To think that homeschooling should be optional at the moment?

[Albustydumbledore]

I realise there's been loads of threads on this.
I don't want to be fined for keeping my children home.
I don't want my child to lose their place at school.

It's not that I'm scared because I think there's a huge risk to our family. But I would rather homeschool (because I'm in a position where I could) through a second wave.

Feel like this because
I feel I've got a social responsibility for the part our family is playing in transmission and spread. (Allbeit a tiny tiny tiny tiny part but if the few families who can homeschool did, surely rates would drop a bit?)

I don't want to put unnecessary pressure on teachers right now. I hate that they are in this situation.

Ultimately I don't want to be a part of / responsible for the transmission of somebody else getting sick. I feel those of us that can should do our part to take weight off the system and it's making me angry that I can't.

Anybody else?

Why can't you home school? I'm sure thousands of people do it legally, even out of covid times.

@Igotthemheavyboobs As she doesn't want to lose the child's place in the school :)

@Albustydumbledore I am of the same mind set as you.

You could always unregister them and home school if you prefer. However, as long as you are taking sensible precautions I think the risk is relatively low. Make sure you wash hands as soon as your home, put uniform straight in the wash and limit unnecessary contact.

Well... why should a school hold a place indefinitely?

If there's a child that wants to come and your child not coming, why should they hold your place? And how long for?

Do you mean an option rather than optional? If you do then of course it's an option as it always has been, if you think that's the best thing for your child then get on with it, there's loads of information and resources online

Yes.
My ds was shielding. He is medically vulnerable and has complex needs and learning disabilities.
I do not want to deregister, and do not think we should have to. We fought for years for a decent EHCP, the right support and (hopefully) a place at special school in the future - all of that would be jeopardized by deregistering.
It is appalling that fines are on the table, but we have a difficult relationship with the school, and they have been very clear about this.
Ds was back 8 days before developing a cough and a fever and has just been I'll for a week, and had a negative test.
I have heard parents sending their children in with symptoms and last week 5 in his class of 12 were off.
I tried so hard over lockdown to keep him safe, and to come up with work for him, and it feels awful to be in a position where we are given a choice of go in, deregister of get fined.

Because why should children on waiting lists for schools be denied a place you are not using?

I don't think the OP wants to deregister her child, as she might not get a place in the future.
What she wants is for temporary home schooling to be optional.
The only objection to this that I can see is the social contract that children get from being with their friends. In these difficult times, that kind of social contract would be too difficult to replicate, especially if limited household mixing is on the cards.

The digital learning over lockdown was in no way homeschooling.
I know as I have done both.
It would be unfair to expect teachers to provide online learning as well as class work. They are already stretched.
Plus.if they didnt, hownwould they measure who had followed the curriculum? And even if they did, what if the class was doing fractions then decimals, but you did decimals first then your child went back and they did decimals in class but missed out on the fractions? (As a simple example).

No. I do think you should have to choose. You can absolutely home educate. You have a right to. But if you wish to you should definitely give up the school place to someone who wants their child to be in school. Both choices are reasonable. But you do need to choose.

@ftm202020

Because why should children on waiting lists for schools be denied a place you are not using?

My ds had large chunks of missed school last year due to operations, illness and appointments...what would your cut off be, attendance wise, for losing a school place?

Also, those saying this...do you really not see a difference in taking a child out of school but wanting to keep a school place, and the pandemic situation we are in now? Are you all just being a teensy bit disingenuous??

My DC's didn't ask to have a disabled mum. It is absoloutely appalling that the vulnerable and disabled are being forced to choose between their health and their children's school places right now. Totally unforgiveable.

@WickedEmoji
It would be unfair to expect teachers to provide online learning as well as class work.

Schools should be ready to provide online learning anyway. My dds and ds were off for a whole week last week, self isolating. Ds is, on average, ill 7 times between Sept and March - if the test situation doesn't improve, that is a lot of time when he came his older sisters are going to need online resources. As it was - ds got nothing (and the bare minimum over lockdown, which was why I organised it myself), the dds got good resources over lockdown, and a little last week (I'm not sure schools were prepared for so many kids to have to be off quite so quickly!!)

I have friends abroad who have had the option of online or in person. About 1/3 of families have chosen online, and they have the option to swap to the other pathway at set points though the year. Sounds like a good system really.

Yes.
We are literally not going to be in anyway. Asthma and coughy kids!
Dc1 already had to have a test and tbh i think all of us would (me and dp have sore throats. )
I want them at school but seeing firsthand how little the measures in school are working. How theres now no testing.

Without a doubt it should be an option right now.

For children vulnerable to abuse/neglect at home schools can contact SS.

It has to be an option as there will be many families prone to temps/coughs and zero education is obviously discrimination.

My eldest used to have ear infections with temperatures literally wouldnt be in now with no test.

Otherwise we will all start campaigning for schools to shut so at least what everyone gets is more fair.
1/10 kids have asthma and would likely cough with colds.

But this could go on for a year or more so can't see how you want or expect a school to keep a space open and then when your child goes back potentially catch them up or work out whats been done with them
There could be a mum trying to get several children to several school who would benefit from the school place ,
If you want a school place later you will get one just maybe not where your child was before

Let's face it, it would have to be a constantly reviewed situation...it's not going to be a case of 'see you after a vaccine programme'...
We have sent ds back, but feel with testing issues and cases rising...it may be a good idea for a review.
Plus, in our case, if you deregister you can lose all EHCP support.

I think you should have the option to deregister for the year, but keep your place for September 2021 if you want it.

But you’d need to commit to the year because otherwise there would be too much disruption for teachers trying to integrate pupils on their return.

@Keepdistance

It has to be an option as there will be many families prone to temps/coughs and zero education is obviously discrimination.

My eldest used to have ear infections with temperatures literally wouldnt be in now with no test.

Otherwise we will all start campaigning for schools to shut so at least what everyone gets is more fair.
1/10 kids have asthma and would likely cough with colds.

It’s never going to be fair though is it? Some kids will be luckily enough to have a SAHP who can dedicate time to teaching them. Some kids will have two full time working parents who can’t help them at all. One of mine has asthma and coughs badly with every single cold but I wouldn’t use that as a reason to close schools for all. Some children really need to be in school. I do think people should have the option to homeschool at the moment without penalty, but I’m not sure how it would work in terms of teachers having capacity to teach both in school and provide work at home. Our school doesn’t have any shielding or vulnerable teachers, so unless enough decided to homeschool to free up resource it would be tricky. And as we had 100% take up of yr 6, 1 and R places in June I don’t know if that would happen.

By optional I do mean just during these times of high transmission ie R rate being above 1.

I don't feel they should provide online learning. I'm happy to provide that. I just think at this point there should be options.

I don't want to deregister them. Without being to outing, they have echps and wouldn't get back into the school I don't think, I'm also vulnerable.

But those details are irrelevant because I think it should be optional for everybody that feels like they can follow a curriculum while the R is above 1.

We're in a once in a century situation and we need to all come together to reduce transmission.

I don’t think the ‘R rate above 1’ thing could work though. For a start it’s a made up number and different agencies calculate it differently. What if it goes below 1 next week, then back up again the week after? Would you keep sending them back and taking them out again?
I think for it to work it would have to be for a defined period of time.

I agree with you Op. Keep the school place open and let parents home educate their kids if someone in the family has a medical condition.

Yanbu. I would be shielding it shielding hadn't been paused. 3 of my dc are in the clinically vulnerable group and so is dh. One of my dc has autism and licks everything. His teacher is struggling to keep him safe. I would keep them off if it wasn't for the fine and losing their school places.