To think that high levels of children being sent to school are the beginnings of lockdown resistance from the working age population

[NoIDontWatchLoveIsland]

I keep hearing widespread reports of high levels of children being sent to school under key worker provision. In the first lockdown many people did what they could to keep children at home, and employers tolerated this, but this time almost everyone I know even vaguely connected with a key worker occupation has been given a letter from their employer and told they must get their children to school. In almost all cases the parents are happy about this.

AIBU to think that this is the beginnings of resistance from younger people at continued school closures & lockdowns, when the statistics continue to be clear that few people under 50 who are not CEV are getting severely I'll with Covid?

YABU - no, people are supportive of school closures & wider lockdowns
YANBU - yes, younger people are becoming less tolerant of school closures/wider lockdowns

Agreed. We are now using a key worker place for one child. We didn't before. We cannot juggle like we did last time. Running on empty.

This country has taken a trying not to upset too many people approach from the very start which has a) upset lots of people and b) dragged things out
We are now in lockdown again because basically dithering allowed it to get to crisis point and things are running out of control. Healthcare is getting to breaking point (this affects everyone not just those with CV19 because it means that emergency /ICU capacity is no longer available so RTAs, heart attacks, childbirth, stroke etc cannot be effectively & safely treated. This is partially because of issues with the NHS funding and conditions over the years but mainly because no healthcare system can cope with a exponential deluge of seriously ill patients all needing the same intensive treatment.
We have lost control and people need to understand the seriousness of the situation. It's not supposed to be nice, easy or a good choice but unless people (public, businesses, employers & government) really restrict all contact as much as possible we will be dragging this out for even longer.

The reality is employers have had enough. We have to work. We have to meet targets and perform. We cannot educate at the same time. It is impossible.

Now we know that we are not all in this together and that I need to look after my family, my roof over my head as no one else is looking out for me*

This.

Until this ludicrousness started, we assumed as a society that sending children in to school for both their educational and social wellbeing was a good idea.

In my part of the woods (northern old working class) it used to be said that ‘if you want kids to learn anything, keep them at home. They go to school for the social education.’ My experience with my primary-age kids backs that.

If more people are sending their kids to school - has anyone got any proof of that yet? - while transmission is going up then the lockdown will last longer. I hope that bloody fool Johnson recognises that low compliance is in part due to his mate Cummings and his defence of his mate Cummings. What an example to set.

@MistleTOEboughski

I think the government want it this way and planned it, just enough kids off to reduce the spread to acceptable levels nationwide while keeping as many businesses open as possible. They don't care about individuals just statistics.

I agree, shutting down the economy is antithetical to Tory ideology

[quote praepondero]@Seasaltyhair
Bugger off with your faux-feminism blatherings. The current global situation is somewhat differing from the norm and everyone must learn to behave responsibly. That doesn't mean women staying home popping out kiddies etc.
Grow the fuck up.[/quote]
Oh but it does mean women leaving their jobs to look after their little kiddies doesn’t it.

Does ‘behave’ mean to STFU and just get back in the house?

I’m a part time key worker but have kept mine home despite one having a ehcp and being entitled to a school place.

I know many sending there’s in because they are key workers but the one thing I don’t really understand is why people are sending in high school age children (not those with sn’s) who are capable of being home alone and completing school work whilst home alone?

I’m sure my DB will be trying to send his dc to school, his dp is a part time key worker and his job not a key working role and his hours will be reduced, so between them they should be able to look after their kids at home.

Have seen so many people looking for excuses to send their kids in, they can’t work at home, they are vulnerable because they don’t have a laptop yet they are only 5 years old, they have a undiagnosed special need etc...etc....

My dd won’t do any school work from home, she has ASD and just won’t do school work at home, I will adapt her learning and will do activities with her which teach life skills and are linked to the subjects she’s learning at school, it’s not the end of the world, it’s not easy for anyone, dd is currently pacing up and down the room flapping her arms and taking to herself (she’s almost 15), the coming weeks will be hard for her but I feel she needs to stay at home to keep herself safe and teachers.

My middle child is in Year 1 and has a full time place in school this time around. My youngest is 3 and in a private nursery 4 days a week. My eldest is 11 and home for the foreseeable. I am not a keyworker, neither is DP. I am working from home and DP is out working everyday. If either of us lost of our jobs we would be unable to put food on the table or pay bills & rent. I didn't ask for a place at school but the head of the school rang and offered me one under the vulnerable child provision as during the last lockdown my middle child did not cope at all. They came to see him and cried at how he'd changed. If I could give the head and all the staff at that school a massive hug I would because to see your lovely, caring, happy child change so dramatically was heartbreaking and frankly scary to watch. I could keep him at home in that it would be physically possible for him to be here but it wouldn't be a safe situation in the longer term and I am spectacularly grateful that school have recognised that and been given the ability within the guidelines to offer a space. Flame me if you want but I am doing what I and the school feel is right for my child.

Why do people have kids
because they want to and they do this in the perfectly reasonable expectation that those children will receive a full-time state-funded education, because we live in a modern liberal democracy.
We do not live in a tribal society where if you have children your only option is to teach them yourself and then they will be limited to the skills that you are able to pass on.
Perhaps some people would prefer to live in a traditional tribal society?
I prefer to live in a modern technologically advanced liberal democracy and I'm glad that my children were able to receive an education that prepared them to function in such a society

Do you have a letter from your employer stating that you are a key worker ?

