"UsforThem" Get Schools Back to Normal campaign

[twomonkeys2]

Just found this online and I think it's brilliant. Importantly, I think, it's not about a scientific debate - it is about a moral argument that we should not expose all schoolchildren to further harm by keeping them home without planning their return. AIBU to think this needs more attention??

There is a petition and Facebook page.

Not quite sure why there are people on MN who don't seem to realise that schools are open to half the year groups and teachers are in school full time

Really meaningless to me quite frankly. My DC are still not welcome at school apparently.

t@winnywinny 14 what is your problem? I know teachers are not back as I have teachers as friends who are not at work!!!! So its quite a simple conclusion to reach!!!!

@loulouljh

Teachers around here are certainly not back full time!!!!! (South of England..)

Teachers round here certainly are back full time. And a fair number also worked through the Easter holidays and half term, having not had a day off since lockdown began. (South of England)

@twinnywinny14

I also am seeing teachers not working anywhere near their normal hours - friends, neighbours, relatives.

An open letter to Gavin Wililamson, signed by 120 experts to demand the young are prioritised now.

drive.google.com/file/d/1zytNGOtnySo-YnyU7iazJUVQ0fS2PC1Z/view?fbclid=IwAR2C3Iu8IjfJ6yLjlJW68CQcM6mlmeyp00yu-4w9TnS7JtGE5VJxtzfqDE8

Wow are you spying on them? Bet my neighbour has no idea I'm currently doing a webinar on a Sunday evening.

Not spying on them, they’ve told me as much, and with time spent in gardens/windows open etc I don’t have to try too hard to “spy” as well!

@loulouljh calm down, I only asked how you knew they we’re working, fair enough Q, no need to jump on me about that!

And there is not one mention in that letter of shielded children, and how much more extreme the lockdown conditions have been for them throughout

That makes me quite cross. Not even lip service from a group that claims to be caring about children. It's a disgrace.

Yes, the shielded may need exceptional arrangements.

But they also need to be right up there as an MH and educational priority. So they need to be in step with all other DC returning to onsite schooling.

Not ignored, until someone asks a question and all they get is 'that is under discussion and we hope to make an announcement soon"

I also am seeing teachers not working anywhere near their normal hours - friends, neighbours, relatives

Dob them in if you're so bothered why don't you?

MNnicknameforCVthreads

I also am seeing teachers not working anywhere near their normal hours - friends, neighbours, relatives.

So you have been breaking lockdown?

One of my concerns is that there seems to be a reluctance by some to accept that the virus doesn't affect everyone equally and therefore it is ridiculous to expect that restrictions should only be lifted or loosened when it is equally safe for everyone and those at most risk aren't disadvantaged.

It may feel discriminatory in some ways but this isn't a man-made problem and unfortunately sometimes it isn't possible to completely insulate people from the disadvantages of having underlying conditions during a global pandemic. It would be lovely if we could uphold ideals of equality and fairness but nature sadly doesn't follow such ideals.

Lots of families don't have vulnerable members and are relatively very low risk. It makes sense that they will be keen for schools to return if homeschooling is severely detrimenting them and causing all sorts of issues. They may find that returning to school will mean that they have to be more careful with their interactions with people in their extended family or wider society that are vulnerable and therefore higher risk. The fact that another family has vulnerable or shielding family members doesn't mean that the non-vulnerable family is wrong to want schools to return. They aren't compelling the second family to send their children into school. What seems to be happening though is those in the position of the vulnerable family are trying to prevent the non-vulnerable family from being able to return to school because the vulnerable's family's children will miss out unless the risk level is further reduced to an acceptable level for them. This seems totally selfish and unfair.

@Bumpitybumper

One of my concerns is that there seems to be a reluctance by some to accept that the virus doesn't affect everyone equally and therefore it is ridiculous to expect that restrictions should only be lifted or loosened when it is equally safe for everyone and those at most risk aren't disadvantaged.

It may feel discriminatory in some ways but this isn't a man-made problem and unfortunately sometimes it isn't possible to completely insulate people from the disadvantages of having underlying conditions during a global pandemic. It would be lovely if we could uphold ideals of equality and fairness but nature sadly doesn't follow such ideals.

Lots of families don't have vulnerable members and are relatively very low risk. It makes sense that they will be keen for schools to return if homeschooling is severely detrimenting them and causing all sorts of issues. They may find that returning to school will mean that they have to be more careful with their interactions with people in their extended family or wider society that are vulnerable and therefore higher risk. The fact that another family has vulnerable or shielding family members doesn't mean that the non-vulnerable family is wrong to want schools to return. They aren't compelling the second family to send their children into school. What seems to be happening though is those in the position of the vulnerable family are trying to prevent the non-vulnerable family from being able to return to school because the vulnerable's family's children will miss out unless the risk level is further reduced to an acceptable level for them. This seems totally selfish and unfair.

This is really well-put.

