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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

To brace myself for schools being part-time for a while

56 replies

PasserbyEffect · 29/05/2020 23:36

As one of my DS says "I wish the virus had never existed, and we could do everything like before".
Sadly that wish doesn't seem likely to be granted any time soon.

So back in the real world...
Schools are barely reopening in England, and that doesn't cover yet my kids' primary year groups. No clear plans from the government aside from vague aspirations. SAGE advice seems to suggest rotas. Scotland is planning blended learning... Other countries in Europe (the ones which have reopened) currently seem to favour teaching kids part-time, in order to keep classes small.

AIBU to assume that when schools do reopen for other primary year groups, it will NOT be full-time at first, and plan my life accordingly (e.g. when considering how best to use my annual leave, whether it is worth investing in home-learning resources such as laptops, whether I should spare some time to look for a nanny/baby-sitter, etc.)

Please note: this is not about what I want, or what would be the best policy, but about what seems most likely to happen.

OP posts:

Themostwonderfultimeoftheyear · 31/05/2020 12:04

DS starts reception in September and DH and I have had a conversation about me giving up work if the school can only offer part time to DS.

OnABeachSomewhere · 31/05/2020 12:20

Unfortunately, as soon as a plan is announced, people would insist it is stuck to, even though circumstances are very likely to change. I would rather see flexibility and imaginative solutions found which fit the present and shorter term future. If the government outline a plan, even if they say clearly it is only what they hope will be possible, the only certainty is that everyone will pull them apart if it doesn't occur exactly as stated. You can't make a fixed, definite plan when circumstances are constantly and unpredictably changing. Many people like certainty but life is always uncertain whether we're protected from that or not. Just putting out a plan doesn't actually make the future more certain, it would just be an illusion.

Duckfinger · 31/05/2020 12:22

@Themostwonderfultimeoftheyear

DS starts reception in September and DH and I have had a conversation about me giving up work if the school can only offer part time to DS.

I think a lot of people will be in the same position. I am a TA my job only works for us because I don't have to pay for any childcare. If the children are at home when I am at work I can't afford to work.

ilovemyrednosedaymug · 31/05/2020 12:25

DD is Year 7 currently, going into Year 8 in September and I am now assuming that she won't go back until then.

Even then, I am thinking that it may not be full time due to spacing issues, depending on the CV situation at the time.

I think they will obviously want to prioritise the Years 10 and 11 first due to exams, and the lower years will get less time in school than they do, if it comes down to it.

SockYarn · 31/05/2020 12:28

Scotland aren't planning "blended learning". They are proposing 2 days out of 5 in school, sort yourselves out the rest of the time. Some children will spend the other 3 days doing work on their laptops and researching, or having online lessons with their teacher.

Other schools will leave it all to the parents, who are out working, or at home working. Bugger all will get done, and it's not the parents' fault - impossible to split yourself however many ways and support two or more children, plus do your job.

It's a piece of nonsense, unworkable, and will probably be quietly shelved by the time we get to August and cases are down to a tiny number. Or it better be, as there will be no justification for it.

GalesThisMorning · 31/05/2020 12:34

The college I work at is planning blended learning from September until who knows when. I'm bracing myself for my sons primary school to do the same.

I'm already 4 days and my husband may also need to go down to 4 days to make it work. Make up as much time as possible early mornings and evenings and wing it the rest of the time. Maybe it won't need to happen and in some Trump-ian miracle the virus will just disappear, but I think its wise for families to do some 'scenario planning', as my work insists on calling it!

nowaitaminute · 31/05/2020 12:50

I'm a teacher and I think I'm going to have to give up my job as I can't think of how I can work around this, if I am in full time and my dc part time then it won't work for me. I don't use childcare at the moment at all so it's not in my budget to do so. My dh works away so it's not possible for him to do childcare either!!

Feellikedancingyeah · 31/05/2020 12:58

I already started a chat about this. Very few people have considered it and will be in for a shock

Blackbear19 · 31/05/2020 13:02

That idea just went up in smoke

When I read your first post I thought, where are you going to dig a governess up from, did they not go out with Enid Blyton!
But your second post proves they do still exist But I can't imagine they will be a solution for many!

AJPTaylor · 31/05/2020 13:10

Dd is year 7 but I'm working on her being part time in Sept. I think plan for that and be surprised if it's any better.

SimonJT · 31/05/2020 13:23

I’m planning on my son being part time in September, I have the luxury of being able to work from home and only working part time, so for me it wouldn’t cause problems. I would usually do four short days Mon-Thurs and then do additional work in the evening to make up my hours.

But what about parents on low wages who work fulltime? If they have to cut their hours will they lose entitlement to universal credit? Will children be allowed to attend two settings e.g school mon-wed and a childminder thur-fri?

