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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To Think some schools won’t reopen in September

209 replies

Lardlizard · 26/05/2020 10:04

Yanbu if you agree

Because so many school are not reopening for year r,1 and 6 in June

Because of reasons such as a quarter of the staff are shielding etc, so how on earth will they we able to reopen all years in sept
They will still have the same staff in September

OP posts:
Needamanicure · 27/05/2020 14:19

At some point everyone will have to look at their own personal level of risk. We cannot all stay locked away for ever and I say that as someone on the very vulnerable risk list.

We seem to have forgotten than normally we risk assess everything we do without making a meal out of it. The one thing that this virus has highlighted is the number of adults who cannot seem to make choices and want the government to decide everything for them (Eg a fit and healthy 20 year old female bemoaning they didn't advise if she could do X or not..... seriously!) There are GUIDELINES and then use common sense after that.

PafLeChien · 27/05/2020 14:20

yes Nihiloxica that's exactly what we are saying.Grin

I would just point out that children who are raised to be independent are quite resilient and very happy to entertain themselves during the few weeks they are off school like now....

Needamanicure · 27/05/2020 14:26

I am not sure who you were responding to since only just joined the thread and can see you are really stressed and angry.

("bookworm14) in your post "Wed 27-May-20 14:13:20For fuck’s sake. You have no idea. We were unable to leave our street for seven weeks because I was on the shielding list. Just go fuck yourself."

May I ask why you shielded for 7 weeks and not shielding now. Did someone remove you from the shielding list or did you catch it and ok now? Just wondered since I thought the shielding were still in fact shielding? I had the 12 week shielding letter and it was so detrimental to my health to just stay indoors all the time despite being in the extremely vulnerable category that I took my own health into my own hands (as much as possible) and started going out for walks but being careful with social distancing and not to touch things etc/walking when quieter etc. It helped me retain a sense of perspective (that I lost whilst shielding) and I am not so angry now.

Perhaps bookworm14 you might want to try similar for your own mental health?

TitianaTitsling · 27/05/2020 14:29

So paf do you then think and go on about
' what's all the big fuss about covid? Why's everyone so uptight and panicking and worried, lockdown and everything? I mean we're all going to die at some point so why all the fuss about keeping people shielded etc? Such drama....'

TitianaTitsling · 27/05/2020 14:31

I'm just bemusedly by the derision directed at anyone indicating concern for children's mental health and saying lockdown hasn't been plain sailing!

bookworm14 · 27/05/2020 14:35

May I ask why you shielded for 7 weeks and not shielding now. Did someone remove you from the shielding list or did you catch it and ok now?

My consultant agreed to change my immunosuppressant medication so it no longer puts me in the high risk group.

bookworm14 · 27/05/2020 14:38

Me too, Titiana.

Bollss · 27/05/2020 14:39

spending a few weeks at home with clearly concerned parents is not going to damage anyone's mental health

Tell that to the parents of teenagers who have already committed suicide due to this. Biscuit

Time2change2 · 27/05/2020 14:43

@PafLeChien. Not missing on any important education? Wow just wow. If you had any sort of understanding about child development you would know that the first 5 years is the MOST important in the whole of a child’s life in terms of education and socialisation. I don’t mean reading or writing. I have studied child development for 5 years before you ask and have a degree in it.

Howaboutanewname · 27/05/2020 14:49

Tell that to the parents of teenagers who have already committed suicide due to this

Can you direct us to evidence of this? It is clearly very worrying if this is beginning to happen.

sirfredfredgeorge · 27/05/2020 14:58

There are countless examples of children "removed from public life" grin for various reasons, they were just fine.

No, social isolation in children typically resulting in an increase risk of death between 0.25 and 0.75, it's well understood that there is a risk, and it's why there are normally lots of attempts to keep those who are isolated through illness etc. integrated with their peers.

Obviously isolation when everyone is isolated might be different, and normally the isolation comes with other negatives (they're isolated because of abuse, or disability or illness)

TitianaTitsling · 27/05/2020 14:59

@Howaboutanewname Emily Owen, 19, from Norfolk. I'm sadly sure if I googled would find more.

peoplepleaser1 · 27/05/2020 15:24

@WutheringTights it's really sad that teachers who can't or won't return risk loosing pay but that's how this is also playing out in other businesses. The hard cold fact is that people are paid to do a job, and at some point if they can't do that job they won't be paid for it and someone else will.

