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

[Witchcraftandhokum]

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?

No. My dc are at home. Glad they are too as my dd school closed down today as 8 staff have tested positive.

We didn’t send our DC in although one has a EHCP.

Last time there were a couple of kids in each year. This time about 50% in prep including lots of children of "critical" workers at accountancy firms and children of stay at home mums who cannot give them a proper education at home. As a result all teachers are in and their kids too. It has created such a divide amongst the parents - we are struggling through at home while trying to work and doing our best while our children are suffering for it - I feel like the fool.

Mine is at home. I’m teaching some online lessons and doing some supervision of keyworker and vulnerable at my place.
Dh is a critical, frontline worker however he is currently off sick as recovering from Covid himself which has also exacerbated his disability such that we are wondering if he ever will, in fact, return. (Ds is registered as a young carer.) We offered to have him home three days a week but his head teacher kindly offered to have him full time. I am very, very grateful.

Duh! I mean mine is going in!

DSS was due to go in as he has an EHCP. We have him every other week 50/50. We were adamant on sending him in as he just didn't really engage with home learning last year in Y6 (and DH is now an LSA and studying to be a teacher so out of the house but I do work from home) his mum was keener to try home schooling as he was with us for the last lockdown and she didn't experience it really - however I then got COVID and it was awful. I was very unwell at home (but imagine it would be described as a mild case) and it really hit home how easily the virus spreads (we cannot fathom where it came from - the co op maybe? We barely go out)

So now we are keeping him home (although his mum is much keener to send him in because she had him for two weeks whilst we isolated and it was very hard). The education he gets in school is much the same as what he gets at home though - they don't have the class teacher there with them (secondary school) and I do worry about him bringing the virus back and making his mum sick (he would be devastated if he saw her in the state I was in) so we are hoping not to need the space.

We have caveated it that if we determine his education is suffering more than his risk of catching covid we will reassess (his behavioural issues make independent learning difficult and he can be violent and have outbursts which puts him on the wrong foot at school obviously - their first priority is safety)

We will however be sending DD to nursery (she has also had COVID along with me) because it won't be possible to work or home school with her here. I would reconsider if she hadn't tested positive but we will work very hard to reduce risks where we can.

It's a very difficult decision for each person to make for their family and I can't really judge either way - no answer is easy.

@lifeinlimbo2020

Is being a 'critical worker' now a new thing? Previously it was key worker and frontline worker, how can it be critical and wfh? I would've thought a 'critical worker' could not do their job wfh, ie, paramedic, nurse, shop worker, bin man.... I am classed as a key worker but as I am wfh I would never have considered sending my two dc in to school. Honestly not being goady but am constantly amazed at all these new phrases being bandied about.

Take your bin men example. If your bin isn't emptied you need a number to call, right? And someone needs to make a roster for the people who empty the bins, someone needs to process their payroll, someone needs to ensure contracts are paid. All those jobs are done by council workers, working from home. And if they aren't too busy, or if they have one 13 year old child then of course they can likely WFH with kids. But what if they're a single mum with a 5 and a 6 year old? Come to that, what about counsellors, dealing with severely traumatised health care workers, but via zoom. Do they also need to have those discussions with an 8 year old on Oak Academy in the next room?

It's not straightforward for everyone, try not to judge too much, it doesn't help you or them.

@Iknowwhatudidlastsummer - LOADS of key workers jobs are similar to mine, honestly, it must be a lovely, sheltered world to be in where you believe that kind of work is unusual

DH works in an institution which the government describes his work as a key worker. His work gave him a letter at the start of the first lockdown stating he was, as such our child could get a place at school. DH has been wfh since January 2020! So that’s a year. No we have not taken up the place as we don’t believe it is safe, however it has been easier for us to do so as I don’t work. I do believe it is harder for some parents as both parents are working.

My DD is in - she does not have an echp but has a diagnosis that makes remote learning harder to connect with. Our school has chosen to only send support staff in, with teachers teaching remotely from home. It’s an independent school so I think that is driven by the aim to deliver the same to all - as support staff have the same risks of catching it as teachers would do if they were in. I could have my DD at home (DH is a key worker, I am not but work full time). But I cannot do my job full time and keep my sanity with home schooling my DD and the fees remain at full price. My work have offered reducing hours but we cannot afford the pay cut (DH got zero financial help from the chancellor as he earned over 50k). My work will not flexi furlough as the gov publish names of those who do so. But I can’t afford to bear the burden of the cut alone - we used our savings to survive in the last lockdown. So in she goes.

Society’s complete acceptance of the fact some sectors of society have had zero help for a year (including new self employed and those earning £50,001) bring consequences. So many furloughed that we knew were not worked up about the inequality of treatment. Yet that inequality of treatment is now driving my need to send my DD in. Every decision (including not to protest or say something is unfair) has a consequence I guess.