Yes @Charlie63849. I presume that in 2021 an email from HR and the boss saying that they've checked with the government counts. The definition of 'key worker' has been stretched massively. Which effectively says to anyone who wants to keep their DC away from school that they will still have to fulfil their role.

Everyone thinks their case is exceptional.
And some really are, but they get lumped in with the selfish.

I presume all those who break lockdown or manipulate situations because it is best for them would expect to be treated in a hospital if they got seriously sick. Everything's fine, until it's not.

Women staying at home popping out kiddies
Gosh what an extraordinary turn of phrase!
With that silvertongue... You must be such a hit with the ladies
I bet they're all queuing up so that they can 'pop out kiddies' for you
😂🤭

The longer we have schools that have high numbers going in, the longer this will all continue- if 1 in 50 have it, and you have 100/200 kids going into schoo, probability is it’s being brought in, spread around, and the misery continues. . So those fed up and desperate for things to get back to normal, if we don’t comply it won’t happen.
Bojo ain’t gona say, I can tell you’ve all had enough, so fuck it, lockdown over!! He’ll say, numbers continue to be a grave cause for concern, schools are staying closed!

It’s not about complying - they have NO choice.

People will not see their kids go hungry or homeless and I don’t blame them.

I think people under 60 know they won’t get the vaccine anytime soon and when it is available to them it might not even work very well against any new variants. They still have to go to work and take the risk there so they might as well allow their children to carry on getting an education and not suffer anymore damage. Also if you are exhausted and run down and exhausted and you do catch this illness you might not be able to fight it off so well.

Agreed that this will be used in a negative way.

“We told you that schools are safe and not contributing to the numbers as much as you think....see, the schools are closed and yet numbers still continue to rise or hold steady”

@Heartlantern2

He is a key worker, he is in furlough. He works at the airport.

Yes, it probably is harder for some families, there is always someone who has it harder, doesn’t mean it’s ok to fall to the bottom of the pit!!

I just feel like the more and more we as a family follow the rules the more and more my children suffer for it. Not us as the parents, but them! I feel like I’m never learning my lesson and I’m starting to let them down now for it!

Anyone furloughed absolutely should not be taking up a key worker place for their children. Each extra child increases risk of the bubbles in school bursting so all of the keyworkers have to isolate. It increases the risk to school staff of contracting Covid.

'stay home, save lives, protect the NHS', only apply for a place if your child cannot be safely looked after at home

We can only get through this collectively, of course if we look at our own personal circumstances it's frustating, challenging and disruptive. That doesn't make your families situation unique.

I do understand, we stayed in over Christmas, saw no family and still the situation has escalated but at least I know our family hasn't contributed to the situation worsening.

It’s very easy to tell everyone to stay at home when you’re likely to be mortgage free
I agree that housing costs are a major part of the problem. No one benefits by half of the working population being made homeless, it’s a major national problem and should have been solved long ago. Don’t we have a solution to it once ...?

I’ve just come from my school. I am a TA and am helping to provide keyworker provision.
There is a group of 8 children from Year 3 up to Year 6, all sat in front of computers with headphones, completing the exact same work as all the others who are at home. I helped if needed but am basically just babysitting while they get on with it. This afternoon they are being supervised by one of our lunchtime supervisors.
Anyone who sent their kids expecting teaching is mistaken. The teachers are all at home, preparing and marking online work, and having face to face video calls with each student twice a week, which we will also facilitate at school.

I don't think it's down to the parents, I think it is down to employers wanting people back at work this time. I also think it's still a bit of a lockdown-lite. Loads more workplaces are open this time - construction, estate agents, all the trades people, as many shops that can get away with it, greggs, macdonalds etc etc. If parents have got to work then primary age children have got to go somewhere. I know someone who works as a chocolate rep going round independent shops. The first time they were all furloughed. This time they are apparently key workers.

It's not like that where I am in Scotland at all the same rules still apply from March. One single parent key worker or two parent key workers and a point system in place to prioritise the key workers entitlement to a school place. NHS first, then other emergency services, carers then retail. Many didnt get a place at all that are retail or carers.

Now parentials seem to be willing to chew off their own right arm to get rid of the offspring.
If you have decided to reproduce, you take responsibility for raising the fruit of your loins. And love and care for them and keep them happy and safe. Or is the government expected to do that?
There of course are exceptions, the real key workers where both parents are expected to work outside the home.

I sometimes wonder how far in advance people like this are able to think.

I’d change the phrasing:

YABU - intelligent and responsible people are supportive of school closures & wider lockdowns as it will limit the effect of Covid.
YANBU - stupid and selfish people are becoming less tolerant of school closures/wider lockdowns and are not looking at the bigger picture.

I have no problem with genuine keyworker children attending school but the whole point is to get out of lockdown as quickly as possible by limiting transmission, hence closing schools. The self-serving excuses given on some threads show there are many people who are taking the piss. We know they are taking the piss and they know they are taking the piss.

The intelligent, socially responsible parents at my school (and it’s private so they are paying) are not sending in their children and all are engaging with online learning, as we did in the summer term. We have no more than 20 children in school and all are GENUINE keyworkers where both parents are doctors, farmers or similar. I feel very sorry for school staff and genuine keyworker families in schools with a high proportion of piss-takers. The sad thing is it will impact on the whole country, not just the ‘lazy’ teachers who have to supervise them and the keyworker families who need places to actually keep the country going.