One key worker, child should stay home

[Areyouactuallyseriousrightnow]

Not sure if there has already been a thread but AIBU to think that if only one parent is key worker and other is WFH, child should be staying home as school provision is for key workers who cannot complete their important role if they have to look after child at home, not so that the other parent can continue with work without interruption?

My partner is a key worker, but I don’t consider us eligible as I am home and therefore technically can be with the children.

YABU- if there’s one key worker take that opportunity to send the child in.
YANBU- if there’s another parent at home, child should stay home.

Obviously uptake will increase this time. Lots of people will have used all their annual leave up with the last lockdown and potentially wiped out savings etc. Employers are less likely to be tolerant about people taking large chunks of leave, many businesses are on the brink of collapse. People need to work. People need to keep a roof over their heads.

Yes of course some people take the piss there’s always going to be some. But the majority of children in the school will be in there because their parents need to work to keep the country and themselves afloat. I’m sure (myself included) that people would rather stay safe at home if it was an option than send their children to school.

@Areyouactuallyseriousrightnow

I can’t be the only one who know parents who have an alternative but are sending in anyway!!

What alternative is that? Lots of keyworkers wfh.

@CakeQueen87

Surely no one can disagree that the current uptake of places we are hearing about is ridiculous. How can they be shut if 50% of the children are in? It completely defeats the point of the lockdown and many lives are going to be lost.If there is any way that your children can stay at home, that's where they should be. Most people managed it in the last lockdown. It was absolutely shit but what else can we do.

I agree.

Although the thread started off as 1KW parent, there are countless comments saying that if 1 parent wfh (regardless of KW status), children should be kept at home.

It is by chance DH has specialised in an essential industry (think financial services in energy company rather than in hospitality) but the overwhelming majority of my colleagues (male and female) are the lower earner and so would sacrifice their job whether partner was KW or not.

There are people who are taking liberties and it is so frustrating as obviously won't help drive down this disease but my point was just that there are cases where if families with 1KW don't get childcare, society will lose that desperately needed KW at a critical time as it doesn't make financial sense for them to work.

@CakeQueen87

Surely no one can disagree that the current uptake of places we are hearing about is ridiculous. How can they be shut if 50% of the children are in? It completely defeats the point of the lockdown and many lives are going to be lost.If there is any way that your children can stay at home, that's where they should be. Most people managed it in the last lockdown. It was absolutely shit but what else can we do.

Absolutely

I had this exact same situation, nursery called today to say that my ds start date will be delayed until.... my words- fuck knows when. I'm a key worker, my partner works full time from home. I said I still need child care as my partner can't work with a 3yr running about. They said if someone's at home the child doesn't get to go in to nursery. A load of fucking bullshit!

Does anyone else notice that it only seems to be men who "can't cope" whilst women who are social workers, teachers, solicitors etc are cracking on with WFH and hone schooling?

Have these men even tried or have they just made it their KW wife's problem?

I haven't read the whole thread but am sure I will be the millionth teacher to say that we have got 60% of children in and more every day, as those at home realise that it is pretty much 'normal' school and all of their child's friends are in.

So every teacher is in full time, and supporting home learning (planning, marking, some live lessons, recording videos at night). It is twice the usual work, and no PPA either.

The keyworker list is so huge it covers just about everybody, but the overarching message is still to only send your child in if there's no alternative. Just because you can, doesn't mean you should.

Head sent out a desperate email asking parents to reconsider whether they really needed the provision but there were even more in the next day.

If closing schools was to drive down infection, and to protect teaching staff even just a little bit, then it will fail in our area.

One of our parents (an A and E nurse) emailed today to say she really needed her places because her DH had 'made it clear he doesn't intend to help the children as he's got things to do'. He's unemployed.

One of our parents (an A and E nurse) emailed today to say she really needed her places because her DH had 'made it clear he doesn't intend to help the children as he's got things to do'. He's unemployed

What a complete disgusting piece of shit he is
No words
May the kids give him long Covid

Sorry that’s an awful thing to say but there is so much wrong with that
I don’t really wish him long covid

@Butteredtoast55

One of our parents (an A and E nurse) emailed today to say she really needed her places because her DH had 'made it clear he doesn't intend to help the children as he's got things to do'. He's unemployed.

Sadly I believe this is common. If this pandemic has shown anything it's that we have a nation of useless fathers - many of whom see to be on this thread

@Butteredtoast55

Sounds like a blazing row was had there, my sympathy definitely lies with the nurse.

I think there are a lot of women in a similar position as true colours are shown.

We're lucky I decided to delay job hunting until after winter (DC2 is now 2) in case we were back in lockdown. In November I was having serious regrets over that decision, applied for a job (local council from home) that looked like a good fit (and rare).

Looks like my pessimism was justified - any job I am likely to get would have been WFH while DH is an out of the home/on call to go out at minimal notice keyworker.

In extremis we could have worked around each other with the help of large stairgates and Netflix... Better not though. This time is much tougher than March as DC2 is no longer containable by playpen!

This is the governments fault really. They have confirmed that all vulnerable children (which is everything from no IT at home to in physical danger) and all families with at least one keyworker can have a place. They know that is a huge amount of children, they also know that schools are a real problem for transmission and that according to the PM there are 40% more people in hospital now that at the peak of the first wave. We aren’t even at the peak yet! If you can keep your child away from school please do, it’s going to be another train wreck otherwise.

