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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

To think this school's plan won't work

484 replies

Poppi89 · 01/05/2020 16:39

I work in a secondary school ( not as a teacher) and we have been kept up to date by email and zoom staff meetings.

There has been a lot of talk of when we will re-open and what will happen as like most schools it was very stressful closing the school and not being prepared so they are trying to put plans in place and keep one step ahead.

Due to a lot of parents in the area wanting the school to re-open and for life to go back to 'normal' they think the government might re-open schools sooner rather than later maybe before May half term, so the school has put in place an outline of what will happen:

School will re-open but will continue sticking to the guidelines of social distancing - as this is not possible in a school with full capacity students will be split into halves or thirds to ensure they are spaced far enough away from each other. This means that the kids will only be in 1/2 days a week.

Due to adults spreading the virus more than children (it seems) they don't think all staff should be in each day. So will be depending on parents to do a rota system - so one qualified member of staff to 2 parents to supervise.

Does anybody else think the school would be better to remain closed if this is the case?
It seems they won't be learning much and the risk of getting the virus will still be high.

I do get that this is the best plan they have come up with to keep everyone happy. My DD is missing her friends and wouldn't mind going back to school a couple of days a week and I guess it will be easier for parents to get back to work but I would rather wait until June/July at the earliest as surely the NHS is still overwhelmed.

What do you guys think?
AIBU - thinking this isn't a good plan

OP posts:

Original poster

Poppi89 · 02/05/2020 10:43

I don't understand why people think I am lying but then still posting and giving their opinion - surely that is contradictive.

OP posts:

3isthemagicnumber · 02/05/2020 10:45

Firstly -schools will surely not get volunteers in .The current risk assessments and insurances for existing school staff to fulfil roles supporting families in the school community are huge so to do some for non-school staff to be around unknown numbers of children would be unreadable .
Secondly -the first step will be the expansion of key workers and so eligibility of children that can access school settings.As businesses and services etc reopen ,that will be reflected in the key worker list and the number of children in school will grow and reflect that .It wont be a case if all of a. year group in at a time initially

2ndStar · 02/05/2020 10:45

I would not choose to work from home on a regular or permanent basis. Reading all these comments that are built on assumptions that anyone who is not physically in a workplace building isn’t actually properly working or doing the same hours has really opened my eyes to how those who do regularly or permanently work from home are treated and thought about. It’s inaccurate and hostile.

Original poster

Poppi89 · 02/05/2020 10:49

@2ndStar - I work more from home than I do when at work. But it takes me an hour each way to get there and back. I also eat my lunch whilst on my laptop. And I do not do weekends.
You have time to be on here posting but you don't have time to volunteer to pick up a food parcel and drop it off on your way home from the shops, or be on call to speak to someone over the phone.

As I have said there are many people who are furloughed who want the kids to go back so I count myself lucky.

OP posts:

Original poster

Poppi89 · 02/05/2020 10:52

@3isthemagicnumber - I agree but this was in response to the worry that when school's do start re-opening there are a lot of staff who are shielding, pregnant, elderly etc meaning the staff numbers would be too low.

By the time this happens, Science may have caught up and the government might change the at-risk list which will mean that there aren't any staff shortages any way.

OP posts:

2ndStar · 02/05/2020 11:07

I can type very quickly Poppi89. I’m currently updating software installation packages. It’s one of those processes that has brief lag in it. Maybe at some point you’ll ask about other people’s not assume the worst.

Original poster

Poppi89 · 02/05/2020 11:08

Thank you to everyone who gave useful advice and opinions.

I have posted a few different threads, some included quite sensitive information. And I have always been grateful for the advice and range of opinions on here. But on this occasion too many people have not RTFT, said I've said things that I haven't or accused me of simply lying. So I am going to remove it now.

Please can someone tell me how I get it removed?

OP posts:

Letseatgrandma · 02/05/2020 11:10

You have time to be on here posting but you don't have time to volunteer to pick up a food parcel and drop it off on your way home from the shops, or be on call to speak to someone over the phone.

What has that got to do with anything?!

I don’t like personal comments like that-I think I will leave this thread now.

2ndStar · 02/05/2020 11:15

I don’t think this should be removed. It has a lot of useful information in it that helps people understand how complicated reopening schools is.

Name changing is available to everyone if you do not want comments on a thread associated with other threads you are on.

Sarah510 · 02/05/2020 11:17

The Irish government has told schools they won't be opening again until Sept. Why don't they do that here.... I think it unlikely that secondary schools will re-open until Sept, maybe primary will. But if you have only some children in, won't the teachers just be repeating the lessons. I don't really see how it will work. And social distancing in primary school - how will that work. Although I did see in Japan they tied balloons onto the children so they couldn't get too close to each other!

