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

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

Aw you stayed in over Xmas and didn’t see family.. thanks.

Meanwhile in the real world people are being made redundant and losing their jobs and income because they cannot get in to work. Bit of a difference from not seeing Aunty Susan at Xmas.

We're by no means mortgage free. We live in rented, can't afford to buy. I'm on mat leave but under normal circumstances both OH and I are key workers (both low wage) full time. I'm currently on mat leave with three kids at home, including a seven month-old. Both older kids have additional needs. My OH can't WFH as no spare space here whatsoever. He also still has to do visits to poorly people as part of his job.
Would I send my kids to school?
Absolutely not.
They are my responsibility.

Nope. Keyworker so could send my primary age child and nursery is still open for younger child but both are home. They will be going to grandparents though 2 days a week who are happy to help out. This doesn’t t break any rules as we are in a childcare bubble with them....
Yesterday I did do a days work with them both home though and didn’t go to bed until midnight as was still working. It’s not sustainable and I fully understand why some ppl are sending children in. We will do all we can to keep ours home

“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”

@BustopherPonsonbyJones brilliant!!!

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

I bet you don’t work do you

My kids go private too. They have closed the nursery too which has seen a lot of pissed off emails to the school.

The watsap group for my junior child class has been ridiculous this morning. 78 watsap messages of eager parents waiting to get their kids on zoom and the other platforms and uploading work. Meanwhile a break away group has formed ( me included) that’s for struggling parents who are juggling work and trying not to let their kids down)

I’m not at all surprised at your post - there are a few smug parents in our class too.

@Seasaltyhair

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

Aw you stayed in over Xmas and didn’t see family.. thanks.

Meanwhile in the real world people are being made redundant and losing their jobs and income because they cannot get in to work. Bit of a difference from not seeing Aunty Susan at Xmas.

@SeasaltyhairI was posting to say that furloughed people should not be taking up keyworker places or do you think they should?

I said everyone has challenges.

Meanwhile I'll be getting on with my situation of wfh with DC homeschooling (am having lunch now).

Bit of a difference from not seeing Aunty Susan at Xmas.
Or my widowed parent for months!!!

You can piss right off

I don't understand, either you/partner are a key worker and can send kids to school. Or you aren't and can't. Same list as March. So how are people saying all these extra kids are in school this time?!!

@NCstaythefuckathome

“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”

@BustopherPonsonbyJones brilliant!!!

Maybe I'm the one who misunderstood the OP, but I didn't read it as saying that people should be becoming less tolerant of lockdowns and restrictions, but that it was the OP's belief that they were becoming less tolerant and she was asking if other people agreed. There's no point banging on about what people should do in an ideal world where everyone operated according to pure altruism if you don't have any kind of plan for dealing with the world as it actually is.

@midgebabe

A quick google says long covid affects 10% of 18 to 49 year olds , rising to 22% of over 70s

Women asthmatic s and overweight people more likely to be affected

10% of all cases, or just those tested for? because there is likely a large amount of people who have had covid asymptomatically and didn't get tested, that aren't included in that figure, but if they were they would significantly lower it, no?

@Indecisivelurcher

I don't understand, either you/partner are a key worker and can send kids to school. Or you aren't and can't. Same list as March. So how are people saying all these extra kids are in school this time?!!

personally i think its because people arent scared anymore, and they also know how utterly shit it is to isolate your children for a long period of time.

I know people who could have sent their kids in last time, and didn't they struggled through working around each other, using grandparents as childcare etc, and this time they have thought, nah, not doing that again and sent their kids to school.

I don't understand, either you/partner are a key worker and can send kids to school. Or you aren't and can't. Same list as March. So how are people saying all these extra kids are in school this time?!!

I think a lot of people didn't take up the KW provision last time and just soldiered on thinking it would be a couple of weeks. Obviously it went on for months and people think the same will happen this time. That's my situation anyway.

At my DC’s school three has been a huge uptake.

Reasoning being, last time they didn’t offer wraparound, this time they are. I’m a teacher and muddled through last lockdown live teaching and trying to care for 2 primary aged DC. Won’t do it again. Have accessed a place.

Also man businesses are still open. One parent last lockdown was furloughed. She works in a coffee shop, husband is a HCP. She didn’t access places last time as she was a home. This time her employment is still open for takeaway.

These are just m thoughts why there’s more children in school.

I was on maternity leave most of last lockdown and this time I am back in work. Nursery is open for youngest but eldest can't go to preschool as only I am a key worker (in 3 different roles including helping vaccinate and covering a service I usually only work at sporadically). I am having to cancel my vaccination shifts and bank work as a nurse to look after my child as my DH is the main breadwinner and work will not furlough him as he works in the construction industry so it is all open but his role is not recognised as a KW so she does not get a place.

