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.

@CallmeAngelina

"They are not at significant risk from covid"

How have we got to this stage in the pandemic and STILL people are wheeling this out? It is SO FAR from the point that I can't even begin to explain.

Are you saying children are at significant risk of Covid?

@ufucoffee

If you homeschool your children you will lose that school place. If you then decide to send them back you'll have to reapply and if it's a popular school you won't get the place because it will be gone.

So that's a risk you take. Any other approach is very dog in the mangerish:

"I don't want the place but nobody else is allowed to have it".

"I don't want my child in school so nobody's child should be able to go to school".

I want my child to go to school but I don’t want them to have to wear a mask or face any other mitigation measures so fuck the kids that might help get back to school so long as mine are in.

@poppycat10

So you think it is acceptable for children (through no fault of their own) to lose their school place ? How will that benefit them in the long run ?
If, in any other year, my children took unwell, were immunosuppressed and were unable to attend school for a long period of time, they would not lose their school place so why should they now have to accept losing that place as a result of covid ?

I understand the position of people that are scared and don't want their children to attend school and I think they should just keep them off a bit longer until they feel it is safe or until social services decide that the parents no longer have anything to fear from covid (eg after vaccination of X% or if they are fit young and healthy yet unduly scared)

I don't think people who are against them opening are against schools OP. I imagine they just don't want a repeat of Autumn term. Just to give you a different perspective, I really don't mind my y8 DD going back but not the way school was when opened. It was absolutely miserable. If they have to go back to no clubs, no practicals, constant self-isolation, no access to TA for my SEN DD, no manipulatives for maths, no speech and lang for a whole year for a child with severe speech and lang needs, not understanding her friends at break as they all have masks on and she can't lip read, crying home every night because it was so miserable. I hate it all. She's much much happier at home if this is what school will look like. Open them when they're safe to open normally. I don't want to home school, she loved school before this.
It really angers me how badly SEN kids have been treated through this ordeal. Not one mention of them and most schools have so many of these kids! We are not some tiny minority. After all of this the majority of kids will be classed as SEN if you take into account mental health!

@Doris86, "Are you saying children are at significant risk of Covid?"

Er no. How did you deduce that? I said it is "so far from the point," that point being that is that it is not about individual risk, but the risk to the rising R number and the wider community. You know, all those millions of people who have not had their jab, and the younger age groups who are currently filling up ICU.

[quote CallmeAngelina]@Doris86, "Are you saying children are at significant risk of Covid?"

Er no. How did you deduce that? I said it is "so far from the point," that point being that is that it is not about individual risk, but the risk to the rising R number and the wider community. You know, all those millions of people who have not had their jab, and the younger age groups who are currently filling up ICU.[/quote]
Well you said it was so far from the point that you couldn’t even begin to explain. However now you have managed to explain in a few sentences.

@Tiktokersmiracle

So because I worry about the death or illness of my DC's, teachers and other staff, they should fuck off and leave? You do know a 16 year old with no underlying health issues died this weekend right? Sorry but no. My two will go back when it's safe for all.

The 16 year old had tested positive for Covid, but we don't know if that's what they died of. Young people sometimes die in their sleep, with no known health problems. These incidents are, mercifully, extremely rare and unpredictable. They can't form the basis of national policy decisions.

@Glamflimfloogety

We also need to be less tolerant as a society of going to work and school with "sniffles"

The amount of people that just load up with paracetamol and set off to happily spread their germs is staggering

And to make that possible without fear of job loss, employers need to review absence management policies and procedures for staff who can't WFH.

I totally agree with you OP. I'm very happy for the terrified parents to keep their kids at home. Mine will go to school as soon as they can, and will get a better education as a result.

I think the problem with allowing kids to stay off, but not having to de-register them, is that when they do eventually come back they'll be way behind, or at least out of sync with the other kids. And that would be unmanageable if there was a significant number of them.
But on the whole I think parents should be cut a bit of slack, and allowed to home school them for maybe a couple of months before having to de-register.

I don't really understand, OP.

Do you think people only care about how the restrictions/lack thereof impact on them personally?

If I keep my dd at home while everyone else goes back, how will that ensure that teachers and other school staff are protected? How will it stop the virus being spread through schools and increasing pressure on the NHS?

