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

I’ll send mine in, but I won’t be happy about it. I work in education also so would be going back too. But it’s too soon.

I don't see how you can socially distance in schools.
I would be expecting them to mandate use of masks, and maybe send the pupils home at lunchtime so they don't have to remove masks en masse to eat.
Coupled with access to testing for anyone who shows symptoms.

My DD is y10. I think it could be beneficial to have pupils in part time, both to 'touch base' with their teachers (to keep motivation up) and to see their friends (to help with mental health). I think any actual teaching would be limited, and as not everyone would attend they'd still need to post stuff up online anyway.

Sorry, bad numbers. 7500 fewer doctors.

How many fewer nurses, paramedics, midwives... seems like the only part of our economy some MNers care about now is healthcare & security -- which is funny since I have 2 DC who are trying to get trained in those professions, sigh. Food production too I guess. Those things will grind to a halt if we don't get near to a normal looking economy.

I’m more concerned about those who’s kids are developmentally regressing after just 6 weeks at home with parents. School is only 6 hours a day, less than an hours dedication from an adult per day. WTF are you not doing that you can’t compete with that ?

Dh shielding till mid June so no way but ug won't happen anyway.

My kids will be developing a temperature the evening before, so no.
I will ring in sick if I have to as well. Will get signed off with anxiety and stress for 3 weeks. Then see after 3 weeks if infections and deaths have risen.

@ChrissieKeller61 I agree and I think it is not true.

No

@Cheeeeislifenow Irish schools finish at end of may/ early June in normal times so none of this is relevant to them.

@cantory what is your job?

If it's going to be phased might as well wait till september and have them all back.To much faffing around otherwise.

I honestly don't believe schools can or will safely reopen on June 1st.

I also don't believe there's a magical June 1st opening date when every school will reopen. I think it'll be slowly staggered and my Y9 and Y4 DC might just be back at school by the time we reach the summer break. Maybe. The DC tranisitioning to entirely new schools and the DC who are in the vulnerable categories are the ones for whom school is vital between now and July. Focussing on those would ensure social distancing guidelines are easier to meet, whilst also ensuring those DC get the support required to cope with a transition.

From what I've read about Universities I know some have been pushing the idea of delaying from this September to a January 2021 intake and reducing time off for study weeks and Easter breaks and possibly extending the term into the summer months. No idea how that would work in terms of managing the increased study, but I know that many Universities are going to feel the pinch if no students start studying (and paying) this year. The Government can't simply leave the Education system in this kind of mess.

Yes, but I don't think they will reopen unless the testing gets a lot better

My boss has made it clear that work from home will continue.
DS seems to be learning better at home. And he's happier.
So I think I'll write this year off and send him again in the new academic year. Hopefully with improved skills so that he can get more out of the curriculum

Tiredmumma89

don't get me wrong, I would love nothing more than going back to "normal". It won't be though, and sending the kids in unpleasant conditions is going to be a lot worst than having them home. Going back to school without the social aspect and the fun element is horrible. I don't want that for my children.

The youngest won't understand why they are not allowed to come near a friend, share a pen, play, let alone hold hands and laugh together like they normally do. Without sports day, assemblies, shows, movie nights, "experience days", days out, and all the general fun activities they have, it's going to be pretty grim.

@FudgeBrownie2019

At my uni we are being told to expect to do online learning in the autumn with students on campus from 2021.

Even if the UK is open, we're going to need to accommodate overseas students .

Yup. Absolutely. My only child is desperate for some company of people her own age. She’s 5 years old and needs that social interaction.

It also depends massively on the school/area. She’s in a village school which could easily implement social distancing.

Our county Also has one of the lowest % of cases in the UK. Our local hospital has reported the daily deaths for the last few weeks and it’s been a maximum of 5 people per day all aged 90+ with underlying health issues. So my opinion based on our local area is that it’s completely safe for the kids and the staff.

However I do appreciate how lucky we’ve been and that other areas aren’t as fortunate.

What I do hope is that it can come down to a head teachers discretion rather than on a national level. We could open immediately and be fine, yet I understand that a large school in London will have significantly different issues. I think there should be guidance as to whether it’s safe or not and it should be down to the HT to decide whether that school meets that criteria.

I can’t imagine any new learning would go on anyway - it would all be about reiterating stuff that they’ve already learnt to get them back up to speed

No, you can never guarantee the safety of children at school you can only minimise risk.

If the school didn't pretty much guarantee their safety, I wouldn't have sent my kids there in the first place. There's nothing minimising risk about Covid19 anyway, so not acceptable to send them back as it stands.

I’m more concerned about those who’s kids are developmentally regressing after just 6 weeks at home with parents. School is only 6 hours a day, less than an hours dedication from an adult per day. WTF are you not doing that you can’t compete with that ?

Development is a hell of a lot more than academic work

Yes.

@whenthejoyreturns

Actually secondary is end of May but primary is end of June in Ireland.

We'll make a decision when we get there, I'd like to say DS will he going though

No.

My toddler is in the shielding group so I'd need to seriously weigh up the options. I know I cant keep the older kids off indefinitely but I cant chance sending them back en masse (I know its going to be a phased return but still)

It's going to be very difficult for people with shielding family members.

If the school didn't pretty much guarantee their safety, I wouldn't have sent my kids there in the first place. There's nothing minimising risk about Covid19 anyway, so not acceptable to send them back as it stands.

If you want a school to guarantee your child’s safety you need to take them out permanently. You clearly have no understanding of the risks that we all face every day, of which covid is purely and simply an additional one.

I would be expecting them to mandate use of masks, and maybe send the pupils home at lunchtime so they don't have to remove masks en masse to eat.

Sending kids home to eat or even P/T while easy for my kids may be really hard for some pupils and school where they bus in.

Where I grew up and the school I went to is same as DN - and it school buses one in morning one in evening. The commercial buses don't go anywhere near the right location. Used to have to go in and wait around for exams.

So image what they can do with have to be unique to the actual school.

Having said that our primary school before lock down was staggering breaks, eating in class room, and no school assemblies while the seconday school was still doing muli year group assemblies and as numbers dropped was closing rooms and canteen spaces, with muli year groups, in meaning remaining pupils were actually in smaller rooms even more squashed in.

As a result I have much more faith in prmary school handling getting back than the secondary.

At my uni we are being told to expect to do online learning in the autumn with students on campus from 2021.

DH been told the same at the minute however I'm not sure how many would choose to start this Sepember like that rather than defer a year.