Duckfinger · 31/05/2020 13:37

I think in reality the government will see it is too detrimental to the economy with all the people who will resign due to childcare issues and fudge the science to either:

a) scrap social distancing in schools and have everyone return.
Or
b) scrap social distancing within extended families and encourage grandparents to provide childcare.

listsandbudgets · 31/05/2020 13:53

For anyone with serious cash to burn

Get yourself a governess As Blackbear19 says bot a solution for many!!

NeverTwerkNaked · 31/05/2020 14:28

There are options of varying prices for people who are resigning themselves to the fact education is going to be patchy at best for a long time to come. Among my friends and family people are experimenting with

move to private school that teaches online
online only schools with interactive lessons and pastoral care etc (originally set up for homeschoolers/ children travelling a lot for films/sport etc)
more ad hoc interactive lessons (eg outschool, Jolie Rinse, and similar)
paying for tutors in a range of subjects (Mumsnet has links but a lot of local teachers near me are also offering tutoring ...)

It is obviously not a solution for many, but the parents I know who have switched have all round it made life easier, especially if they are trying to work as well)

NeverTwerkNaked · 31/05/2020 14:29

(or a governess of course, strangely haven't heard of anyone picking that option . I obviously don't move in the right circles )

TartanTexan · 31/05/2020 14:38

We’ll all be back full time in Sept I think with reduced social distancing (to 1m or less) in play.

Anything else is unworkable.

SomewhereEast · 31/05/2020 14:46

I could actually see normality returning pretty soon in the autumn simply because the alternative is completely unsustainable from a social, educational and economic POV. We're temporarily sustaining interrupted schooling because a huge chunk of the working population is at home, and the costs to children (especially disadvantaged ones) and to women are only really beginning to mount up.

But maybe I'm over-estimating our ability to remember that there are things in life other than Covid, who knows????

Juanmorebeer · 31/05/2020 14:48

I think you're sensible. Because realistically social distancing is going to be around until a vaccine or effective treatment is found.

So if schools are not big enough to have all kids in every day then they will have to stagger them on different days.

SomewhereEast · 31/05/2020 14:50

Just to add, I find it depressing that we're sort of resigning ourselves to half-schooling for some time to come. Yes many mumsnetters can probably sort of make it work, but its an absolute fucking disaster for more vulnerable, less advantaged kids. And women's incomes / career progression will take a huge hit.

tappitytaptap · 31/05/2020 14:50

@SomewhereEast oh god I hope so! I am fed up of the ONLY consideration for anything being bloody covid! I remember a time on MN when people freaked out over any tiny perceived injustice re their children’s education, now lots seem to be quite happy for them never to go back!
DH and I can’t suddenly decide for one of us to give up work, we earn equal amounts. And are all the teachers and TAs like the ones on this thread who would have to give up work going to be easily
replaced? I think not....

TartanTexan · 31/05/2020 14:52

@Juanmorebeer you’ll then have massive disparities & inequalities emerging & I think by then (Sept) community spread will be right down. We’ll see the ‘rules’ changing.

SomewhereEast · 31/05/2020 14:55

I just think at some point we have to ask ourselves how much we're willing to bugger up society surely? Social & gender inequality will be massively reinforced and that also has a cost in terms of human well-being and longevity. And I have no idea how families in need of two incomes or single parent families make this all work longterm. Its so depressing

Helpmyhair2019 · 31/05/2020 15:01

My husband and I will be full time teachers in September. We can not afford to drop a salary. Both my kids (one primary) will be part time. Teenager can stay at home but have no idea how to manage a primary school child being part time with full time working parents. Also, wrap around care has been scrapped due to it being classed as mixing bubbles so even if my son went in full time due to us being key workers, he’d be in from 9-3. I would be at my own school letting the kids in at 9 so not sure how all this is meant to work

LoopyGremlin · 31/05/2020 15:02

I am a teacher working 4 days a week but it’s likely my children will be in school only two days a week. My husband has his own business and has been working outside the home throughout the lockdown. We are lucky in that I could afford to take the two days unpaid if necessary but the issue will be that there is not an abundance of teachers able to do the two days that I can’t and my students will suffer. No idea how that will work.

ProfessorRadcliffeEmerson · 31/05/2020 15:08

Can I ask those who are switching to private if they’ve found that schools have in-year places? DD’s normally very good school has been pretty useless on the home learning front; I’m not keen to move her as she’s about to go into year 6 and I’d prefer her to finish primary school with her (lovely) class, but if this carries on from September I think I’l have to if I can. We were thinking of private secondary in any event. We’re in West London.

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