AIBU to think that some parents won't want to send kids back yet?

[Toomuchtrouble4me]

I totally get that loads of parents want to get back to work and want to get their kids back to school - even though this pandemic is still raging.
We have a health compromised family with over-reactive immune systems and I don't fancy two of our chances if we get this virus.
I don't really see why were re-opening schools when nothing has changed, we may as well have kept them open all along.
It's not so much of an AIBU as a WWYD - I'm not sending mine back, unless something really drastic changes, before September when I'll re-assess.
Just wondering if i'm a lone voice? I know that lots of you will HAVE to send kids back because of your own jobs, but if you didn't have to, if you could keep them home until summer holidays start - would you do it? Should parents who are too scared to send kids back be fined for non-attendance?

The articles I've read didn't say they couldn't transmit the virus but that risk was much lower than first thought... But I'll read this with interest thank you.

Maybe they are going to need to replace all the teachers with new, young graduates then?

That massively devalues the skills and experience of older teachers though- you have to think long term as well as short term.

In secondaries at least, new young graduates without training would be eaten alive, especially if there are not experienced teachers around to support them.

That's even assuming new grads would want to do it- have you seen the bursaries they have to offer people to train to teach in some subjects these days?

@NewLevelsOfTiredness

My kids have been back nearly a month in Denmark. Yes, there's lots of guidelines and rules, but all the evidence seems to show that it simply hasn't let to an increased spread of the virus. That didn't mean much at first, but after a month it does. Obviously they're sent home at the sniff of a symptom but allowed back as soon as they're symptom free.They just don't seem to spreading it (or suffering from it - we have a 9 year old, 5 year old and 1 year old - no kids in any of their schools/daycares have fallen ill.)

Thank you for posting your experience in Denmark, i think it's really helpful to get some perspectives from other countries.

I know we cannot compare every country like for like as there are too many variables, however, it sounds very positive from the experience in Denmark.

I was really disappointed that there was no mention of shielded families in yesterday’s Boris announcement. I’m assuming no change,

But with school return on the cards, we could really do with a policy looking at;
a) educational future of children who need shielding
b) what to do about DC who live in a household where another person is shielding (is it remotely realistic to expect a primary school age child to live in isolation under the same roof from their parent? Is it remotely reasonable to expect someone to not shield if their DC’s education cannot be delivered off-site?)
c) what, if anything, to go about the non-shield ‘flu jab’ type vulnerable?

That's even assuming new grads would want to do it- have you seen the bursaries they have to offer people to train to teach in some subjects these days?

I think we’ll see motivation rise considerably as unemployment rates rise and many sectors stop hiring.

@SueEllenMishke

do you have the link to that BMJ article please?
sorry if I've missed it upthread!

From the opinions & responses of the mums/dads in the Year 1 class, quite a few of them, maybe almost half, say that they will not be sending their DCs back to school until September.

Pretty much all of them are SAHMs and quite a few have younger children who are not in childcare etc.

A few mentioned the disruption of having to take the Year R/1 child to/from school each day and bring along the younger ones too- I do get that it is easier to remain at home in those circumstances.

Personally I do wonder if that is fair on the 4/5/6 yr old who is not able to return to school, who might benefit massively from going back.

Obviously kept those thoughts to myself.
This is all very emotive stuff and different families' decisions will differ greatly depending on their health & other circumstances.

I’m seven months pregnant so there’s no way mine are going back anytime soon. I’ll keep them at home until I can be convinced it’s safe for them to go.

c) what, if anything, to go about the non-shield ‘flu jab’ type vulnerable?

This is the group that the government have been most bloody vague about throughout.

I mean they’ve hardly been brilliant about the shielded in this announcement (and now it looks like asking them to just shield for longer). But they keep vaguely gesturing towards a ‘clinically vulnerable group’ (as opposed to the ‘extremely clinically vulnerable’ group they’ve asked to shield and are willing to provide some actual guidance for - if unsatisfactory) and offering totally vague advice that amounts to ‘be a bit more careful’.

So are you supposed to send your child to school if you’re pregnant, you live with someone over 70, you or the child have diabetes/asthma/various other conditions and so on? How exactly do you minimise contact with people from outside your household if you’re taking a child to school every day? Tbh, that’s not entirely clear for the extremely clinically vulnerable either.

Rather than anything useful, we get advice this bloody vague advice (from the last page of today’s roadmap document). Anyone would think that the whole thing hasn’t really been thoroughly thought through.

Are we talking about this article from the BMJ?

adc.bmj.com/content/early/2020/05/05/archdischild-2020-319474

And I agree about the offensive comments about children being guinea pigs. Some of us have had to send our children to school because we have to work, so haven’t had a choice. Staying home until a vaccine magically appears isn’t an option.

