Is the world and their dog key workers!!!

[anxiouscrazymum]

So I am not a key worker, I work 3 days a week and have 2 KS1 children.
I am having to adapt my hours around my children's school work and will just have to run myself ragged over the next few months like many others!
AIBU to think that some parents are taking the P@@s and using Key worker benefits to be bloody lazy.
Why are the allowed to send children 5 days if they only work 2/3?
Why are they allowed to send in if their partner is furloughed or working from home?
Why are they allowed to send children in of the just work weekends in a supermarket normally?
We have 14 out of 30 children in my DS class at school, they have the class teacher with them and also have each other.
I feel my children are being penalised and will miss out on school and social interaction all because I am not a key worker:
If there were less children in, the teacher would be able to undertake zoom classes and online interactions. Because of the number of children in we just get set daily tasks!
Sorry for my rant AIBU x

Ha Ha, you'd think so.
I thought they were supposed to be closed except for a few.
I've seen the usual amounts on the roads, outside schools, kids going back and two, it's a joke, we'll be locked down forever at this rate.

Mind you I've just looked at the list and I reckon I am the only person in the country not to qualify

They factor in time to be on Mumsnet during working hours in their super-busy day too. That's critical.

I know MANY families who have a KW but do not actually require their children to go into school 5 days a week but are sending them anyway for their own ease - which they have admitted to me.

Maybe these will be the next wave to catch it from their kids.

OP, have you asked your school if they can support you? My dd did go into school today, and there are alot of children there who don't appear to be children of two key workers (or one lone parent key worker) . But there's no point getting angry about it - I don't know their circumstances. I don't know what the children are like. I don't know if they are vulnerable. Or if the parents are vulnerable. Or if they're key workers.

My school is being pretty supportive to all parents though, and if you're really struggling they may be able to help you.

But also, at the risk of being judgy - you only work 3 days. You could just cram all school work into the other 2 days.

There are ways around this, which don't involve you ranting about all the other parents. You have no idea what is going on in their lives, or anything.

And yes - agreeing with a pp, my dd with the remote working work today with the classroom assistant - the teacher was focusing on the classroom assistant. They aren't necessarily getting better education in the school.

Why is this post getting so much attention? Its obviously for the benefit of the daily fail readers as the Op has posted and ran.

sorry the teacher wasn't focusing on the classroom assistant (that would be odd), the teacher was focusing on the children who were working at home.

So are those that are saying OP should 'mind her own business' perfectly happy that around 70% of children are still attending primary schools?

@WitchesBritchesPumpkinPants

I think some Head Teachers need to take a good look at which children they allow to have a place

I agree. Many heads are forgetting that the whole point of closing is to reduce transmission and protect communities not to set up exclusive teaching hubs for a select amount of chosen children i.e. 'key worker' children. The amount of tenuous key workers is huge in my Ds' school.

Why are you angry at the key workers? They are not the ones who categorised themselves as such.

But down to government incompetence and trying to keep everyone happy. Schools reporting as much as 85% of children attending. This will rise with the addition to the 'vulnerable' category ( no device or quiet space to work... how the hell does a HT check that...)

So thanks Gav, we've ended up with schools closed...but nearly every child attending or able to attend... so much for stay at home. We'll be in lockdown forever...whilst carrying on with everything we already do...

Lots of children are in our school as key workers, parents are personal trainers, banking ( wfh) etc etc.

I think the crucial bit is that when these bubbles burst and they get sent home, the real key workers are fucked!

It’s not about being jealous, it’s bloody selfish.

This doesn't concern me any kids are adults now but I've been surprised at hearing colleagues and friends using the 'im a key worker' to send their kids to school when the role and management style would definitely allow for them to look after them at home (all home worker).

It usually goes 'I feel a bit guilty BUT....and then some quite weak excuse for doing it anyway.

As said, I'm not concerned at all, don't know any kid in these schools, but it does make me feel that some people are definitely using their status to send their kids out of their way.

The school my children attend has 51% of pupils in this week

During the first lockdown they weren't even open as there wasn't enough take up of places to justify opening.

Some schools have been really strict on who they take. It depends on if the head is prepared to say no.

@coronafiona

There are a huge amount of parents in our school who have become key workers since the last lockdown

Yes I noticed that yesterday.

A house in our village has got a sign in their window with 'key workers live here' on it!!!
I did chuckle/snigger

What I find fascinating is lots of my ITU colleague keyworkers are doing all they can to keep their kids out of school as they feel this wave is a lot worse than the first and is not at it's peak yet. Our school have had 5 times the number of applications this time around and some classes will be 2/3 full.
There are people abusing the system and that makes others cross/sad because the kids staying at home are missing out on all the socialising and schooling that their peers are getting. Plenty of kids being schooled at home with parents working from home will get hardly any school work done and be in a very stressful environment while others can send their kids in for a full day at school

The definition is very wide of vulnerable children. If you have 3 children and only 1 device or without individual bedrooms or desks then it looks like you could send your children in

They aren’t missing out on education. School is little more than childcare. They also aren’t really having a great social time. In DD’s class group of 60 kids there are 2 who are going to school. The one who is DD’s friend complained that she spends her days playing with much younger kids and it’s really boring.

I think some Head Teachers need to take a good look at which children they allow to have a place

that! Some schools have very firmly stressed too that no teaching will be done, children at school will have the same resources as the ones provided at home, no more.

What is the point of "closing down" the school if more than half the class is coming?

Most parents are using the place wrongly, because it's convenient, because they can't be bothered with homeschooling, because they want their space.

There are threads on my local groups of SAH mothers (always mothers unfortunately) who sent the kids to school to have time to clear the house after Christmas and getting on with their fitness resolutions.
So their partner might qualify absolutely, but the children could be kept home!

YABU you don't know anyone else's circumstances.
DD1 has been given a place at school 3 days a week as she has an EHCP. In her class there were 6 out of 30 children in her class today so hardly a lot.

I've had an email from my workplace today (a university) to tell me that I am a key worker (I have no school age children so won't be using a school place!).

I cannot see, by any stretch of the imagination, how I could be described as a key worker. I think it's the govt's way of allowing children to attend school while notionally having a national lockdown. Madness.

@DeeCeeCherry

They factor in time to be on Mumsnet during working hours in their super-busy day too. That's critical.

THAT always makes me laugh, show how "busy" the so-called key workers are.

It would be funny if it wasn't going to impact CRITICAL workers who we need and who need a school space, and wasn't going to increase the rates.

Many of these parents see nothing wrong in mixing at the weekend as their kids spend the day in the classroom together anyway. I can see where they are coming from, but that's where we are.

I don't blame anyone for trying to get their children into school although I don't think anyone should be lying to get them in

Agreed.