If you don't want your child to go back, homeschool them.

[Mrgrinch]

I've seen so many people on here ranting about how they don't think the schools should open. Many even saying they won't follow any other rules anymore if they do.

AIBU to think they should just homeschool their DC then?

Do they not realise how badly this is affecting so many children and families? Do they not realise how many children have been having no education at all? Some parents are at breaking point trying to keep their jobs and make sure their children are doing some school work.

Homeschooling was always an option, even before covid so if you are so concerned then unlist them and provide their education yourself. We can't stay home forever.

Thanks @ineedaholidaynow

I post on threads like these because I think it's really important that families like mine are represented in these debates.

We're not different to you.

I had a pretty normal life up until my diagnosis, and up until COVID reared it's ugly head, I had every expectation of living a relatively normal life.

Any one of you could be in my position tomorrow.

If any of you had a sudden life-changing diagnosis, you would suddenly be grateful for posts like mine.

I just imagine the people reading these threads who have had bad luck with their health. They read the comments suggesting that families like mine should just withdraw their children from the school system and STFU.

I NEED to counter those voices. My children deserve better.

I deserve better.

You aren’t give the option to homeschool them. You’d have to deregulated them completely and nobody is stupid enough to be suggesting that!!!

@ineedaholidaynow - the problem is (as explained up thread) that teachers don't have the time to provide an extensive home school package and do effective classroom teaching at the same time.

You are allowed to keep your DC at home and home school by de registering. It's just not what some abusive posters want for fear of losing their prefered school place.
But currently that is the only choice we have. Not perfect, not ideal, not catering for the vulnerable or exceptional circumstances.

deregister them

Teachers will have to be providing homeschooling for CEV children currently at home and any children self isolating

Heaven forbid we should cater for the vulnerable.

The thing is, imagine that you have 3 children under the age of 10 and you're diagnosed with blood cancer and all semblance of family normality is gone from your kids' lives. Would you want to further erode their normality by pulling them out of school and taking them away from all their friends, daily structure, etc.? I'm guessing not. So you are left with two bad choices: send them to school and take the risk, or don't send them and they suffer.

It would be nice if a tiny little bit of thought could be put into some safety net measures for those in this position. And I'm not even talking big things! But I think to say, if you're worried just homeschool, simples! is harsh.

Very happy for everyone who is sending their kida back in... but if we want to keep our kids at home for three more weeks till we get our first vaccines (yes I still believe as group 6 vulnerable I should get one soon) then we should just deregister and then try and 're register for the summer term? That's the way forward is it?

@Firstworddinosaur

I should have been clearer, lighten the load in terms of social distancing within the classroom. I wouldn't expect them to provide material, I've got more than enough to last the next few terms.

The next few terms? Can I ask when you'll be sending your children back? Or have you not made the decision yet? Not meant to be goady just interested really.

Completely agree although it's not so easy like others said about school places etc.

I don't understand how people are not on their knees with this - I can only assume that those who want schools to stay closed to their children are not working full time, have schools that are helpful, children that can do things independently and/or have nannies or relatives to help. For the rest of us there isn't really a choice - this situation isn't sustainable.

@ineedaholidaynow yet no links with evidence. my family in the USA have definitely not had the option - they live in Minneapolis, Wisconsin and Florida. My friends in Germany (near the Austrian border) also had no choice. The majority of western countries are doing the same or similar. Even if dc go to school for a few weeks and there is another surge, they will be following the numbers not not the fear of the numbers that haven’t happened yet.

Then why don't you google it yourself @m0therofdragons? I am just repeating what I have seen other posters have said on MN. I am not professing to be an expert, I was just posting a comment

@Gerberageri

Completely agree although it's not so easy like others said about school places etc.

I don't understand how people are not on their knees with this - I can only assume that those who want schools to stay closed to their children are not working full time, have schools that are helpful, children that can do things independently and/or have nannies or relatives to help. For the rest of us there isn't really a choice - this situation isn't sustainable.

Well I had to give up my job, so I could stay home with my shielding medically vulnerable child with complex needs and learning disabilities....I could have asked the nanny if she wanted to step in, but to be honest I expect she'd have told me to fuck off. Obviously school are dreamboats taking all the pressure off....oh and its been great for my dds who are heading towards GCSE years and trying to work from home with limited resources and a lot of distractions. It really has been a breeze.**

• * ** - This is a lie.

@therealteamdebbie

I hope you never have to face the choices I have faced. You utter cretin.

when posters have to use insults it's generally that they ran out of argument but refuse to admit they are completely wrong.

You still have the choice. I know you meant to be so rude, but there's no need.

No I think it is possibly because posters get a bit tired of reading the same old bollocks.

[quote Ylvamoon]@ineedaholidaynow - the problem is (as explained up thread) that teachers don't have the time to provide an extensive home school package and do effective classroom teaching at the same time.