The whole "if you're worried, just keep your kids at home" argument comes from a fundamentally selfish perspective where everything we do is about us/our loved ones. Where is the bigger picture?

My dd will be going into school on 8 March. She is in year 11, and has mocks from the first day back. She is very extroverted, and really looking forward to having social contact with her friends. I'm pleased for her, but concerned about the potential impact on teachers and other staff who might be vulnerable but not yet vaccinated, and about the wider implications for society of schools as vectors for transmission. Yes, a lot of vulnerable people have been vaccinated, and hopefully that will help a lot, but we are not out of the woods yet.

To be clear, I want schools open, and I think they are essential to our children's wellbeing and development. I just want them to be open safely, with appropriate protections in place for teachers and other staff, and measures to reduce transmission amongst the kids. I think most schools are doing their very best to facilitate a safe environment, but the current measures are not enough.

In order to homeschool, Im going to have to quit my job teaching other peoples kids.

You know theres a teacher shortage dont you OP?

Children need an education and to mix with their peers. They are not at significant risk from covid, please look at the statistic world wide

Not at significant risk as a whole but there are children who are very much vulnerable to covid. They also need an education and to be able to mix with their peers.

It is interesting we had thread after thread of 'what about the vulnerable children?' and yet here we are, with other vulnerable children, and not one fuck given about them.

Mine will go to school as soon as they can, and will get a better education as a result

And what of vulnerable children? Don't they deserve a better education? Or is it just physically healthy children that matter to you?

@Anna12345678910

I understand the position of people that are scared and don't want their children to attend school and I think they should just keep them off a bit longer until they feel it is safe or until social services decide that the parents no longer have anything to fear from covid (eg after vaccination of X% or if they are fit young and healthy yet unduly scared)

People aren't just keeping their children off because they are 'scared'. I don't know a single person doing that without any cause to be, so why the need for social services to be involved with these families ?

@ufucoffee

If you homeschool your children you will lose that school place. If you then decide to send them back you'll have to reapply and if it's a popular school you won't get the place because it will be gone.

That’s the risk you have to take.

@PheasantPlucker1

In order to homeschool, Im going to have to quit my job teaching other peoples kids.

You know theres a teacher shortage dont you OP?

How are you managing now?

[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]
Agree with this. All at risk groups don't have their first vaccine yet so I think it mad.

I'd prioritise primary and exam years. I know it's hard on teenagers (I have a 16yr old), but they can continue to work with less supervision than Primary kids.

Why risk a spike? A gradual reintroduction over March seems much more sensible.

Indeed, watching it seems that certain groups only care about vulnerable kids needing school if they can use them as an argument to get schools open for their kid too.

If the vulnerable kid would benefit from their kid wearing a mask or improved safety measures, then that vulnerable kid should stay at home. So long as school is open for their kid with no mitigation measures, that’s what matters.

@noblegiraffe

Indeed, watching it seems that certain groups only care about vulnerable kids needing school if they can use them as an argument to get schools open for their kid too.

If the vulnerable kid would benefit from their kid wearing a mask or improved safety measures, then that vulnerable kid should stay at home. So long as school is open for their kid with no mitigation measures, that’s what matters.

I agree. Typical ableism. I'm glad they are all so confident that their children will never become clinically vulnerable in any scenario and if they do are they also willing to accept a lesser education for their child as a result of that and they will just give up their jobs and homeschool without a second thought. I would think not !

Indeed, watching it seems that certain groups only care about vulnerable kids needing school if they can use them as an argument to get schools open for their kid too.

But never seem to care when it comes to feeding and clothing and supporting said vulnerable children almost as if the OP and their supporters have an agenda are there any such right wing idiots pushing for schools to reopen no matter the impact

I completely agree, OP.
People saying schools shouldn't open because they don't want to send their DC but they also don't want other DC in as theirs would be at a disadvantage.
People having a KW place but not wanting all other DC allowed to attend because it increases the Covid risk for them.

are there any such right wing idiots pushing for schools to reopen no matter the impact

Yes! Yes there are. Anti-lockdown, anti-restrictions, anti-masks. That sort of group.

I don't want schools to open in march. I'd prefer to wait until after Easter when more school staff are vaccinated and I might even have had mine. I'm a lone parent who can't risk getting ill.