To think schools should not reopen in Sept?

[SusanFrimp]

I think that schools should not fully reopen in September and instead be partially reopened to some years. It is just not safe enough to reopen yet. I'd say December at the latest for full reopening. If they can't reopen other smaller places, how can they reopen schools with 1000's of kids? AIBU?

Why does everyone presume the mental health of kids is damaged. Mine and most I know, are perfectly happy and loved having time off school. Lockdown pretty much ended ages ago and most have seen their friends already (socially distanced), if not constantly online with them throughout lockdown. Just not sure why it's almost presumed most kids are suffering mentally. They arent. Not at all.

If it's safe for people to go to crowed beaches, holiday's abroad and adults to go to pubs and not socially distance, and living a 'normal' life then our children should be in school getting the education they have right to.

If you don't want your child school then de reg and home school.

Behave yourself. By September kids will have been out of school for 6 months. Don't send yours if you're that worried.

My DS needs to finish his BTEC - he needs to understand the content of his course. Collage staff tried really hard to teach using Google classroom but it didn't work well for what ever reason and they stopped. They can't just give a grade like they can with A levels or GCSEs because if they don't know the content they could struggle if they choose to go into a related job/apprenticeship.

My DD who is going into Y10 need to go into school for her mental health. She cannot work independently at home, she needs to be taught. As she said in lockdown "I can't learn this by myself and you can't teach me. We're just going to have to wait until the professionals can help me."

The only way my DC going on to Y11 and 13 could miss another term would be if they knew they were going to retake the year.

I actually think it's more important that the children I'm yet to get to know at work start school in September than DM and FIL have active social lives. They've both got used to socialising with distance, and I think that's the way forward rather than deprive children of education.

@Orchidsindoors

"This IS very serious. We know 3 families from DC school who've had Covid and 4 x other people who have died. Please do not minimise this. The concern for many remains very high and while yes normality is needed it still doesn't come before safety for all"

People who want their kids back do minimalise it. Because their agenda is to get their kids back at any cost. They dont care that it will increase risks to the community or the vulnerable or other parents. They just want them back. Given the choice if they didnt have to work, I suspect most of them would put their children first and not send them.

That’s simply not true. I neither minimise the virus nor work yet my dd needs to go to school. I’m also chronically ill with very little energy and need more major surgery for which we as a family will have to SI unless rules change. I absolutely am putting my dd first by wanting her to be in school. That is where she needs to be.

"By September kids will have been out of school for 6 months. Don't send yours if you're that worried.
Nope. Not true. The have only missed 3.5 months of education. Hardly anything to get irate about.

@Orchidsindoors

Why does everyone presume the mental health of kids is damaged. Mine and most I know, are perfectly happy and loved having time off school. Lockdown pretty much ended ages ago and most have seen their friends already (socially distanced), if not constantly online with them throughout lockdown. Just not sure why it's almost presumed most kids are suffering mentally. They arent. Not at all.

Good for your kids. My dd did not like homeschooling.

No chance, with 4 D.C in 3 different school years and 1 in nursery it would be an absolute nightmare to work out when and what times each would go in for part time schooling, and would result in them being at the school gates every day anyway, this was a large part of why mine did not return in June. It’s already going to be a pain with staggered drop offs and pick ups, if you don’t want to send yours then fine, don’t make that decision for everybody.

[quote SusanFrimp]@Stannisbaratheonsboxofmatches I'm not saying keep them off forever, I'm saying not all at once with 1000's of kids. Like 2 year groups in at a time.[/quote]
Not RTFT yet so sorry if this has already been asked, but what about the schools that don’t have thousands of kids? Should they be allowed to open? Should there be a cut off? What years do you think should go back? The ones that already went back in July, or perhaps give them another bit of time off and rotate them? They can’t really stagger it as you’ve got to think of come September next year, and curriculum and moving up classes/transitioning into different schools would be all over the place.

I don’t have children in crucial years, and by god I sympathise for the staff in schools, the logistics must be a nightmare. But children need to go back to school, for education, mental and also physical health! Both children had football matches today and the drop of fitness in some of the players was quite worrying tbh.

Mine and most I know, are perfectly happy and loved having time off school.

My very sociable and active little boy really struggled not seeing any of his friends and being parked in front of screens all day while his parents had to work. It was pretty shit for him.

Orchidsindoors- not all children's mental health is suffering, not by a long way but many children are suffering. Ask any professional who works in the area. This is exactly the problem - many of the children who are struggling aren't privileged enough to be able to 'be online with their friends' as they don't have the technology and don't have parents who have the resources to provide trips out and support their school work.

They can't keep schools closed any longer, i have seen the struggle working parents are having. I home educate one of mine and have done for 4 years now, you have that option available to you.

"My dd did not like homeschooling."

Did it make her mentally ill? It's ok to not like something. We all dislike things, doesnt mean we are suffering mentally.

YabVI.

Some areas have had no more than a handful of cases in the last two months. 10,000s of children are sitting around bored stupid, and they need to go back to school.

In regions where the transmission rate is higher - Swindon, Bedford, Glasgow etc, those councils need to decide based on real data, not someone’s random opinions.

@SusanFrimp

And why must I have to deregister? Again, I am not saying we must keep them off. I'm saying for a few year groups in at a time. Not all at once. I've spoken to many parents about this and they also believe that it's not safe and would rather do online schooling.

Then let them homeschool.

It's perfectly legal.

I'm assuming they don't need to go back to work?

Children absolutely need to get back with their peers to be educated and to socialise. I feel sorry for teachers as I think there will be many metal health/behaviour issues for them to deal with,

"This is exactly the problem - many of the children who are struggling aren't privileged enough to be able to 'be online with their friends' as they don't have the technology"

I very strongly disbelieve that. If it is true it will be minuscule numbers. Even in the poorest of households where parents visit food centres, the children all have phones.

My child needs to be back to school in September, like many by then he will have had 6 months off school not only has he missed a lot of education his mental health has really suffered after not interacting with any children for 4 of those months!
I also need to work, I have worked all the way through lockdown but any longer then September not only will my job be at risk from trying to juggle it all but we could loose our home as well.

I say this as someone who lost a relative to covid so I know the risks before anyone jumps on me.

Mine and most I know, are perfectly happy and loved having time off school.

My very sociable and active little boy really struggled not seeing any of his friends and being parked in front of screens all day while his parents had to work. It was pretty shit for him. My children aren't partially social but they have missed being in school both learning and seeing and interacting with their friends and the adults in school.

Mumsnet seems to be the only place where people aren't sending their kids back to school. Everyone I know can't wait to get them back.

If people don't think it's safe keep your children at home. If teachers don't feel safe find alternative employment. Or else this is never going to end.

Very silly suggestion. If they schools will close for lack of teachers. Much better to make schools as safe as possible, surely? Or don't teachers deserve protection?

I don't think schools should be fully reopened at the expense of everything else shutting back down.. That would be the deciding factor for me.

*if they leave

Most work my children were set couldn't be accessed or downloaded on a phone. Either way there is a huge increase in levels of distress and referrals to mental health services. I know, I work in one. I'm glad your children have been ok. Many have not and that's why I think everyone has the right to choose, send to school or deregister.

Are parents keeping their kids indoors over the Summer? There seem to be a lot of posters saying how their kids need to get back to school to see their friends? Are they not going the park and seeing their friends over Summer?

I'm so sick of this topic. Schools need to reopen. If you want to keep your kids off then that's your choice but mine is going back. We can't carry on like this, kids education is top priority!