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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

AIBU to hope that school bubble isolation soon stop and to ask what you think is a viable alternative.

167 replies

Moelwynbach · 30/06/2021 19:59

I'be been listening to radio 4 today and also read a Guardian article advising 1/4 million pupils missed school last week due the required 10 day isolation period.

The Minister for Education is calling for an end to the regulation stating that September is too long to wait. MPs have called for immediate change on 19th July.

My own thoughts are:

  • School bubble shut downs disproportionately affect women as the main care giver. Affecting long term career options.
  • Infection rates in poorer areas are higher, children in these areas are already at a disadvantage educationally.
  • The time away from school is widening an already significant socio-economic divide. *Children from less well of families have less opportunities to access technology and internet.
  • Parents cannot teach as well as a teacher. It is a skilled job.
  • Many parents who have zero hours contracts will repeatedly have their child sent home and cannot earn money.
  • Many parents like me cannot teach and work from home at the same time.....My kid just doesn't work that way he is 5.
  • What happens after all the annual leave is used? I'm the main earner and can't afford to take unpaid leave.

To this end I agree that something needs to change it is not sustainable for children or carers. At some point we need to accept that this is part of lives. I'm not saying we need to all run out and carry on as normal but how we do sustain this unpredictably? What would be the best scenario for you? Mine would be for no requirement to self isolate unless you are the infected child.

I'm trying to form my thoughts and so many things whizzing through my head.

OP posts:
AmyandPhilipfan · 30/06/2021 23:32

I agree. I think teachers and school staff should have got priority for the double jab months ago but by September they hopefully all will be done and only the affected child should be off. Children’s education is suffering due to the repeated school closures and surely we can’t go on this way forever.

Youdiditanyway · 30/06/2021 23:33

Totally agree with you. Children are at basically zero risk from covid and all vulnerable adults should now be fully vaccinated. Let them stay in school and continue with their education, they’ve already missed enough.

HSHorror · 30/06/2021 23:48

My thoughts are - offer children a vax.

Lft are too inaccurate for this and should have been withdrawn.
If we had kept numbers low then there wouldnt be all the isolating. Its probably close to 1m people exposed by all these school kids.

Lancrelady80 · 01/07/2021 02:00

19th July? They're after some positive press and good pr, that's all. In England, most schools break up on 21st July so it's not really going to make a whole heap of difference! (Appreciate things are different in other parts of UK though.)

Anyway, I think as far as schools go, restrictions and isolation should be gone before 1st September. I also think though that if teachers are going to work in close proximity with unvaccinated children, where the virus will spread like crazy, then the trade off should be that teachers are given booster jabs as a priority along with the most vulnerable. It should by that point be being considered as like the flu - no need to be off unless too unwell for school. But if that is the case, then teachers and their families will be right on the front line and should be protected as much as possible if asked to work in potentially risky environments with zero mitigations.

Awalkintime · 01/07/2021 05:42

@Youdiditanyway

Totally agree with you. Children are at basically zero risk from covid and all vulnerable adults should now be fully vaccinated. Let them stay in school and continue with their education, they’ve already missed enough.
Untrue we have had 3 kids in hospital in the past 2 weeks from our school one is at risk of dying. All under 5s. We have also had 4 contacts from the school - in hospital, one of which will likely die today - who is 33. We have a member of staff who is fit (competes in a certain sport) and is in a very bad way. She is double vaccinated.

We have children in school who are on the vulnerable list and there is no provision or thought for them who have been protected until now with shielding.

Also not all staff can have the vaccine - different to them not wanting the vaccine but some vulnerable staff are unable to and are relying on others to protect them. That only works if most around them are vaccinated but in a school this isn't the case. Most will be spreading it.

Also what are the plans for covering staff when they repeatedly get sick with this and take time off? Or when their children repeatedly get sick from it and they have to stay off to nurse them? Would you be happy with many different supply teachers/ having to close a school due to lack of staff during the school year? This will still happen and as schools have a very limited budget for supply, they will likely have to shut the classes or school anyway if too many staff get ill.

My friend's child is sick at the moment and she is nursing her child. Her own class bubble has gone down. She can't teach her class on zoom as she has her own sick child to nurse and she has covid herself.

