Should schools shut for Good Friday/ Easter Monday?

[ringletsandtwiglets]

Curious what the general public think about this. Schools are being asked for staff volunteers to provide childcare over the bank holidays.

YABU- no, schools should stay open for keyworkers and/or vulnerable children

YANBU- yes, schools should be closed entirely on those days

@Bulb1976 if your issue is that people are ignoring the instructions RE which people are keyworkers or sending their kids in when there's someone at home, then that's absolutely fair enough and perhaps your school management could do more to alleviate that. But even if that were solved, there would still be thousands of kids up and down the country whose parents ARE crucial to the covid-19 effort and schools should stay open to look after those kids. I can't imagine how a frontline medical professional working 12+ HR shifts back to back without breaks would feel to be told that their child's teacher needs a break from daytime working and that they should "Parent your own children ffs". It would be great if we could all enjoy our usual bank holidays and breaks. We can't. People are dying and we are in the midst of a global crisis. We all have to do our bit.

@Bulb1976 sure I’ll parent my own child and you can ventilate yourself when you get sick, sound fair?

We are on a rota now, and will be open on bank holidays and through Easter. It is what it is and I'm happy to do it.

You chose to work in a hospital I didn’t choose to work with hundreds of children who could give me a disease that could kill me. And btw we don’t get to have any protective gear, we don’t even get offered hand sanitizer, so sod off.

Schools are quite often open one or the other of those days in a normal year, aren't they, depending on when Easter falls?

No. They are Bank Holidays and the English schools are closed, not sure about elsewhere.

IMO schools now should only be open for primary school pupils and secondary school pupils with SEN and only when only one worker is a key worker unless both are front line NHS staff who are essential to emergency services in which case proof should be provided.

My children can go to school but are not as they are old enough to stay at home when I go to work. This minimise their risk and the risk to others.

Are you expecting school staff to work for free??
Would you?

@Bulb1976 I’m sorry your scared, I think we all are. If it makes you feel better doctors don’t have masks unless the patient is known covid and there’s no hand sanitiser where I work either. It’s rubbish and none of us signed up for this. The people in supermarkets didn’t sign up to serve thousands in crowded spaces, delivery drivers didn’t sign up to go house to house delivering food to the isolated. We’re all at risk and we are all called on to serve in extraordinary times.

In WW11 schoolteachers were evacuated with their classes so they had a familiar face while their parents worked in the cities in essential factories or went to fight, so there is a precedent for national mobilisation of the teaching workforce.

@alislim no I would expect them to be paid. Work now and sort that out when this mess is over. That’s what the nhs is doing.

But you're working on a rota surely? So not 5 days a week. A rota can easily cover weekends, and still give everyone time off. In this case teachers are frontline staff for vital NHS and emergency services personnel - not just educators. Yes, you are being asked to go beyond your usual remit - but then isn't everyone in these strange times?

Bulb are you serious? I chose to work in a hospital. You chose to work with children. Both are a risk for passing on the bugs. I haven’t had any protective gear yet either. Do your part. Nhs that will have to work the weekends will not have their usual childcare such as grandparents in place. Do you want the hospitals to be staffed at the bank holiday weekend if you or a family member falls ill?

No. They are Bank Holidays and the English schools are closed, not sure about elsewhere

In Scotland there is only one bank hol at Easter, and my local school was in Easter Monday last year. Hardly anyone I know gets a day off work for it.

I realise it is a bit of a bigger deal in England though.

Really12345

Bulb, no PPE/expired PPE in primary care. Tell me, how many teachers are ventilated in ITU ATM due to their work compared with how many under-60 HCPs with no previous risk factors?

Is that because of the different bank holiday in Scotland at New Year as that's a bigger deal than in England?

Oops sorry. Posted too soon. That is not what they are doing. NHS staff will easily get paid. Bet you school staff won't- constantly undervalued- constantly told by members of the public we are lazy. Same ones that sit at home now demanding a free babysitting service.

I didn’t spend years of studying to be a childminder, no disrespect to them.
We aren’t teaching the curriculum at the moment and it’s been suggested, that we get them to watch films/documentaries. It really doesn’t have to be a teacher to work in schools right now. I could have self isolated but instead chose to do my bit, but me and my colleagues need a break. Let someone else do the childminding.

I think it is awful that teachers have to work over the Easter bank holiday.

Also thank you to the NHS staff

I suppose the holiday play schemes have all shut

Don't know what the solution is

Bulb, you do realise that most of the childminders are also still open for the children of keyworkers? Now isn't the time to be snobby about doing work that you feel is beneath you.

Some small schools in particular have staff in everyday so don’t assume all schools are in a rota.

We all need to do our bit but don’t forget teachers are often parents too.

@alislim I don’t think your lazy, but currently people are dying for lack of nhs staff and I can’t help them because I am at home with my preschooler as her nursery won’t take her as it’s not her usual day. I have no idea when I might get paid for any additional shifts I will do but people are in need of healthcare now so I want to offer it. And as we pay for nursery and I have offered to pay for the additional days that argument isn’t even valid right now.

No it’s not teaching at the present moment, it’s keeping the kids safe in a familiar environment with people they know so they are as little frightened as possible while there parents go and do essentially vital work.

Plus generally not being paid to work over Easter or all the extra hours required

We are in school on a rota.
Yes there are two bank holidays but what will you be doing otherwise?
Yes we aren’t paid to work over the Easter holidays but in times like these I think it’s just a case of sucking it up.
I wouldn’t be of that opinion if I was expected to be in every day mind you.
As it is I’m only doing one day over the Easter and I’m happy to do it.

I do wonder if the schools will be closed entirely before then.

Also we had booked a play scheme for one week of Easter, A week with her grandparents and had a week of leave booked. All leave for the medical staff is cancelled, playscheme closed and grandad is “sheilding”. If the school won’t take her then that’s three weeks one of us will be out the workforce just as we hit the peak of the crisis. I am Thinking of working nights and then Using the tv all day while I try and kip on the sofa for a week while my husband does days and then swap. Will I be a safe doctor with no sleep? probably not as safe as I would be with some. 10% of Spanish deaths are healthcare staff, so I’m sorry that childcare is “demeaning” but I’m risking my life here and more people will die unless we get more healthcare staff in work

I think we’re forgetting that teachers are also key workers and some of them are currently being used to provide childcare for other key workers. Teachers have families too and they also deserve a break.