And I agree about the offensive comments about children being guinea pigs. Some of us have had to send our children to school because we have to work, so haven’t had a choice. Staying home until a vaccine magically appears isn’t an option

To be fair that was cleaarly addresssed in the origional question on this thread...

"I know that lots of you will HAVE to send kids back because of your own jobs, but if you didn't have to, if you could keep them home until summer holidays start - would you do it?"

Mine aren’t Primary age but I’m still not sending back yet if they open for their years. I want them safe, even if the risk is small, and I want staff and their families safe.

So many don’t seem to be thinking of the staff, just themselves.

I haven't read the whole thread but I agree with you. I also think it should be a choice. I can stay at home and home school for longer as I'm on mat leave so why cant I keep my child at home whilst another parent who has to go back to work, send theirs in if need be? I get this isn't an easy situation but thank god I can stay home at the moment.

Since their education cannot stay on hold until a vaccine that may never happen, they will be going back asap. We all either can all progress in our lives, or we accept the statistically small risk. Obviously the risk to teachers is bigger, but in their case they would then also have to decide to stop teaching.

I think it's a personal informed choice depends on your circumstances .But if you are waiting for vaccine or low infections you will be waiting a VERY long time.

I really, really dont want to send mine but I could as I am a key worker. My husband isnt but unfortunately his boss took the news yesterday as a green flag to open their (totally none essential) retail shop today. They are back to normal opening hours and letting any old customer come from all over the country. I'm furious but suspect this is happening all over the country.

So many don’t seem to be thinking of the staff, just themselves.

People are looking around and wondering who’s going to pay their mortgage while they’re unable to work or working much below capacity.

Funny enough, no takers

3 month mortgage holidays are just a drop in the ocean. People are looking at the possibility of losing their homes.

They also realise the importance of getting the economy going for everyone’s sake. Including funding public sector salaries.

For those not sending your DC’s back for an unknown period, do you have the school material to keep your DC’s on track with the syllabus? Once the teachers are back in the classroom they won’t be able to send home material for those not attending.

It does seem strange with summers holidays looming that they will risk transmission for such a short time... Have more virus through summer holidays and people mixing more.

I would have thought it better to use looming holidays to really crack down on virus, from schools at least.

Parker ours are mot sending any anyway.

I've had to source everything myself.
Being shown to endless websites has not been helpful.
My dd has been massively struggling at school and they couldn't even give me specific help so I can target these areas while she is off!
I'm just finding my feet now and getting to grips with it all. So whatever they issues or don't now is of little use to me.

It feels like ours have been actively obstinate. I know other schools around here have done so so so much more.
Then I saw the union advice and realised the background here.

Parents absolutely shouldn't be fined if they decide against sending their children back. Everyone's personal and family risk levels are different and parents should be allowed to make informed choices without fear of being penalised or losing a school place.

In the short term it wouldn’t be great. It would be cheaper though and some of them would be really good. And better than schools being inaccessible to lots of children till we have a vaccine

So you want your child in school to get an education but you're prepared to farm that education out to the lowest bidder? Yes, absolutely, some NQTs are amazing from day one. Most aren't. Most require the support of the more experienced to guide them through the difficult first years and develop into good teachers with that support. Experience in school is essential, particularly from a pastoral perspective. In reality schools are today staffed with younger and younger teachers as many older teachers have been managed out due to costs. I am not sure how much younger it could get really. It is not good.

But yeah, I know of several good, experienced teachers who have already resigned and at least one other who is considering it. Not because of covid per se but because it's just the straw that has broken the camel's back. We don't be the only school where that has happened. Some schools are going to have huge numbers of supply staff come September. See what that does to the quality of education you receive when they are able to pick and choose schools and leave at the drop of a hat.

Mum of Year 10 ds here, this is a tough one as i am classed as high risk but not officially told to shield.
DH doesn't want him to go back before Sept but my arguenent like others is how long do we wait? By the time we have a vaccine GCSE's will be upon us.
I will wait to hear schools plan on managing social distancing

Gobbolinocat

It does seem strange with summers holidays looming that they will risk transmission for such a short time... Have more virus through summer holidays and people mixing more.

I would have thought it better to use looming holidays to really crack down on virus, from schools at least.

No it doesn't seem strange at all as more people need to get the virus and over summer months is the best time. Much better than from September onwards with normal flu and cold season looming.

Second peak in the summer would be the best time (if any) to get a second peak.

I think the government is placing too much responsibility on the public

This I don't get. They are your children, right?

Also, I cannot see the government imposing fines on parents who exercise their right to parent as they see fit, particularly in these extraordinary times.

Over here (US), since we've lost millions in funding, I'm betting on a four-day school week, with deep cleans on Mondays. Something tells me parents are going to have to get creative!