GW needs a plan to provide adequate supply funds to cover the increase in staff shortages during the year for repeated sickness.

Peppallama · 01/07/2021 05:49

@Awalkintime I'd rather have a constant stream of supply teachers but have my DD in a consistent setting with her friends than be pulled in and out and have to sit and try and do work while DH and I WFH.

CasperGutman · 01/07/2021 05:58

[quote Peppallama]@Awalkintime I'd rather have a constant stream of supply teachers but have my DD in a consistent setting with her friends than be pulled in and out and have to sit and try and do work while DH and I WFH.[/quote]
Your DD won't be in a consistent setting with her friends if she is (or they are) being nursed at home or worse still, are hospitalised with a serious illness. Did you read Awalkintime's post at all?

Awalkintime · 01/07/2021 06:12

[quote Peppallama]@Awalkintime I'd rather have a constant stream of supply teachers but have my DD in a consistent setting with her friends than be pulled in and out and have to sit and try and do work while DH and I WFH.[/quote]
Supply staff who will not know your children, limited supply so children who need support will not get it or that the school will close or partially close as they can't fund supply? What then?

If you think it is fine for teachers to work face to face with no measures with covid + children, then I assume you think PPE should be removed from hospitals and visitors and nursing staff can also work without measures?

KatherineJaneway · 01/07/2021 06:15

I would say instead of isolating, they have daily tests. Test negative, submit your results then off to school.

MiddleParking · 01/07/2021 06:18

Untrue we have had 3 kids in hospital in the past 2 weeks from our school one is at risk of dying. All under 5s. We have also had 4 contacts from the school - in hospital, one of which will likely die today - who is 33. We have a member of staff who is fit (competes in a certain sport) and is in a very bad way. She is double vaccinated.

All of this in the one school, at the exact same time, right now? Dear oh dear.

0None0 · 01/07/2021 06:19

@Youdiditanyway

Totally agree with you. Children are at basically zero risk from covid and all vulnerable adults should now be fully vaccinated. Let them stay in school and continue with their education, they’ve already missed enough.
This is nonsense. We have several children left permanently disabled in our MAT. Children should avoid catching it and spreading it as much as any other age group
spanieleyes · 01/07/2021 06:22

We had one case on Thursday, 8 by Friday and 13 by yesterday, some of whom ( primary age) are seriously ill and all with siblings at a local secondary school who didn't close a bubble when they had a couple of positive cases. It has spread through the families and primary aged children like wildfire.

0None0 · 01/07/2021 06:25

To avoid the need to close secondary classes we need:

Mandatory masks in all lessons.

Mandatory regular testing

Proper social distancing in schools

Proper ventilation.

Proper funding for cleaning supplies and cleaning staff

We also need high quality text books, and many many of them, to allocate children their own to work from.

Or failing that, a list of text books parents are required to buy, if not Pp.

Peppallama · 01/07/2021 06:32

@CasperGutman there is no reason to believe that any of my DC's year group would be seriously ill being nursed at home. Yes some children may be CV and these DC can be given the option to isolate away from classes where covid is spreading but you're painting a picture of entire swathes of children being on death's door Hmm sorry but that just isn't supported by the stats and we can't let anecdotes and fear guide children's education. Staff have all had the vaccine so they are not working with "no measures" in regards to covid. At somepoint we will have to get on with it!

Floobydo · 01/07/2021 06:42

It is a real shame teachers (all school staff) weren’t prioritised for the vaccine because until they are fully vaccinated, isolations are about the only protection they have. That’s the only reason I think we should probably hang on until September before scrapping isolation.

FrippEnos · 01/07/2021 06:42

Peppallama

Staff have all had the vaccine so they are not working with "no measures" in regards to covid.

not all staff have been vaccinated.

At somepoint we will have to get on with it!

Or we could use this to improve school buildings, and how we teach children. So this doesn't happen again or keep happening with Covid.

Shieldingending · 01/07/2021 06:46

Let’s face it, there is no chance of proper social distancing in schools – primary or secondary, because classes are so large this simply isn’t possible...

