To think if you can keep your kids off school beyond September, you should?

[user8558]

Firstly I want to make absolutely clear that by "can" I mean people in similar circumstances to myself. I've no job anymore due to coronavirus, my industry will be one of the last to find its feet so I'm likely unemployed for the forseeable. Fortunately my partner is able to cover bills etc with his income.

I'm a bit wary of schools going back in August. For me it feels too soon.

However, I also know it's not soon enough for many other families. That working parents are struggling and for many other reasons kids are really missing school.

Am I being unreasonable then in thinking perhaps that people like myself, with nothing better to do anyway (and have the mental resources) are doing everyone else a favour by keeping our kids home to make life easier for teachers and other kids trying to manage in cramped schools? To make social distancing in the classroom easier for those who need and want to be there.

Well yes. They had opportunities to go back and I declined in favour of keyworkers taking those places.

But if they can go back September then they will.

Part of the problem already is that with some children in and some children not in, some teachers have said they will need to repeat anything. It is a nice idea in theory but unfortunately some will keep their children out of school for the wrong reasons and not home-educate.

I think that home educating your dc is doing them a massive disservice that will stunt their social skills (unless there are SN considerations)

Schools do many children a disservice. Thousands Home educate atm anyway, irrespective of any virus. What makes you think their social skills are stunted? I'd like to see your evidence, please.

In our local authority (SE London borough) as far as I know majority of the primary schools are back open for reception, year 1 & 6, and every single child in those years has been given the option to go back.

In DC1's class, only a fifth have actually returned, with parents intentionally choosing to keep them out of school.

And so, the school has decided to open up more places for children in other school years, and now have informed the parents in Year 1 & reception that it's too late to open up a space for their child a few weeks down the line.

Many of the parents in Year 1 had decided to "wait & see" for a few more weeks, many are complaining & up in arms now that their child had effectively been denied a place til September. But they can't seem to appreciate that their child WAS offered a place but they turned it down.

It swings both ways, with schools opening up but parents then declining to send their DC in

I’m a SAHM and my 2 primary school age DC will be going back to school as soon as it’s possible.

Home schooling DC1 and DC2 is not going well. They don’t want to do school work at home, they’re taking forever to do even the smallest, easiest task, and we’re falling further and further behind the work set by school.

DC1 has SEN and academically, was already behind where he should have been before all this kicked off. I’m not prepared to sacrifice his education to make things easier for his school.
I’m less worried about DC2, who’s NT and was working above average in everything before lockdown, but I still don’t want him falling behind because he won’t work properly at home.

So they’ll be going back to school ASAP because that’s what’s best for them academically, and also socially.

I’m a bit more on the fence about my nursery age DC, but if all the normal out of school places I take him (parks, libraries, soft play, etc etc) are still closed in September, it’ll probably be best for him to be going back to nursery then too.

No, especially as I am paying for it. My dcs have missed out on enough and have missed the social side of school it's not just about education. So far I don't think it's had a detrimental effect on them but I feel it will start to if it carries on after September . BUT if I am not happy with the schools processes in September I will not put them in.

There’s a lot of talk of home education and people making out like it’s a fabulous life.

I don’t believe a word unless your a teacher. Teachers have said themselves they manage to teach their own, mainly because it’s their field and even then they have to think themselves for some of the work.

I'm a qualified teacher, Home ed does not need a teacher.
Nothing I did during my PgCE qualifies me to do anything else but teach a subject and firefight. The latter not something to concern yourself with when supporting learning for an individual.
I started off with plans, and resources, schemes of work etc, all covering the NC. I think we got to day 3 because it was just so impractical.
It's not for everyone, and certainly not to be taken under duress.
But all this talk of needing a professional, none of my kids were taught in school by a specialist in their subject. One of their English teachers had a degree in Pottery
I was expected to teach further Maths, when I don't even have a GCSE.
Schools aren't all that and neither are teachers.
Not teacher bashing, as used to teach myself.

I have a number of friends that home school (SEN children). They are very well organised, have external tutors, belong to multiple clubs and are never at home!
Totally different experience to lockdown home schooling.

I'm a SAHM but my children will be going back for all the reasons expressed on this thread.

I'm a qualified teacher, Home ed does not need a teacher

It depends what you mean by home education. Basic primary school learning (reading, writing, basic Maths) can be taught by a parent (although I would still argue that you need a certain skillset). Some home educators follow a school-like curriculum and use tutors or online learning or groups to facilitate that, others go for a much free-er approach, for which I would agree you probably don't need to be a teacher.

The point is, there are reasons people do not home educate. From needing to work, to wanting their children to have the experience of school, to not feeling they have the skillset.