LittleFoxKit · 27/05/2020 15:25

If you had any sort of understanding about child development you would know that the first 5 years is the MOST important in the whole of a child’s life in terms of education and socialisation.

Socialisation I 100% agree. I query the education bit. Clearly we are not talking about a situation that can be compared to feral children like Genie, who had a adverse effect due to no socialisation or education prior to 12 years.
And I wonder what 5 years are the most critical? From what age?
As the UK starts formal lessons much earlier then some countries which focus on learning through play (eg age approrpiate nursery style play) for much longer yet have much better educational outcomes from the UK?

I wondering if your getting confused with the first 5 years of life being the most critical in terms of social, emotional, cognitive and physical development as they set you up for life, but that's different to the first 5 years of classroom education and instead refers to a more holistic development.

Starmer · 27/05/2020 15:35

I never understand the number of teachers shielding on mumsnet. It’s 4.9% of the population where I live (northeast) and having just reviewed our practice list for the zillionth time (GP) the vast majority are older and retired. Where are all the shielding teachers?

Maryjane3227 · 27/05/2020 15:43

Schools have to open, Sep is my guess for all year groups . I think parents may need to lower their expectations of how learning is delivered though. It may well have to be individual work, at a table, with limited interaction, and much tighter restrictions on Art, Drama, P. E and break/lunchtimes. It will still give kids the chance to socialise but possibly within smaller bubbles. There's no way the kind of interactive learning schools have tried to facilitate previously will be possible with groups of up to 32 kids at a time. Nor will kids be able to roam/mingle so freely at lunch and break. But it's a start.

FrippEnos · 27/05/2020 15:48

Maryjane3227

You missed Technology out.

WutheringTights · 27/05/2020 15:59

@peoplepleaser1 I don't know what else we can do. We need teachers, we don't have the money to pay the ones we have beyond the end of next year. We can't pay people who refuse to work and still provide an adequate education for our pupils.

peoplepleaser1 · 27/05/2020 16:06

@WutheringTights sorry if I was unclear. I completely agree with you. It sounds harsh, but we all get paid to do a job and no one can expect that to continue indefinitely if they can't or won't do the job.

I think that teachers who aren't teaching come september should be replaced with those who can- if there are enough of them!

FrippEnos · 27/05/2020 16:10

I think that teachers who aren't teaching come September should be replaced with those who can- if there are enough of them!

I'm not sure where you think these teachers are going to come from.

Worriedaboutthefuture1 · 27/05/2020 16:20

@FrippEnos

I think that teachers who aren't teaching come September should be replaced with those who can- if there are enough of them!

I'm not sure where you think these teachers are going to come from.

Well the fact is that if the school is an academy then they are under no obligation to hire qualified teachers anyway. I’m educated to degree level and look like losing my job in HE, so if schools were crying out for teachers and lowered their qualification expectation - I wouldn’t hesitate to apply.
Comefromaway · 27/05/2020 16:21

I can name at least two teachers at ds’s very small school shielding due to cancer meds.

peoplepleaser1 · 27/05/2020 16:25

@FrippEnos I agree that replacing these teachers is a challenge but that doesn't mean that money should be spent paying teachers who won't be teaching. That money would be best spent on teachers but if that's not possible then it should be spent on things like more TA's, more technology and better resources.

TossACoinToYourWitcher · 27/05/2020 16:36

Children are at risk of serious psychological distress during lockdown.

reliefweb.int/report/world/children-risk-lasting-psychological-distress-coronavirus-lockdown-save-children

Some fucking awful attitudes to children's mental health on here. Genuinely disturbed that some of you are teachers. Hope you are not in my child's school.

FrippEnos · 27/05/2020 16:36

@peoplepleaser1

But at the moment we have no idea what September will look like in schools, If all pupils are back then you may have a point. But there will also be the legal hoops that schools will have to go through.

And even if HE teachers/lecturers (such as @Worriedaboutthefuture1) come across, where will they fit in, most won't be a straight exchange, and you will still be paying the outgoing teachers.