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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Be honest. Have you sent your kids to school when they could have stayed at home?

557 replies

Witchcraftandhokum · 19/01/2021 17:02

I left my job in education before Christmas mostly because of the governments appalling response to Covid in schools and anti-teacher sentiment generally so I haven't really got a vested interest. But I'm curious, after speaking to my ex-colleagues and friends who work in other schools there seems to be a dramatic take-up on the offer of places for vulnerable students and children of Key-workers compared to the last lockdown.

The numbers in my old school during the last lockdown made it hardly worth opening the school, this time they're at capacity and are having to bring extra staff in at a risk to themselves. In my friend's child's class there are 21 out of 32 currently attending.

What's going on?

OP posts:
ShanghaiDiva · 19/01/2021 17:05

Nope
Dd is at home. She is in year 10 and 2 students in school from her form.

Mia1415 · 19/01/2021 17:05

I'm keeping my DS home when he could be in school.

However I think I'm in the minority as his class has 8 children in, when there was only 2 last lockdown (including him).

I don't understand it. The situation is worse than in march last year, yet more people are choosing to send their children to school

Baxer · 19/01/2021 17:05

No

KleineDracheKokosnuss · 19/01/2021 17:05

I technically could have kept her home. Technically. Except she doesn’t engage with remote learning and I’d be on Xanax by now. And she’s too young to leave unattended, but due to work she would be left unattended.

I count as critical, as does DH. So in she goes.

hibbledibble · 19/01/2021 17:07

I doubt anyone will admit to it, but it's undoubtedly happening.

Petitmum · 19/01/2021 17:08

No. DS has autism and severe learning difficulties and could go to his special school but I am keeping him home.
Safer for everyone.

itsgettingweird · 19/01/2021 17:08

I haven't.

I'm a KW and ds has an ehcp.

But I'd rather he was home where he's safe and it keeps numbers lower and hopefully shells us all get out of this shit quicker.

HappyFlamingo · 19/01/2021 17:09

I'm classed as a key worker in the government list, but my DC are at home. DH isn't a key worker, we're both wfh and the DC are reasonably well engaged with online school, so it's not necessary for us to request places for them.

Original poster
Witchcraftandhokum · 19/01/2021 17:09

I didn't mean to enable voting, so I guess

YABU- Yes I've sent my kids in but didn't need to
YANBU - No, my kids aren't in or they need to be in.

OP posts:
IceCreamAndCandyfloss · 19/01/2021 17:09

.The situation is worse than in march last year, yet more people are choosing to send their children to school

I don’t get it either, especially with the new strains. You’d expect numbers to be really low especially with the message to keep home.

PLAYJAJADINGDONG · 19/01/2021 17:10

Nope. The opposite in fact.

DC could go to school as I'm a key worker who can't wfh but they're with EXH every day instead while I go to work.

Thisseatisnotavailable · 19/01/2021 17:10

Yes, but as we were coming out of the first lockdown, the school contacted me and said they had a space in one of their bubbles if my dc wanted it. I did say she didn't 'need' it as she was doing fine homeschooling so they should offer it to someone else if they actually needed it more; she really wanted to go back so she went back for a few weeks before the end of term.

I wouldn't lie to get a place though. My friend is a teacher and she told me that she had someone collect their kid from school last week, and commented to her that it was great that she'd had a chance to start decorating.

Imiss2019 · 19/01/2021 17:12

I’m a key worker and ds has an EHCP so definitely could go to school but I’m not sending him. In fact I don’t know of any of my 15 colleagues who also could send theirs are

MissBaskinIfYoureNasty · 19/01/2021 17:12

Nope but I know at least one family who have. Key worker dad but SAHM who admitted to me she just doesn't want to home school and "feels bad" for those who are. I don't know how she's managed to bag a place but whatever. Its sad for her kid that her mum doesn't actually have anything to do all day but doesn't want to look after her.

Mumofsend · 19/01/2021 17:14

Kind of. My DD is autistic/adhd with a full ehcp. Technically she could be at home but it absolutely isn't in her best interests

Hippywannabe · 19/01/2021 17:14

For over 20 years, I have done more than contracted to do both in my job and extra curricular activities.
When this is over, my goodwill finishes. No more clubs after school, no more lunchtime activities, no more school fairs, no more of any of the unpaid things.
I was finally pushed over the edge today as a parent pushed their child towards me, telling me that it was her day off and she wanted an actual day off.
A huge thank you to all the parents struggling to cope but keeping their kids at home. You are doing an amazing job, your teachers and tas know that and appreciate it.

Whaleandsnail6 · 19/01/2021 17:14

We are both key workers (nurse and carer) we send them in on the days our shifts clash but keep them home the rest of the time. So they go between 1 and 3 days a week. School are happy with this. The kids wish they could go more but it doesn't feel right as school have asked that all children go as little as possible.

NothingIsWrong · 19/01/2021 17:15

I'm a keyworker, DH isn't but works outside the home. Some of my job can't be done from home so they are going in 3 days a week including my Y8. We did originally keep the eldest home but that meant she was on her own 8-3 3 days a week and by last Thursday was very tearful and weepy about it so back she went to school.

Original poster
Witchcraftandhokum · 19/01/2021 17:16

Hippywannabe I really think this will be the end of a lot of great educators.

It's so sad.

OP posts:
HmmSureJan · 19/01/2021 17:17

No. Dd has an EHCP so entitled to a place but she and I both happier with her at home.

Dontwanttooutmyself · 19/01/2021 17:17

DH and me are both critical workers, but as we both WFH we haven't sent them in. We did float the idea on the first night, but the school asked us to reconsider, and we had a long debate about being socially responsible...

I know of some appalling examples. A member of HR (recruitment!) at a uni has sent her DC in claiming she's in "education". A dentist who works one day a week (whose DH is non-critical and works from home) sends her DC in, and a man who claims to be critical but spends three days a week playing golf sends his in (DW doesn't work).

CuntyMcBollocks · 19/01/2021 17:17

I wouldn't say so, but I suppose a few people might say that I have. I'm classed as a critical worker and work a week of night shifts and then will be off for a week. My DH is the main earner and works days Monday to Friday so when I'm at work I send our 6yo to school. Technically I'm at home in the day, but I need to sleep, so I don't think it fair for a 6yo to be left on their own all day every other week, and its impossible for me to have zero sleep for a week whilst being expected to homeschool too.

DottyWott · 19/01/2021 17:18

Yes but they are vulnerable (SEN) and they had Covid in October so balance of risk/benefit came out in favour of them attending

IndecentFeminist · 19/01/2021 17:19

I don't know anyone who else. Very few kids in our school

Dontwanttooutmyself · 19/01/2021 17:21

@Hippywannabe

For over 20 years, I have done more than contracted to do both in my job and extra curricular activities. When this is over, my goodwill finishes. No more clubs after school, no more lunchtime activities, no more school fairs, no more of any of the unpaid things. I was finally pushed over the edge today as a parent pushed their child towards me, telling me that it was her day off and she wanted an actual day off. A huge thank you to all the parents struggling to cope but keeping their kids at home. You are doing an amazing job, your teachers and tas know that and appreciate it.
Please don't give up! There will always be shit people around who take the piss, but the world needs good people to balance them out. (It's not fair, I know, but as I'm constantly telling my DC, life isn't fair).