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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Headteacher has posted this to facebook

580 replies

NameChangeAgain111 · 12/05/2020 23:52

The headteacher at my DCs school has posted this to Facebook. He says that social distancing is impossible and unless we would be happy to let our DC play in a supermarket for hours to 'not even think about' bringing them to school. I have 2 expected back on June 1st. AIBU to keep them off after this?

m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=10222994594279008&id=1403891361

OP posts:
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Original poster
NameChangeAgain111 · 13/05/2020 00:10

@Griefmonster That's why I've name changed. There are no other identifying details in my post.

OP posts:
DippyAvocado · 13/05/2020 00:10

How can he liken it to a supermarket where there are hundreds of people coming and going all day long? Ridiculous.

Supermarket staff encounter more people but for a brief period of time and from a further away distance. Teachers encounter far fewer people but much closer up and for a very prolonged period of time. At the moment there are suggestions that longer exposure to an infected person (viral load) increases the likelihood of transmission or from suffering a more severe case. We also don't know much about whether asymptomatic children can transmit the virus easily. Lots of conflicting reports.

Headteachers should not put things like this on public facebook accounts though. That isn't professional.

Daffodil101 · 13/05/2020 00:11

He can’t spell. Which is worrying.

donquixotedelamancha · 13/05/2020 00:11

If the head of my DCs school had written that on Facebook I'd be making a formal complaint

No one has yet explained which professional standards have specifically been broken.

Legoandloldolls · 13/05/2020 00:12

He isn't allowed to give his personal opinions whilst talking on behalf of the school as head.

Whether people like it or not its outside of his remit. Like a code of conduct you sign up for. Unless hes looking to end his role.

Governors have a code of conduct to and ultimately we all answer to the LA. It's their cash after all. Even in a academy that funding doesn't come from.privaye investors. Your hired out basically to forfil the LA legal duty.

I too stopped reading after the first sentence. Maybe his governors, SMT and parents will all be over the moon who knows.

When a school doesn't forfil it's legal obligations, its actually the LA who are responsible and get the fine. So separately the LA wont be chuffed on his behalf as they carry his legal burden.

JudyCoolibar · 13/05/2020 00:12

A school is not a supermarket ? It’s a totally different environment.

Very much off the point. What he is saying is that it's less safe than a supermarket, because you can't force young children to socially distance. And he's right.

Nonotthatdr · 13/05/2020 00:13

Heads like this are the reason vulnerable children are not being sent to school as the parents are too scared. Vulnerable children are coming to real harm in this country right now because of lockdown, compared to a small risk of possibly catching an illness that is likely not to be serious for them. If you want to keep your kid home do it but for a HT to post on social media like that, irresponsible

Sadie789 · 13/05/2020 00:13

@donquixotedelamancha it’s not a private post. It’s a public (oh-so-shareable) one.

Sadie789 · 13/05/2020 00:14

Completely agree @Nonotthatdr

Gettingo · 13/05/2020 00:15

My main reason for keeping kids away from the supermarket is the risk of them infecting vulnerable people. That's not such a risk at school.

Lynda07 · 13/05/2020 00:16

Thank Heavens for a sensible head teacher. People thinking of sending their children back to school - however convenient in some respects - are bonkers at the moment. It would present an impossible situation to the teachers.

Legoandloldolls · 13/05/2020 00:16

It's not a private post. It's available to view as a open post on FB hence the little globe next to it. Showing it's open for everyone and world to see.

I think it's a hacker.

Who the hell is pwrsonal friends with their pupils parents on FB to have "private" rants about their job?

Odd

Whitestick · 13/05/2020 00:16

Gettinggo 30 mins for a deep clean before a new lot of children sit down. Do you think that will work?

JassyRadlett · 13/05/2020 00:17

Very much off the point. What he is saying is that it's less safe than a supermarket, because you can't force young children to socially distance. And he's right.

Citation needed for the relative safety of a supermarket and a class of 15 children, please.

Sadie789 · 13/05/2020 00:19

@Legoandloldolls again completely unprofessional for him to be friends with parents on Facebook.

What about the parents who aren’t on Facebook? They miss out on his dire warnings?

The man is a self publicist as evidenced by the lengthy “who is Rob” section on his own website.

He will be waiting for the Daily Mail to call tomorrow. I think The Mirror will be his second choice but he’ll still take it.

RubyViolet · 13/05/2020 00:19

I am interested to hear from teaching professionals, particularly HeadTeachers. We are hearing from the government and they probably haven’t been in a classroom In 20 years. And probably not a classroom that any of us plebs have ever seen... Elton, Winchester, Westminster etc... are those schools going back on June 1st ?

Sadie789 · 13/05/2020 00:21

@RubyViolet I expect they will be seeing as they need to justify the fees the parents are paying them to educate their children.

State schools on the other hand don’t have such pressure and can sit back on full pay while the unions go toe to toe with the government for as long as it takes...

Lovely1a2b3c · 13/05/2020 00:22

It's good that he's outlining the potential problems re. social distancing etc. YANBU.

crustycrab · 13/05/2020 00:23

"he should have addressed the parents of the children at his school by email, or - here’s a novel idea - by letter."

Yeah great idea, so novel and worldly, just get the local postie to deliver an extra 600 letters when you could've just sent an email Confused

Original poster
NameChangeAgain111 · 13/05/2020 00:25

@Sadie789 he isn't facebook friends with parents, it's a public post. He can't send out an email or letter because he can't say this on behalf of the school, he can only state his opinion. Also I wouldn't worry about parents who aren't on facebook not seeing it if my WhatsApp groups are anything to go by.

OP posts:
Maggie90 · 13/05/2020 00:26

I think this is a completely reasonable post and feel the same as the head teacher. I would not be sending my child back in June if they were of that age. I am going for the avoid catching it at all cost approach, well at least until they have some better treatment options available.

However, my husband would say the completely opposite. He feels life should return to normal and thinks this lock down is ludicrous and we need to find away to live with the virus and remember that the majority of people will only have mild symptoms.

LittleBearPad · 13/05/2020 00:26

Our school sends PDF letters by email crusty

ArgumentativeAardvaark · 13/05/2020 00:28

The man is a self publicist as evidenced by the lengthy “who is Rob” section on his own website.

He will be waiting for the Daily Mail to call tomorrow. I think The Mirror will be his second choice but he’ll still take it.

This ^ Bang on @Sadie789!

Insideout99 · 13/05/2020 00:31

@Gettingo why do you say that? Those in the vulnerable category will still be expected at work. It's only those in the extremely vulnerable category who will continue to shield as far as I aware. That doesn't include staff living with vulnerable/extremely vulnerable relatives either Sad

crustycrab · 13/05/2020 00:36

Yes @LittleBearPad so do ours. But that isn't what she was getting at is it?