My dc are in school. I am support staff in another school.
Dropping my dc at school on a morning feels like the walk of shame.

Nope and I am a keyworker but I am managing DS10 at home. Just.

So yes DD is going in when I could have her at home. But everyone will have their reasons.
Not sure I understand those working in schools to be saying they’d prefer to be at home home schooling their child. Would they not be teaching remotely during normal hours - we are still expected to do our job in normal hours. My DD has to fit around my job not the reverse sadly.

I'm the other way round - put them in last lockdown but keeping them home now. Mainly due to the fact that informal childcare is permitted this time when it wasn't last time. And also I updated our processes at work to allow remote work when we didn't have those in place previously

[quote Goatscheesewithhoney]@Iknowwhatudidlastsummer - LOADS of key workers jobs are similar to mine, honestly, it must be a lovely, sheltered world to be in where you believe that kind of work is unusual [/quote]
fine, but LOADS of "key worker" jobs are similar to mine. At a push, i could claim a key worker place. It would be a push and I would be a CF. Many parents are as far from critical worker as I am and taking places they don't have a right to.

If we all do that, what's the point of closing the schools at all?

It's just a bit of a problem when critical workers end up being sent home because of the abuse.

First time we actually had very free cases so although dh and I are critical workers, dh juggled homeschooling. We also thought dc might die and couldn’t live with the guilt. This time there’s actually cases and we’re using the escalation plans we never needed in the first wave so work is busier and dh’s role less predictable as to whether he’s be able to care for dc. Dh is also unwell and on a course of treatment so looking at our new position with the risk of dc dying very low we’ve reassessed - like every other critical worker I know.

I do ensure we follow all the rules to protect teachers as much as possible. So far no pupils have tested positive but 6 teachers from the staff room sharing food. That’s not my dc fault but highlights an issue that the school’s risk assessment is more picking up.

Depends what you mean by “need” to

Oh yay, another one of these threads.

Some of you really are incapable of thinking outside of your own tiny, sad, pathetic little worlds aren't you?

There are many, many people whose jobs are on the governments key worker list who last time will have themselves or their partner been on furlough, or who were wfh and now aren't, or who were able to use family last time and now can't, because they themselves are back at work, or have run out of goodwill. There will also be people who kept vulnerable or children with additional needs home and now can't. There will be people who have lost jobs and have taken on other roles.

This situation has now been going on for almost a year, families will be desperately trying to stay afloat, keep their incomes, salvage what's left of their mental health.

I know on mumsnet we as parent should all give up our jobs, live in a tent and eat leaves to keep everyone safe. In reality, nobody is going to do that.

So bore off.

Pretty much every child needs to be at school

and every working parent needs them to be at school

and every parent, working or not, needs some space and a bit of free time from the kids.

Again, what happens if we ALL claim our places?

@Witchcraftandhokum for a start YABU to ask the question if you are in such a fortunate position to leave employment simply because you were unhappy. If only that option was ava
Therefore

No, I haven’t and wouldn’t. Technically we probably could, but as I work from home (always have), I couldn’t drop my kids off each morning with a clear conscience. It’s a complete nightmare and I’m having to work silly hours to keep up, but it matters more to me that I do the right thing.

People who take the piss will be remembered by those around them and rightly so.

I'm sure I read somewhere that the "keyworker" list had increased from the first lockdown
Not sure how or why as what was essential then is essential now

However there are people in very difficult situations

I know someone who works Monday to Friday at a clothing retailer 10-2 term time only and because they are open to click and collect she's expected to work and she's a single parent.....

She contacted the school who've given her a place because she literally has no option but to be honest people can Order online for home delivery - I'm sure clothing retailers do not need to physically be open as such or at least not requiring all staff

The CF can only abuse the system thanks to parents who do not... instead of insulting them, at least accept them. If everybody who could vaguely pretend for a spot was using it, either the school would basically reopen (with the constant schools temporary closures for lack of staff, and entire year groups repeatedly sent in isolation)

or the rules would have to get much stricter and most of the CF would lose their spot.

@Iknowwhatudidlastsummer

Pretty much every child needs to be at school

and every working parent needs them to be at school

and every parent, working or not, needs some space and a bit of free time from the kids.

Again, what happens if we ALL claim our places?

Exactly. All these special cases who think their need is more than everyone else’s.

Key worker/vulnerable child provision is for those who have no choice. Not a ‘nice to have’ option. If you are sending your kids in when you really don’t have to then you are part of the problem.

Slip of the finger, as I was about to say as a nurse I’d love to leave my job because I am unhappy with my pay and conditions and that’s even before the impact of COVID on both myself and my colleagues. Funny that the teachers are up in arms now!