This situation has been forced on people, and the nasty sanctimonious comments that you constantly see on MN about inadequate "parenting" and their own perfect home-schooling just make me cross. I am lucky my son is 17 and responsible for himself, but I just know that had he been 7, I would not have been "home-schooling" him because I do not have the skillset and a lot of children need the peer pressure at school to knuckle down and learn.

What will parents do if children aren't back in September, or what have they done to date.
Considering the law stating it's the parents responsibility to provide an education for their children either at school or otherwise.
Obviously with schools closed we are otherwise, have parents taken this responsibility? Will they continue, if need be?

I do think that this may be a turning point though in the same way that it could be a turning point for office workers.

It's been shown that many people thrive on home working and are more productive - just as others are desperate to get back to the office.

In the same way, there will be plenty of students out there who are thriving outside school, just as there are others desperate to get back. So perhaps blended learning is a model that could be used more widely in future.

OP Can I ask why you don’t feel it’s safe for your child to go back to school in September?

What will parents do if children aren't back in September

My son's college has said they are expecting blended learning in September.

I didn't expect this to go on for so long especially for my son's year group and I imagine there are many others like me. You're right that at some point, if it goes on, something is going to have to change, parents can't keep doing nothing (but it is difficult if they are working especially if outside the home - are we eg really expecting nurses to be homeschooling their kids).

Re the pp who said that parents should properly homeschool rather than relying on teachers work I think you're right

OP, it sounds like you're saying that parents who want to take responsibility for their DC's education and homeschool them should be able to.

You're right, they should be allowed to do this and they are allowed to do this - homeschooling has been legal for ages!

@Devlesko

I'm a qualified teacher, Home ed does not need a teacher. Nothing I did during my PgCE qualifies me to do anything else but teach a subject and firefight. The latter not something to concern yourself with when supporting learning for an individual. I started off with plans, and resources, schemes of work etc, all covering the NC. I think we got to day 3 because it was just so impractical. It's not for everyone, and certainly not to be taken under duress. But all this talk of needing a professional, none of my kids were taught in school by a specialist in their subject. One of their English teachers had a degree in Pottery I was expected to teach further Maths, when I don't even have a GCSE. Schools aren't all that and neither are teachers. Not teacher bashing, as used to teach myself.

This your opinion. Teachers need a degree for something. Other wise teaching assistants wouldn’t be the lower paid ones also the TA could be in the numbers in September.

All is not as simple as that the majority of parents are doing their best. Everybody has different circumstances.

Something has to give

Obviously with schools closed we are otherwise, have parents taken this responsibility? Will they continue, if need be?

Well the government suspended the curriculum.

I presume if that let those trained and paid to educate off the hook, it did the same for parents.

Should Ofsted be sent round to the homes of nurses/doctors/other key workers to ensure they’re educating their children after their 12 hour shifts, do you think?

@LaurieMarlow I’m glad somebody has pointed this out.

I don’t think because you have nothing better to do you should not send your child to school. My child is in school and the third one is in next week. I’m not a teacher.

But all this talk of needing a professional, none of my kids were taught in school by a specialist in their subject.

Wow - that must be a spectacularly crap school!

lazylinguist I think it’s probably quite an accurate representation of a fair few schools recently, given the teacher recruiting/retention crisis. I personally know PE teachers required (forced) to teach humanities and have read many threads on here of maths teachers required (forced) to teach MFL etc.

I think if there is still blended learning going on then it would make sense to prioritise school vs home time based on who needs in school most.

One of the options being discussed round here is some kids in full time (keyworker care) and some part time. Either two lots of a 2 day week, week-on week-off or one lot in 3 days and the other 2 days.

The last option wouldn’t be popular with a lot of people as other kids getting an extra school day wouldn’t sit well, but if the school are having to set up home/online learning anyway then kids like mine - SAHP with an education background - wouldn’t be disadvantaged by an extra day of home based learning. Whereas my nephew would be as he cannot cope with his parents as teachers

That’s totally different altogether that’s due to poor staffing. However they are still qualified and have experience

As a nurse you may be working on a Cardiology ward but then get moved (forced) to work on neuro. This is expected as you are qualified to do your role.

Ohhh have you forgetter that OP mentioned she isn’t working well some of us are!

We need everyone back in the office. Home working has been ok, although obviously very difficult for those with younger DC’s but it’s time for it to end. We had a meeting today and decided to postpone the return to the office until the start of September to allow for all the DC’s to return to school.

@lazylinguist ever tried recruiting a Physics teacher?

It's extraordinarily common to be lacking specialists, especially in science. Lack of specialist teachers is why I teach 5 subjects to A level (2 of them very well, one of them passably and two of them if there really aren't any other better options, which sadly sometimes there aren't)