To think that those people calling for the schools to shut should check their privilege

[berryfull]

It’s all very well and good to decide to keep your kids home or call for the schools to shut when you have enough space/have a garden/ have enough bedrooms/ have a home office/ can work from home/one parent doesn’t work/ you can work flexibly / your work can furlough you/ you have enough savings/ you have enough money/ you have WiFi / you have a device per child/ your children can read and write/ your children are independent/ your children are neurotypical/ your children don’t have disabilities/ you’re not scared of your partner/ you’re not scared of your children/ your mental health doesn’t make you a danger to your children/ yiu can cope with the stress/ your partner isn’t a danger to your children/ your health is good enough to allow you to look after your children/ your education level is sufficient for you to help educate your children you can feed your children throughout the day ..... etc etc

Stop presuming that all children will be safer at home. There are bigger and comparable dangers to the Covid that school keeps children safe from. And the vunerable ones are not being looked after.

Keep the schools open .... please!

It's not about anything on your list for me, OP, it's about duty of care to teachers.

There are some parents who want to have thier children at home. There are some parents who want them in school.
There are some teachers who want to teach from home, and some who want to be in school.
Surley it's not impossible for heads to take the decision for thier own schools, in conjunction with local health officials, knowing the local rates and preferences.
Perhaps some schools could do a mix of both.

I dont see why the government thinks they know what all people want or need. MN just shows the huge variety of opinions on this subject, and a little but of faith in the school leaders would be a good this for this government to show.

You do understand that it’s the lesser of two evils, right?

And that people are dying? And that we need to do something significant to stop the spread? While the vaccine effort ramps up?

Your situation must be horrendously hard OP. I’m sorry. But the schools need to close.

@IHateCoronavirus

Schools are open for all vulnerable children.

And vulnerable children are the ones who won’t want the stigma of attending therefore confirming their vulnerable status. They also won’t have parents/ family unit who ensure they attend, therefore they remain vulnerable and at risk

Oh right you mean the privilege where I have to work in a 500sq ft flat with outdoor space, looking after my reception aged child whilst also working full time? Whilst suffering from a mental illness? That privilege?

I still want schools shut because the alternative is worse for both me and my child.

Check my privilege 😂

Thank you for the laugh. I’m a MH nurse and DH is a police officer. We are more aware of what goes on behind closed doors than most. And yet - we both strongly believe the schools need to close.

The vunerable children are not all being looked after and getting places. They really aren’t.

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/am_i_being_unreasonable/4113739-Disabled-kids-the-forgotten-Covid-victims

Where was the huge spike in Covid cases that happened when the schools reopened?

It’s easier for some people than others for sure.

But it does appear that schools are responsible for a lot of spread, I believe. So it’s a very reasonable position to take.

@SaltyAF

Stop asking members of school communities to cure all society's ills by risking their health.

Well said!

I don’t agree with closing then but I don’t agree with opening them either.

There need to be a rigorous testing scheme put in place and for teachers to feel safe and extra safety precautions.

It does more harm to close the schools but there need to be a balance. Why does it need to be black and white and not a grey answer.

I’m not 100% sure why it’s taking the government so long, surely this should have been in the plans last summer to allow schools to stay open.

I really feel for children that aren’t from a safe background and have safe guarding issues or have limited food at home. It’s sad that school is their safe place

I know there are supposed to be places for vulnerable children, and I’m sure lots are available, but I would guess that there are also parents out there that don’t give enough of a shit to send their kids in, who will use the excuse that school is closed because they can’t be arsed to take them.

It’s a terribly sad situation. I really, really wish the schools could stay open. I’ve been a vocal supporter of keeping them open. But even I have accepted they need to shut now.

Maybe you work in an environment where there some actual effort to at least try to reduce your chances of getting covid.

As opposed to primary schools where it is accepted that a group of 30 plus people ( the second most infected age group in the country) breathe the same air for 6 hours a day, with no ppe or sd. These same 30 people mix freely with other bubbles and infections were rife even before the new strain spread around the country. You are then patronised by politicians who insist these arrangements are safe.

Maybe you should check your own privilege before lecturing primary teachers who continued to look after the vulnerable throughout.

@chaosisaladder

Check my privilege 😂

Thank you for the laugh. I’m a MH nurse and DH is a police officer. We are more aware of what goes on behind closed doors than most. And yet - we both strongly believe the schools need to close.

Thank you for the important work you both do, and thank you for supporting school staff.

I hate the phrase 'check your privilege' in this situation.

I've been totally vocal about schools opening through most of this pandemic, but this new variant has changed.

I see both sides, but it does annoy me when clearly a SAHP is shouting from the rooftops that schools should close. It does really grate on me and you made some valid points why they shouldn't. I WFH and it is really hard with young kids and some people who can't WFH need schools open.

Schools should let parents keep their kids off if they want it. It may reduce some numbers so schools are a bit safer for teachers. It feels like some parents are being forced to send kids in when they don't want to.

YANBU and it sickens me that so many people don’t understand why the schools need to stay open.

If the schools are closing to protect teachers then should the food shops close to protect workers? The world cannot just stop!

The vunerable children are not all being looked after and getting places. They really aren’t.

And classrooms are not 'COVID safe, they really aren't'.

We aren't able to make sure they wash their hands, it's not possible. In my classroom we can't open the windows because they don't open and we can't open the doors as one of our children is a runner. There is no hot water. So I am changing wet knickers and then washing my hands in cold water and then it's milk and fruit time. We've four toilets for fifty dc.

At three when the gates open for the parents, the caretaker comes round with a spray bottle wearing a visor and cleans the door handles. So that's ok then.

Totally agree. Kids should be in school. The damage to their education, mental health and emotional well-being far out weighs the risk of covid. The small percentage whose lone parent are shielding should have alternative arrangements but the rest should go to school and family who are at risk stay away from them. Hopefully we are talking another 3 months and things will be settling with warmer weather and vaccines so for the sake of 12 weeks send them to school and keep them away from vulnerable people.
I teach, for context.

."I WFH and it is really hard with young kids "

Well at least you have a safe working environment then.....

if the schools are closing to protect teachers then should the food shops close to protect workers? The world cannot just stop!

Shop workers are able to socially distance and wear PPE and generally speaking would not be in close enough proximity for long enough with a covid case to catch it. Teachers cannot socially distance, cannot wear PPE and are in close proximity with many children, sometimes hundreds, on any given day. Not comparable.

but the rest should go to school and family who are at risk stay away from them

What if they live with a family member who is vulnerable but not a parent? Many people are in intergenerational households.

I do not wish to bash teachers. Or teaching assistants. Or any of the school staff. They are amazing, committed people. They should be vaccinated first alongside nhs staff.

We’re not calling for hospitals to close!

If you think that the vunerable children are all in school then you are wrong. They are not!

Where was the huge spike in Covid cases that happened when the schools reopened?

The new variant has changed everything, do you really not see that?

My son attends a special school sixth form. They are open for any child who needs to attend. Yes folks...even if schools, are shut they will have teachers avd other staff in the buildings... Unless it's being deep cleaned.

My son will have online learning (he's not happy) but if all else fails he can go in.