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.

I havent read all the replies but part of the problem is that we as a nation have been fed to fear for the best part of a year. That is now having an impact on many people, including me.

Having said that I am still in favour of schools reopening. Although I was anticipating it to be gradual over a few weeks. Whether that will be the case we will have to see tonight.

Completely agree. Fed up with people bleating on about "long covid" and how they are literally taking their lives in their hands stepping in a classroom.

If you are so risk averse, take your children out of school and lock them in the house.

[quote Mrgrinch]@PracticingPerson what exactly am I not being understanding about?[/quote]
The reasons some families (not mine) don't want to re-register, don't want to be prosecuted for non-attendance, but have concerns about a full reopening.

Attacking other groups of parents is a poor approach imo.

@ineedaholidaynow

No bubbles bursting *@Mrgrinch*?

Of course bubbles will need to isolate at times, thats obvious. But staying at home indefinitely until such a time when bubbles aren't necessarily is just a ridiculous idea.

@Mrgrinch this is from a current shielding letter We are now extending that guidance and advising you to shield until 31 March 2021. We will write to you again in mid-March with further advice.

Even if you have had both doses of the vaccine, you should continue to follow this shielding guidance as we continue to assess the impact of vaccination among all groups.

It is not right that parents have to make the choice to give up a school place, possibly for a child with SEN or risk their child bringing the virus home to a parent that could be seriously ill in hospital or worse.

It is also not right that group six who have had no vaccine are being put at risk for three weeks of in person learning. Those extra five weeks mean millions more vaccinated, warmer weather, less chance of the spread of mutations.

The aggressive tone on this thread is just depressing.

Most parents are decent people, whether desperate to go back, really concerned about going back, or somewhere in the middle (with the middle presumably being the majority, as usual).

@Mrgrinch

Schools need to go back but safety I’m supposed to be shielding how the hell do I do that with my son in a bubble of 150 in high school and my daughter back in her bubble

And certainly families who are shielding should not be threatened with fines, that has always been the wrong approach.

@PracticingPerson I'm not attacking them at all. I've just said that they (and you) would have the choice to deregister if they didn't want their children in school. But in doing that, there are obvious risks such as loss of place which would need to be considered.

Yes I completely agree. Once the vulnerable and elderly have been vaccinated then we need to be starting to open up essential things like schools.
If someone feels its still too risky then hopefully they can either get dispensation to follow curriculum.at home but maybe without the live lessons, or they can deregister

@PurpleDaisies but that's essentially what I'm saying? Whether it's frustration or people using it as an excuse?

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/coronavirus/4172882-If-they-open-up-schools-all-at-once-Im-done-with-every-other-precaution

I agree OP, if you don't want your child in school, take them out and home school. I for one cannot wait for my son to go back in, I'll miss him next to me, but it's harder to focus in all day meetings when I've got him there and trying to help with school work. It's time the schools go back, it will never be a case of waiting until 0 Covid cases as that may never happen. Chances are it will become seasonal like the flu, people forget strains of the flu found today are from the Spanish Flu. It didn't disappear, there was no vaccine, it simply mutated into a less deadly version. If we had waited until that had disappeared, we'd still be waiting.

Are you a teacher @Mrgrinch?

Could not agree more.

So your giving us two choices either send them to school which we know isn't safe as schools have not been given extra funding to install decent safety measures. Also knowing that many families have been flouting the rules with sleepovers and parties or deregister.
Homeschooling is a ball ache we all know that and we all know that children as well as adults are suffering and will continue to suffer for quite some time. But what about our teachers many of whom are not vaccinated have very little protection and those children who are frightened to go back to school. Why should children lose their space surely parental choice and a child's choice should be considered.
Why are you not fighting for safer schools ? School fines to be stopped whilst in this pandemic ?
My child will not be going back on the 8th I'm hoping she will be back after Easter as the weather improves providing cases do not rise again.
Opening schools to all will no doubt see an increase in cases again, lockdowns are gruelling but I really cannot face another one purely because they've rushed out of this one.

[quote Mrgrinch]@PracticingPerson I'm not attacking them at all. I've just said that they (and you) would have the choice to deregister if they didn't want their children in school. But in doing that, there are obvious risks such as loss of place which would need to be considered.[/quote]
I think the tone of your OP was unpleasant and you asked for understanding but showed none.

If you understand the difficulties those families are in, you wouldn't have started the thread.

I wish you no ill but this type of thread is just spreading discord for the sake of it.

I'm so grateful to have no health conditions that make me fearful, a little compassion towards others costs nothing.

Can you tell me how this is prioritising all children? My child is CV. I want him in school and he wants to be in school. However, there are absolutely no mitigation’s taking place and he will be squashed in with a thousand others upon entering and leaving school, lunchtime etc. and bubbled with 200. It’s not safe. Not even attempting to be safe. So when you’re spouting off about how wonderful all this, have a thought for those of us who are having to make very difficult decisions.

@PracticingPerson have you read the thread that @Jumpers268 linked? If you had you'd realise where my tone came from. It's out of frustration.

People saying that they'll be having parties and sleepovers of the schools go back. I realise there are people who have genuine concerns, but they are not the ones who spurred me on to start this thread.

I hope you are able to find a solution that works for your family.

@Mrgrinch
My 7yr olds school has very little measures in place. One gate in/ out which with staggered drop offs and pick ups they are moving in 3 yr groups at a time. As for the no mixing our school mixed the bubbles throughout sept - Dec for group work.
When the reception bubble was closed as they'd been classed as close contacts only the children were sent home and none of the reception class teachers. So forgive me for not having much faith in this particular school especially when I know they are not doing everything they should to prevent the spread.

@RaspberryCoulis you deeply unpleasant person I’m in my early 40’s and have long covid. It’s left me on a drug for my heart, damaged lungs and it’s preventing me from moving forward with my life.

Schools need to open but staggered upto the Easter holidays. Children are going to have been affected from losing grandparents and other relatives, not forgetting seeing parents very unwell.

@ineedaholidaynow

Also isn’t the highest rate of infection currently in Primary School children. Just shows how safe schools are

Isn’t that because they’re pretty much the only people mixing indoors in groups at the moment? So you’d expect that, because the rest of society are locked down.

So what do you think will happen when all pupils go back @Thepilotlightsgoneout and how many bubbles will be bursting

@Tangledtresses

Our secondary had different year groups in different blocks, separate entrance, separate places in the grounds, absolutely no mixing of year groups We had 3 positive cases last year all caught it at home from their parents! That's 1000 kids with 3 positive cases

You know that's luck? My dd's secondary did the same and the school was rife with Covid and isolations.

Schools need to open.

That being said, primary and secondary are completely different beasts and I completely understand the concern from teachers around this. At primary level it's fairly easy to bubble up a class and avoid cross contamination. At secondary level it's nearly impossible. I completely empathise with teachers and understand their concern. I agree with the calls for a phased return at secondary level and given that exams won't be sat this year (teachers will be issuing grades), surely it makes the case for secondary returning much less urgent? Perhaps the secondary school return could be better managed.

I also agree with calls for teachers to be vaccinated. Why this is being resisted I really can't understand. Having the teachers vaccinated won't stop the overall spread of course, but why wouldn't we want teachers to feel safe in their class rooms?

[quote ineedaholidaynow]@Mrgrinch many of the people in hospital with COVID are in group 6, not yet vaccinated. Why couldn’t they stagger schools going back until Group 6 are vaccinated. Group 6 include many teachers and parents.[/quote]
This is exactly what should have happened.