According to the Sunday times 11% of kids are back in school
It's shocking

I really think people are over egging the emotional harm being off school is doing to most kids. And are under appreciating the emotional harms of socially distancing in the classroom, being ill with COVID, seeing relatives (parent's siblings) ill with COVID. And also the divide it will create between those who do go back and those who cannot (because a parent or sibling will likely die if they get COVID.

While I am very pro get back to normal school campaign, I do have to agree that most MNers seem to focus on their younger children, forgetting about the older ones. Lots of threads about small children lacking socialisation and how we must open playgrounds, much less support for older children and teenagers.
Shielded children are a smaller group but deserve recognition and education too. I’m not saying every child should stay at home because there are shielded children. I think healthy children should return but it’d be nice to see recognition of the impact this is having on them. If it’s bad enough managing a child who can only walk in a park and go to sschool 3 days a week, it must be much worse for the poor shielded kids.

And are under appreciating the emotional harms of socially distancing in the classroom

Mine (6 and 4) are loving the new classroom arrangements. They say it’s better than ‘normal’ school as there are fewer people messing around, and DD1 says no one is copying her work or asking her for the answers all the time.
I guess small groups, more teacher attention and more space per child in the classroom isn’t exactly the negative that some are making out.

@covidco
I really think people are over egging the emotional harm being off school is doing to most kids
I completely disagree, it's not just the fact that the children are off school that will cause harm but also that so few other facilities and enriching activities are available to them. In normal pre-covid times it would be completely unacceptable to withdraw your child from school and "homeschool" them in the way that many parents are being forced to do. With many parents still working FT and not having the knowledge, support, time or skills to properly educate their children, no libraries, museums or even play parks open and no real opportunities for children to socialise naturally with their peers , it really would be seen as almost a form of neglect to short change our children so badly.

And are under appreciating the emotional harms of socially distancing in the classroom
My child has returned to school and has found that being in a bubble system with social distance measures in place absolutely fine. So have all of her peers and every week there are more and more children coming back as word spreads about how good the experience of returning back to school has been for the children.

being ill with COVID
The vast majority of children are asymptomatic or have a very mild version of the virus. Children have more to fear from other illnesses in circulation, but we have never seen these diseases as a reason to not send our children to school.

seeing relatives (parent's siblings) ill with COVID
Lots of families don't have any vulnerable members so the chances are that the child won't have a harrowing experience of a parent or sibling getting the illness.

And also the divide it will create between those who do go back and those who cannot because a parent or sibling will likely die if they get COVID
Why hold back the children that can go back to school for the sake of those that can't? Of course measures should be taken to help those that can't go back to school as quickly as others but you can't ask a whole generation of children to make such a huge sacrifice in the name of equality and fairness.

*Drivingdownthe101" I'm glad home learning is suiting your children, but when you say "I guess small groups, more teacher attention and more space per child in the classroom isn’t exactly the negative that some are making out" are you talking about the remote home learning experience?

With most parents working either full or part time, the reality is many kids being left to their own devices with no "teacher attention" and no one to help or supervise them. It's not an education.

@mocktail

*Drivingdownthe101" I'm glad home learning is suiting your children, but when you say "I guess small groups, more teacher attention and more space per child in the classroom isn’t exactly the negative that some are making out" are you talking about the remote home learning experience?

With most parents working either full or part time, the reality is many kids being left to their own devices with no "teacher attention" and no one to help or supervise them. It's not an education.

No, I was referring to the fact that they’re back at school (year 1 and reception) and are enjoying the new way of schooling (small classes, more individual teacher attention and more classroom space). Sorry I thought that was clear.

Yep - if I didn’t work I would quite enjoy teaching my kids. I am quite good at explaining different ways, I am quite good at music and sports. I could run a pretty good school.

But I’m working and have basically managed virtually nothing. Other than a few hurried pointers here and there. Lots of tears from my children whilst i shush them away and go on another call. I literally tell my pre schooler to go away. It’s bloody heartbreaking

Sorry there must be some crossed wires. Mine are back at school.

Why hold back the children that can go back to school for the sake of those that can't?

And why hold back those who can't?

They may need special arrangement, but they should start their schooling (in whatever form it takes) at the same time, and with at least some means to socialise with schoolmates.

It would be totally and utterly wrong to exclude the most isolated and most vulnerable DC.

This really should not be an either/or wuesti N

It is simply that every child matters, and that should be something that happens, not lip service.

@Calledyoulastnightfromglasgow

Yep - if I didn’t work I would quite enjoy teaching my kids. I am quite good at explaining different ways, I am quite good at music and sports. I could run a pretty good school.

But I’m working and have basically managed virtually nothing. Other than a few hurried pointers here and there. Lots of tears from my children whilst i shush them away and go on another call. I literally tell my pre schooler to go away. It’s bloody heartbreaking

Same here. Kids ignored all day and shushed away for 11 hours a day. It's no life and they're getting no education either as what 7 year old can self direct their learning, even if school did provide anything worth having, which they don't.

@Drivingdownthe101 sorry I got completely the wrong end of the stick!