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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

To not send my son to school because of taxi sharing?

8 replies

AmberAndAlexsMum · 02/07/2020 13:26

My son has Asperger's and goes to a special school 25 miles away, by taxi. Prior to Covid19, he would happily share with three other boys. Not a problem.

He will be restarting on Monday and the school has set up a system of bubbles to, hopefully, minimise the spread of the infection. The idea is that children will strictly stay in bubbles and practice social distancing, etc.

The problem is that his taxi is supposed to pick up another child who is not in my son's bubble. As far as I am concerned this blows the whole bubble thing out of the water, as the majority of the children at that school travel in taxis and they are all mixed up together.

I am concerned that, even with face masks on, this is undermining the bubble protection and increasing the risk. I am vulnerable and have been rigidly practicing distancing and staying at home throughout.

My son is hyper sensitive about my health as he had to listen to his dad dying in 2014 and still worries constantly about me. He has already panicked and told me to stay in and not get sick.

Would I be better off telling the school that he will not be going back until September, when, hopefully things might be getting back to normal?

The council have told me there are no more taxis available and I can't afford the petrol for the 4 hour daily trips back and forth.

My son is 15.

Many thanks for any advice.

OP posts:
Igmum · 02/07/2020 13:29

Can you tell the school this and ask them to review his bubble?

ScubaSteven · 02/07/2020 13:31

YANBU, under those circumstances I wouldn't send him.

I would be making sure he was accessing work from home though.

TheSoapyFrog · 02/07/2020 13:34

My son gets transport to his SEN school. They have an 8 seater vehicle. The driver and escort in the front. One child in the middle row and my boy in the back row. There are less children in the vehicle than usual and I'm not worried tbh.

CuppaZa · 02/07/2020 13:38

Similar situation op, speak to your school. It completely undermines bubbles. Listen to your son as well. He has made his worried and feelings very clear, plus with the added history of his dad

CuppaZa · 02/07/2020 13:38

If he is happy at home and can access education, I would keep him at home for the time being

rookiemere · 02/07/2020 13:39

Will your son be travelling with the same other child every day ?
If so it doesn't seem like a huge increased risk providing black cab with driver behind screen.

Jamhandprints · 02/07/2020 13:43

@Rookiemere, but if every child in her sons bubble is sharing a taxi, and every other child in each of the taxi-mates bubbles is sharing a taxi....all bubbles are burst.

AmberAndAlexsMum · 02/07/2020 14:08

Thank you everyone.

It's a normal 7 seater car so no screen between driver and passengers. My son is too tall to use the very back seats so will have to sit, either beside driver or escort (she is needed for the other child) .

He has been accessing work from home with respect to Google schools but won't do the stuff they send him. Typical AS child thinks school is for work and home is for play. Although he has done very well with the online stuff.

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