CallmeAngelina · 02/05/2020 11:20

Not sure it's just up to you to remove it because you don't like some of the responses.

theluckiest · 02/05/2020 11:22

The other issue, mainly with Primary it must be said, is what about siblings in different year groups??

If you have one child going in half a week in Y3 and another going in at a different time to Y1, as a parent I just wouldn't bother as this would be a nightmare. And you'd still have a child at home anyway so going back to work wouldn't be an option..

I'm glad I'm not the person who has to sort this massive headache out...

Original poster

Poppi89 · 02/05/2020 11:23

@Letseatgrandma - that's fair enough.

This pandemic has opened my eyes to how many selfish people there are in this country so I do get defensive when I think someone is saying their time is more precious than anyone else's and why should they bother volunteering. If I am in the wrong then I apologise - I have already said I am a lone parent and work full time so don't have time to volunteer as much as I would like to.
But I think this is a time we should pull together more than usual.

@2ndStar - I think the un-useful information outweighs the useful information as it is mainly people saying I must be lying or that I have come up with this plan. And then not believing me when I say I disagree with it which was the whole reason I started the thread.

OP posts:

hobnobsaremyfavourite · 02/05/2020 11:25

Yawn
Aka
I'm going to strop, call other people selfish and chuck my toys out of the pram

Original poster

Poppi89 · 02/05/2020 11:26

@CallmeAngelina - it's not that I don't like the responses it is because people are saying I am lying or not RTFT if you look back at my posts I have had to say the same thing multiple times as people are not reading it. So what's the point in people posting on something they haven't read. People have said I am in support of this plan, but I started an entire thread saying I am not in favour of it so I don't see why they are saying that.

OP posts:

QuixoticQuokka · 02/05/2020 11:26

Has no-one on here ever volunteered, or been asked to volunteer at their DCs school? In lower primary, yes. Many parents are at home or working part time when children are young so they are able to volunteer. I was working full time as soon as my child was ready to be latch keyed. I am at work during school hours, so how would I volunteer? Take some of my statutory minimum annual leave, leaving my child home alone for even more of the school holidays?

Original poster

Poppi89 · 02/05/2020 11:27

@theluckiest - I have no idea how they will manage primary schools as it seems it would be impossible to organise having the primary aged and secondary aged in at the same time.

OP posts:

myrtleWilson · 02/05/2020 11:30

What did you actually say at the meeting in response to this plan - what did anyone say?

Plus agree there is no need for the thread to be deleted.

Original poster

Poppi89 · 02/05/2020 11:32

@hobnobsaremyfave - multiple people have accused me of lying, multiple people have accused me of designing this plan, multiple people have accused me of being in agreement with this plan, multiple people have said I have said things which I haven't - this is not me throwing my toys out of the pram but I cannot have conversations with people who don't read my original post or refuse to accept that I am not in favour of this plan.

I have had to defend myself on this entire thread when I should have nothing to defend - as these are not my words/plans.

OP posts:

2ndStar · 02/05/2020 11:33

I utterly refuse to list my full personal information like some sort of gotcha reveal to counter your accusations of lacking in community spirit. I could, I have a long list, I won’t because it is irrelevant.

No one should be attacking others during this crisis, especially while virtue signalling. None of us have the full picture about other people’s lives. Volunteering doesn’t balance out criticising people and finding them lacking.

How many people could be helped by one person compared to how many are hurt by comments like parents are unreasonable for not volunteering, or those working from home should be volunteering. I doubt the scales would balance.

QuixoticQuokka · 02/05/2020 11:36

But I think this is a time we should pull together more than usual.
How? If parents are at work, how can they be at school volunteering? Why do you assume people are selfish for not being able to volunteer?

Original poster

Poppi89 · 02/05/2020 11:38

@myrtleWilson - nothing as it was not discussed - if you have something to say you email the head and she says it to reduce everyone talking at once - it was just like a passing comment and she said if anyone has any opinions on this let me know.

@2ndStar - I am not asking for anyones details. I know SAHP who on the face of it have loads of free time but they have a sick child meaning it is impossible for them to have a job as they would need so much time off.

What I am annoyed at is that people are criticising me and accusing me of forcing people to volunteer. I did not start a thread about how people are lazy because they don't volunteer, but when I mentioned the schools asking for volunteers everyone was more outraged at that than the thought of their kids going back.

OP posts:

Original poster

Poppi89 · 02/05/2020 11:39

Not everyone - the vast majority.

OP posts:

myrtleWilson · 02/05/2020 11:40

you don't have to @ everyone in your responses btw OP - it just clogs up email boxes with unnecessary notifications.

myrtleWilson · 02/05/2020 11:41

Posters were questioning the practicalities and purpose of having parent volunteers...

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