You are allowed to keep your DC at home and home school by de registering. It's just not what some abusive posters want for fear of losing their prefered school place.
But currently that is the only choice we have. Not perfect, not ideal, not catering for the vulnerable or exceptional circumstances.[/quote]
Will the teacher be providing remote education for your child when they have to self isolate? Yes they will be providing that! So they can therefore provide this for vulnerable children.

Thankfully some teachers out there really care for ALL their pupils. We have been on remote education provided by school for a year now, the provision when the other children are in school is not the full provision that is available now but we have had absolutely no issue with that and are willing to put in a lot of the effort ourselves but to be guided by the teachers. We were very happy with what was provided before and are incredibly grateful to the teachers involved.

To not provide education to vulnerable children is discrimination. Remote education has been used long before covid for children who have immunosuppressed due to perhaps cancer treatment etc and who cannot attend school for a long period of time.

@hazeyjanell I'm sorry as it must be really hard with a clinically vulnerable child. How does closing schools affect your family? I assume if your child is shielding they have home provision. Would that change if schools are closed or open? How does keeping schools closed improve the situation that you're in?

I know of families with disabled children who have been grateful for school provision throughout the pandemic and have texted me today really pleased that my kids will be back at school as they know how hard it's been.

@gallbladderpain it's a bit different though comparing home schooling with hospital education/out of school teaching. A family member does the latter and although school set work - they are a fully qualified teacher working 1:1 with that child and able to source and adapt whatever that child needs to reach their qualifications.

The home learning we've had from school has been a lot like the first bit, without none of the second bit.

@ineedaholidaynow and that’s how rumours and misinformation start. Someone posts made up facts and others re quote it as fact and suddenly everyone believes it because so many are saying it. If you don’t know someone is true, do not state it is.

[quote Gerberageri]@gallbladderpain it's a bit different though comparing home schooling with hospital education/out of school teaching. A family member does the latter and although school set work - they are a fully qualified teacher working 1:1 with that child and able to source and adapt whatever that child needs to reach their qualifications.

The home learning we've had from school has been a lot like the first bit, without none of the second bit.[/quote]
We are getting work set and adapted to our childrens abilities through our registered state primary school. We don't have 1:1 with a teacher all day long but children do not get very much 1:1 time with a teacher in a classroom each day anyway. We understand the teacher is in the classroom in the daytime and can't be on a zoom call with us. We do the work that has been set in advance and when she gets a chance she marks the work the same time she is marking the work for the rest of the class.

Annabell80 next few terms is worst case scenario and hopefully it'll really be next few months. Waiting for two doses of vaccine for my husband and another family member who we care for (with learning disabilities). I'm hopeful we'll be in better position soon.

Everyone is different and everyone has different risks. I presume that you have not lost a family member to Covid? We have and it changes your perspective. I think it should be a non compulsory return to school until the higher risk categories have been vaccinated, (after Easter?). Schools still need to prepare alternative resources as, like last term schools like ours will still have to close for Covid outbreaks.

@m0therofdragons with all due respect, I did say that these things differ within countries as different areas often have different legislation and rules. My family in Germany and Poland have had access to this but their friends in other states in the same country haven't.
I assume the situation is even more complex in the states with the amount of school districts they have. We have friends in Maryland, their kids have been attending normally in school since last year but the school district next to them decided to do only virtual school since September. Vice has a short film on YouTube where they show the NYC school district reopening. Half the kids came in, half the kids stayed on virtual. The parents had a choice.
England is unique in that it's smaller than these and its education provision has been managed by government throughout the pandemic, not by local councils who often know better about local needs, but of course sometimes don't.
I can't tell you which is worse, but I think you are maybe confusing who the enemy in this argument is. It is not the scared parents, or the parents at their wits end wanting schools to open. We are all in this rubbish boat together and have all been failed in our own ways. The ones who want to their kids to stay home, are just as valid as you, whether I have links for proof or not.

It's not proper school, it's half-arsed, stressful Covid school with all the fun removed.

@Graciebobcat Yeap, exactly. My DD last had a practical a year ago. Stuck in the same classroom in Y8 all day with her tutor, all different abilities. It sounds like it'll be even worse this time.

How does keeping schools closed improve the situation that you're in?

I don't want schools closed...as I said at the start of this thread

I don't want all schools to close....Schools should open in a cautious staggered way, with better safety measures and some sort of a plan for medically vulnerable children like ds. (And the families of medically vulnerable people)
and
I hoped that a staggered, later return, with additional safety measures, might mean this (return) was possible. We are obviously heavily reliant on community cases falling in order to keep him as safe as possible, because he won't be vaccinated until the end of the year at the earliest.

I'm just getting a little tired that our only option is to keep him home, and yet that is spoken about on here as being an option of the privileged and paranoid.

I want schools open, I want my children back in them - but I think leaving it until after Easter, extra safety measures, sanctions on parents sending in children who should be self isolating or with symptoms, and some consideration for families with medically vulnerable family members should have been the option, rather than 2 weeks then big bang.

Every single person on here who is concerned about their vulnerable family members have said they don't want schools closed and they want safer options....but still there is this narrative of just 'wanting all the schools closed'