, mine DC will go. Our school only has about 100 children though, so less worried about crowds etc

[FATEdestiny]

Government could do with being a bit more explicit that this is us for 18 months!

They could (and should) do this so easily.

It makes me wonder if there is some unspoken undertone here that says they want to offer school open for everyone in primary school (remembering Y2-5 are due to return also). But realistically they are hoping for a relatively low uptake of places so that the whole thing is easier to manage.