Will you be sending your child on 'June 1st'

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I've done this in AIBU for the voting feature. IF (and a big IF) schools go back on June 1st, will you be sending yours?

YABU - NO

YANBU - YES

Yes but my dc have been going anyway since lockdown as we are both keyworkers. Not had any other choice tbh

Some people are very unhappy with it but the reopening is taking place very slowly and we have to meet certain criteria before we move to the next phase. If we dont we will have to wait but we are watching closely what's happening in other countries who have opened back up. I see Germany's r0 rate has increased in the recent days so i think it would be better to go slowly rather than have to shut down again.

Drakeford has just talked about opening schools in Wales in June, so possibly England is considering it too.

This is what he said:

Asked for an indication about when pupils could return, he told the BBC’s Andew Marr Show: “Our advice from the trade unions and from the local education authorities is that you will need three weeks as a minimum from the point that we decide to do that, to when schools can reopen, so we are talking about the beginning of June.”

Drakeford said some groups could return earlier than others, citing the examples of year-six children who are due to move up to secondary school and Welsh medium pupils who may not have had opportunities to use the language at home during lockdown.

He added: “You certainly can’t have schools reopen as they did before and sustain social distancing, and you need it for public health reasons, but you also need it in order to persuade parents and teachers that you are asking young people to come back into an environment that is safe for them.”

It will really depend.

I have children in two different schools so if they are only offered half days, or 2-3 days a fortnight it might not be possible/worth it.

I might wait til they are back at school full time?

Difficult to say until we know how the phasing in will happen.

Wales has bee talking about a phased re-start for while- Y10, Y12 and Y6 going first and earliest that that would be some point after June 1 and then it's unclear if it would be full time.

As I understand it nothing really been decided yet - though maybe I've missed that certainly the schools have said nothing yet.

Yes. My daughter is missing her friends and I see no point in prolonging the inevitable return.

I’d be delighted if a third of parents refuse to send their kids back though. Will massively help social distancing in schools.

Not sure there’ll be such enthusiasm for such a stance when furlough payments cease though!

Without a doubt. We have no underlying conditions - I have teens - who are very keen to go back, thankfully they have not been filled with fear and anxiety over this situation, they need to be out and about, at school, socialising, living - even if it's limited to begin with - this hermit, anxiety inducing life is not good for anyone. We take risks every day we live - we need to get on with living! I remember after the terrorist attacks in London, the number of people I knew who decided they'd never travel again, never go to London etc. Some of them still won't.
My MIL(who suffers from anxiety) used to say to my kids - "don't run, you might fall" - what a way to live your life, in fear.

It's a month away...a lot could, and hopefully will, change for the better in that time.

I work at my DDs secondary school (admin so wfh at the moment) - she's Year 10 so the educational impact on her is a fairly serious consideration.

As it stands I'd be willing to consider a return after half term, depending on how it is managed, but I am in the fortunate position of being able to find out all the details if necessary. The response of our colleagues with 48 hours notice was nothing short of phenomenal and I know if she/we have to go back every possible measure will be taken to ensure her safety and wellbeing.

I will be guided by the data and my own situation, not the words of a Government with its own agenda.

Had I listened to them and not my own research in March, I'd have been shaking hands, going to mass gatherings and not getting any meds or food in store. I do not trust them one inch. They have been incompetent and disingenuous.

What I can look at is other countries (as was the case when I looked at Italy, while the Govt downplayed it). Look at the RO, figures and make an informed decision.

Do we know the long term affect of the virus on children? The virus can damage heart muscles, kidney.

I’d be delighted if a third of parents refuse to send their kids back though. Will massively help social distancing in schools.

Projected attendance figures for the schools I work with across different areas and settings are 25%.

DD (Y5) isn't really getting on with the home learning-some days are better than others. She does really well in the classroom environment for learning and takes onboard what the teachers say more than us. I do think she she's finding it hard.
I don't think there should be an issue if parents choose not to send their kids back as I can understand some people may be concerned.

Yes - better to get it in summer than in autumn / winter

No and will deregister if necessary. TBH the kids have never been happier. I do want them to go to senior school so hoping this won't last 18 months though. But that's for my mental health rather than theirs tbh

I would certainly rather schools didn’t open on June 1st and I am not sure we would send ours back if they did. I might consider DS2 going to his forest school nursery, as they have a very small number of children and are generally outside. DS1, though is in a class of 30 and the classroom is small (very old building). There is limited space in the playground and even the school hall is not big. If they put staggered sessions on, as some have suggested, I don't see how that helps with getting people back to work, but as is, his school could certainly not socially distance.

Saying that, this is my view from a very fortunate position. DH can easily WFH and receive full pay (his company have already said that when offices can open, each person will only be allowed in a set 2 days per week) and I am a SAHP. I can see that choices and options are very different for other people.

Projected attendance figures for the schools I work with across different areas and settings are 25%. That's is frightening! No one trusts this Gov!

Oh and refuse LOL! All these refusers eh?

I refuse to stay on the Titanic.

I'm afraid all those saying you'll be sending your DC back "the day they re-open", "as soon as it's announced" ect because they want to "get back to normal" might be in for a shock. If schools do re-open in June (not that schools have been advised this is happening) it will be in a very gradual manner. Your DC's year group might only be in for 1 day a week if at all. Our Head was initially thinking we'd open for Y10 and Y7 only at first but has worked out that with social distancing in place we would even have enough staff (or enough rooms) to accommodate those two groups. It will be a long time before schools are able to facilitate parents getting "back to normal" if normal means WOH 5 days a week. In Ireland, whose covid death comparatively very low, have officially announced schools aren't reopening until next academic year and even then have said it will be 'phased' very carefully. You'd have to be very naive to think we could fully re-open schools and everyone will be back to work as of June 1st.

Excuse the many typos, toddler keeps grabbing my phone.

I don't see the risk will be lower in September, so might as well get it over and done with.

I assume the first few weeks back won't be real education, but more helping younger children process what's happened to them, relearn to be in a group, with learning any new rules. Might as well have those wasted weeks in the summer term than September.

We will, however, keep our DCs away from grandparents for longer than any lockdown restrictions require. A June return would have me assuming we keep the kids away from parents/PIL until August.

If school does re-open for Y10 - then as she's mid GCSE I'll feel we'll have to send her.

I'm not sure about about Y6 - transition to secondary would be welcome - though DH pointed out wasn't really a thing for us - otherwise I'm not sure how much teaching she's actually missing and the away trips and end of primary school stuff wouldn't be happening anyway.

It's harder to know what's best for our other child between those two- they have asthma and it may well be September for their year group anyway still.

Not going to happen. I’d put money on it.

I will be sending my two 8 and 11) as soon as schools open. I've looked at the comments from the leading scientists and I am comfortable that the risk is probably similar to my 11 yr old walking to school.

My DS played academy football 6-7 days a week and is massively struggling without school and routine.

Plus I really think those who say health is more important that money are clueless about what WILL happen to our health if the economy continues to fail.

People also never cared that their car journeys were killing up to 11,000 annually, thousands more die through poverty but get really worried about a virus.

Absolutely. Mine are desperate to go back (year 8 and year 10). Really missing friends. It’s been quite revealing that they actually really do like school