As a parent and a teacher this has to stop ! My children are fed up of being sent home, I’m fed up of them being sent home and am finding it really hard to do my job. At my own school the number of staff self isolating because of contact outside school is making it just impossible for us to provide the high-quality education that we want to to our children ... It’s time to live with covid, and I say this as a teacher who is clinically vulnerable!

LadyPenelope68 · 01/07/2021 06:50

@Peppallama
Staff have all had the vaccine so they are not working with "no measures" in regards to covid
No they haven’t, we’ve staff members who haven’t yet had the vaccine. Not all adults have been vaccinated, do your research.

LadyPenelope68 · 01/07/2021 06:53

@0None0
*To avoid the need to close secondary classes we need:

Mandatory masks in all lessons.

Mandatory regular testing

Proper social distancing in schools

Proper ventilation.

Proper funding for cleaning supplies and cleaning staff

We also need high quality text books, and many many of them, to allocate children their own to work from.

Or failing that, a list of text books parents are required to buy, if not Pp.*

Totally agree with this, but some of these measures have to be rolled out to Primary as well. I’m in a hot spot area and our rates in primary have rocketed much higher than secondary at the minute.

Heckythump1 · 01/07/2021 07:01

We need to start living with this now.

My DD is about to go in to Y1, shes missed a huge chunk of nursery, a huge chunk of reception (lockdown and 2 weeks isolation) I really don't want her missing huge chunks of Y1 as well!

What I want is for her to be able finally experience proper school, proper playtime with other year groups on the playground, rather than being penned in the eyfs area. Proper lunchtime in the hall with other year groups rather than eating in her classroom.
A school assembly, she's nearly 6 and she's never been to a school assembly!

We need normality for our children, they can't go on being bounced in and out of school.

Peppallama · 01/07/2021 07:01

[quote LadyPenelope68]@Peppallama
Staff have all had the vaccine so they are not working with "no measures" in regards to covid
No they haven’t, we’ve staff members who haven’t yet had the vaccine. Not all adults have been vaccinated, do your research.[/quote]
I meant in their school. I realise not all adults have had the vaccine. I haven't had both doses yet and I teach. But those who haven't had it are also in groups that are statistically far less vulnerable to covid.

walksen · 01/07/2021 07:02

Let's face it, the bubble system will limp on until the end of term or near enough as most schools break up that week anyway.

Next year, the government should implement a proper screening program because you can't trust all people to do actually do lft's or kids not to fake results and they aren't accurate anyway.

In the meantime schools will continue to be disrupted due to kids and staff off sick or isolating with COVID. ( Even double jabbed people are testing positive where I work, but not yet anyone who has been infected before thankfully.

The alternative would be to stop isolating all close contacts immediately across society. Makes no sense to abandon it for kids who are unvaccinated and far more likely to catch it and transmit it than adults who have been offered jabs. This would be pretty bad for anyone vulnerable including kids but it seems like most people feel they should "live with COVID" like they do with other illnesses like flu. That's seems reckless to me but it seems to be a majority view on here.

newnortherner111 · 01/07/2021 07:06

I agree that the closure of a class or a school affects more women than men. As indeed have most of the decisions over the pandemic, made largely by men, one of whom does not even acknowledge all his own children, let alone have a part in their upbringing.

I would vaccinate 16 and 17 year olds as a minimum, perhaps slightly younger age groups depending on the outcome of clinical trials.

Lemons1571 · 01/07/2021 07:10

The bubble system will stay in July, as private schools are breaking up / already finished for summer right now. Who cares about state school kids eh.

It might all be psychology. Disrupt and inconvenience parents enough and they’ll all be crying out for “normal” schools. Which is exactly what the government want as it doesn’t cost them any extra.

Bring on those variants eh…

IceCreamAndCandyfloss · 01/07/2021 07:12

[quote Peppallama]@Awalkintime I'd rather have a constant stream of supply teachers but have my DD in a consistent setting with her friends than be pulled in and out and have to sit and try and do work while DH and I WFH.[/quote]
What about the staff or CEV children?

It only affects women more if that’s the set up at home but it doesn’t have to be and many share the parenting duties between the couple.

I find it ironic many don’t want to go back onto workplaces as safer to work at home but then don’t think that others should have safety measures in place.