Its a living nightmare. I am being pressured and guilt tripped to be helping out more with vaccinations etc and can see the pressure the nhs is under but am not being supported in any way with my eldest child. My DH needs to go to site around 4 times a week so cant take her with him or leave her at home.

So yes my god if I got a place I would take it. As it is the NHS is down a nurse and vaccinator because I can't take up the shifts. I may be a key worker in the broad sense by my DH is the key worker in our household.

Same here some parents didn’t last time as they thought ot would be a few weeks and they didn’t feel their job was that critical, eg healthcare . On the list still and definitely taking it ASAP as it will likely be as long.

Apologies for all my typos!

@Hardbackwriter I agree both with the OP saying they are becoming less tolerant and with PP who said it is foolish and selfish to take up a place if your child can be cared for at home. It might be a big compromise but we should all be doing it.
Not all critical workers are making huge sacrifices, some are just doing their jobs in a sector that happens to be important, like my husband. I don’t think we should get special treatment as a result.

I think the main reason that there are more children in school is because working parents feel deserted. The reality is that school closures are a huge social crisis and everyone needs to do their bit. And that involves a bit of give from a lot of sections of society. Because every single one of us has an interest in the education of the next generation. There’s a reason we have free compulsory education - I’ve visited a few countries where free universal education isn’t available and ‘it’s the parents’ responsibility’. The results are not nice.

Schools need to play their part with supporting home learning. Not an easy task, I have read about the multiple reasons why, but I think the abysmal home provision from state schools during the last lockdown is a major reason for the higher number of children in school this time.

Employers need to be as supportive and flexible as possible, offering furlough and flexible working wherever it’s realistic. I have noticed a huge shift in my own employer’s attitude between the last lockdown and this one. This time, the school closure haven’t even been acknowledged. Not even an email round. The messaging is clear - get on with it, or get sacked. I’ve heard similar things from friends in other workplaces. Again, a major reason for the higher number of kids in school. Between a risk of Covid and homelessness, people are choosing Covid. Can’t blame them.

The government needs to revisit what support it can offer and reconsider its messaging to employers. Furlough isn’t enough. We are not the only country in lockdown with school closures by a very long shot and other European countries have come up with some far more creative methods of supporting parents.

Of course it’s a crisis and parents will have to work harder. Of course their children are their responsibility. But they had children on the basis that until March last year, free compulsory education from 5-18 was a given - that’s suddenly been taken away. Combined with a change of tone from employers and the knowledge that the schools are unlikely to offer adequate support, people are doing what they can. Doesn’t surprise me.

@Seasaltyhair
I work full time in said school (it’s my lunch break and I am back ‘on’ in five!). I am so pleased our parental body are doing the right thing. I would be raging at the situation caused by the stupid and selfish in other schools. I hope people see sense because I can’t see keyworker provision lasting if they don’t.

Employers need to be as supportive and flexible as possible, offering furlough and flexible working wherever it’s realistic

I have been in my current job 9 weeks. I do not qualify for furlough. My working hours are 8:30 - 5:30 5 days/ week plus commute. DH working similar hours. We do need the income.

As it stands, there IS no flexibility in my job... my employer is understanding but work still needs to be done.
I have no choice, DC home alone, with no home schooling.

Have people read the KW guidance this time? It pretty much includes every child in one way or another.

The government have closed the schools and then pretty much allowed everyone to ask for a place.

@TheGreatWave

Have people read the KW guidance this time? It pretty much includes every child in one way or another.

The government have closed the schools and then pretty much allowed everyone to ask for a place.

It feels that way sometimes. Yet no place here.

Don't even get me started!
Our school has a third of our normal number IN! To preserve some semblance of safety, ALL staff are also in, with small year group bubbles spread out everywhere. It's like we're not even closed at all & most of us have young children of our own which ridiculously have to go to their schools key worker provision or be homeschooling by working from home partners.

LOTS of our parents are blatantly taking the piss & abusing the system.

I am RAGING about it! I put myself & my child's safety at risk every day to look after their's. 😡

The vague any child without access to a laptop/ internet clause jumped out at me. Employers could pressure staff to return to work/ favour those who do. Especially true of agencies where zero hours actually means be available at the drop of a hat.
Really think this could be exploited by employers. Agency workers generally are in a very vulnerable situation.
Think it needs to be a loan of tech to students plus free data was mentioned on News via dongles? Will still be some people taking the p* but will cut down on numbers of pupils in school. And would get rid of clause; possibly force some employers of zero hours workers to furlough staff.

I have a certain flexibility about how many days I need to be in versus how many I choose to be in.

For the first time ever I'm going with the bare minimum due to our school actively telephoning parents of some of the worst behaved students (who didn't need to or intend to be in) and then leaving support staff in rooms with them with no help whatsoever.