@sst1234

WFH doesn’t mean available for childcare. Who’s going to do the work?

Yes but if that's the attitude then nearly all the kids would be in & schools wouldn't be closed at all!

Although having said that, in the school where I'm having to still go into work ALL DAY, EVERY DAY, despite it being very, very dangerous, we have a third of our normal number of kids in key worker provision so we're not really shut anyway. I have to just hope that I'm not risking the health & safety of my own children who are currently being homeschooled by my very busy, full time, working from home, husband! 😡

@rawlikesushi

I haven't read the whole thread but am sure I will be the millionth teacher to say that we have got 60% of children in and more every day, as those at home realise that it is pretty much 'normal' school and all of their child's friends are in.

So every teacher is in full time, and supporting home learning (planning, marking, some live lessons, recording videos at night). It is twice the usual work, and no PPA either.

The keyworker list is so huge it covers just about everybody, but the overarching message is still to only send your child in if there's no alternative. Just because you can, doesn't mean you should.

Head sent out a desperate email asking parents to reconsider whether they really needed the provision but there were even more in the next day.

If closing schools was to drive down infection, and to protect teaching staff even just a little bit, then it will fail in our area.

Wholeheartedly agree. Same here in our school. 😥

It literally couldn’t be clearer than this from a headteacher writing the thread guardian today.

How can you be sure your sacrifice is worth it though?
Do we actually know how much of a driver primary schools are? Do we think that the march - September school closures (where more children were killed by parents /neglect /suicide than Covid) made enough of a difference to the death rates of the over eighties to be worth the sacrifice ?
People are still crammed into supermarkets and small shops /takeaways, enclosed into tubes, working in offices. People are bubbling with grandparents.
Children should be in school. As many as possible. Vaccinate the teachers ASAP so they're protected.
There is a long list of people who should feel guilty at the moment, mothers sending their child to school do not feature on this list.

Before Xmas our school in Kent and all the other schools in the area went to home learning because of outbreaks. In the school I work in 9 members of staff got it. We have to assume approximately 1/3 more must have had asymptomatic cases. None of the staff did anything but go to work and stay home on days off. We knew what was happening and could see the outbreak coming. Then the local primary was hit, the head there and half the teachers too. The outbreak was in yr 1 children at first. Parents didn’t self isolate their children and still brought them on the school run to get older siblings and mingled at the gates nattering. Then all these parents, the ones still doing play dates and giving each others kids lifts everywhere caught covid. Once the school gets a covid outbreak There will be no keyworker provision. And it’s not going to be if, but when.

I do wonder if there is any point to these schools in Kent closing now but we are supporting the closure.

@NCstaythefuckathome

It literally couldn’t be clearer than this from a headteacher writing the thread guardian today.

I read that article and she just says more parents are sending their children in as they found homeschooling hard. No consideration for the fact that parents employers can't accept them being so inefficient anymore and are enthusiastically handing out keyworker letters that they expect to be used, no consideration for the fact that people may have had to change jobs due to the pandemic and are now keyworkers or that people may have had no income for a while, or a reduced income and now can't afford not to work or be furloughed.

I'm not saying it's not hard for teachers at the moment I think my daughter's school are doing a great job both in class and with their homelearnig provision. Some parents of kids not in school have been threatening to go to Ofsted though as they expect live lessons.... from an infant school 🤦

It’s turning into a fiasco, and has really shown a selfish side to so many people I used to hold in high regard. The excuses are just infuriatingly impalpable. The sahm who exclaims her super duper pressured hubby needs peace in the house, it was affecting their relationship...to the many wfh couples, who are simply going by the letter, and bagging their place based on one kw allowance...to the many many parents, who simply becry that their kids are better off in school. It’s not good for their health...well guess what? It’s not good for anyone’s health!
And thank you to the kind posters up thread, regarding my self-employed situation. Unfortunately I had just started this, having had to give up previous employment as our child was ill, so unfortunately that situation leaves us up the creek with the proverbial paddle. But as was pointed out on here in defence of this fiasco...people like me, are privileged..because we can just stop work and leave our bills till tomorrow....
I don’t think a discussion on here, has ever angered me more. Good luck to everyone who is having to juggle through these difficult times, without the recourse of some badly worded, open door provision; and who has managed to maintain their moral compass for the better good of seeing this pandemic done

@Schoolmummmy I agree, it’s definitely shown me a very unpleasant, selfish side to many. Sad times.

How is it selfish to send your child to school when they're legally entitled to a place. Do you send your child to school during flu season? Do you drive a car polluting the air and risking other motorists lives? Is it ethical to disrupt the education of a child who is legally entitled to a place?

The government have made the rules. They could have reduced the list or insisted parents be put on furlough. Or, you know, done a much better job so our children's futures aren't jeopardised. You're asking others to give up a chunk of their child's education on the (misguided) belief that it will get your child back to school quicker.

The government messed up with their classification of key workers. It’s too wide.
If too many children carry on going to school (because their parents claim key worker status) and teachers and kw children continue getting Covid, the schools will totally close to every child.

Doesn't the guidance from the government say that you should only access education as a key worker, if you have no other option? So I think it is fair to say that anyone who is sending their kids into school when they have another option is being selfish. Although I agree that the guidelines should be much clearer and schools should take a much stronger stance on it.