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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:
MiaMarshmallows · 03/07/2021 23:34

I can't see it being a problem.
We need to learn to live with covid. Children are not getting seriously sick with coronavirus and in the end it will just be like a cold. I have grandkids of primary school age and been little to no disruption for them this term. Some schools may be different but it's been fine for us and I think it will going forward as well.

TheDevils · 04/07/2021 12:35

I have grandkids of primary school age and been little to no disruption for them this term. Some schools may be different but it's been fine for us and I think it will going forward as well.

They're very fortunate then. It's one week in, 10 days isolation at my DSs primary school at the moment.

We both work full time and the stress this is causing is off the scale.

MiaMarshmallows · 04/07/2021 13:33

This isn't the normal though.
With the testing, a positive result should mean only one child is off school rather than the whole class. This will help hugely.

TheDevils · 04/07/2021 13:40

@MiaMarshmallows

This isn't the normal though. With the testing, a positive result should mean only one child is off school rather than the whole class. This will help hugely.
It is the normal in our area.

It will. But that's not happening and is unlikely to happen until September.
We're in our third isolation in less than 2 months because 1 child tested positive each time - because were in an area of concern so all the kids have to have PCR tests if they're classed as a close contact.
Every single time there has been only one positive case yet the 29 other children have had to miss nearly a month of school - on top of missing a huge chunk of reception last year and a large amount of year 1 this year. These years are the key foundation blocks for learning. There will be longer term implications of this for sure.

MarshaBradyo · 04/07/2021 13:42

Every single time there has been only one positive case yet the 29 other children have had to miss nearly a month of school - on top of missing a huge chunk of reception last year and a large amount of year 1 this year. These years are the key foundation blocks for learning. There will be longer term implications of this for sure.

I agree this is very concerning.

MiaMarshmallows · 04/07/2021 14:07

I get that but it isn't long until the summer holidays. Once September rolls around it will be a lot easier. Only 1 child isolating if positive compared to a whole class or year group.

TheDevils · 04/07/2021 14:12

@MiaMarshmallows

I get that but it isn't long until the summer holidays. Once September rolls around it will be a lot easier. Only 1 child isolating if positive compared to a whole class or year group.
Im not sure if you mean to sound so dismissive?

16 months of juggling working full time in a job where the work tripled and homeschooling plus multiple isolations has pretty much broken me. Im not sure my mental health will last until the school holidays.

MiaMarshmallows · 04/07/2021 14:14

I'm just pointing out that it will get easier.
I have had full care of my grandkids for the past few months so I'm not talking out of my backside. I get it's hard.

Howshouldibehave · 04/07/2021 14:15

@MiaMarshmallows

This isn't the normal though. With the testing, a positive result should mean only one child is off school rather than the whole class. This will help hugely.
Will parents be told to test their primary children daily if they are close contacts?

Or are we replacing isolating close contacts with nothing in primary?

BustopherPonsonbyJones · 04/07/2021 14:18

@MiaMarshmallows

This isn't the normal though. With the testing, a positive result should mean only one child is off school rather than the whole class. This will help hugely.
It will help whilst vaccines work (and I hope they do!). It will be a big problem if they don’t as the tests are not very reliable and there will be a surge in infections because of that.

We need to pray that the vaccines continue to work again mutations, that boosters are given out quickly to school staff and that antibodies hold out until they do. If this all fails, we will be screwed as staff will be very ill.

IceCreamAndCandyfloss · 04/07/2021 14:19

Every single time there has been only one positive case yet the 29 other children have had to miss nearly a month of school

Isolation is ten days so taking off a weekend it’s a max of eight days not on site, no where near a month. Plus schools have to educate remotely so no learning has to be missed.

Howshouldibehave · 04/07/2021 14:21

Every single time there has been only one positive case yet the 29 other children have had to miss nearly a month of school

Nearly a month? Confused

sherrystrull · 04/07/2021 14:23

@BustopherPonsonbyJones

I remember reading that school staff wouldn't be in line for the booster. I was sad but also unsurprised to read it. I hope it changes.

TheDevils · 04/07/2021 14:24

@MiaMarshmallows

I'm just pointing out that it will get easier. I have had full care of my grandkids for the past few months so I'm not talking out of my backside. I get it's hard.
Have you been caring for them while working full time? In a job where the workload and pressure tripled? Have you had to try and juggle live lessons alongside your own meetings and teaching ( I'm a university lecturer).

Right now I'm so deep in this I can't see a light at the end of the tunnel. It's been promised far too many times for me to believe it's actually ever going to happen.

Your experience of caring for your grandchildren is not comparable to the experience of many many working parents - mainly women.
Every single working parents I know is at complete breaking point.

TheDevils · 04/07/2021 14:25

@Howshouldibehave

Every single time there has been only one positive case yet the 29 other children have had to miss nearly a month of school

Nearly a month? Confused

3 sets of isolation with less than a week back at school in between.
TheDevils · 04/07/2021 14:28

@IceCreamAndCandyfloss

Every single time there has been only one positive case yet the 29 other children have had to miss nearly a month of school

Isolation is ten days so taking off a weekend it’s a max of eight days not on site, no where near a month. Plus schools have to educate remotely so no learning has to be missed.

3 sets of isolation - this has been on average 7 days off each time) with less than a week in school in between is nearly a month.
Iggi999 · 04/07/2021 14:29

We don't hear about further cases from the school though. Only the cases that were positive in school. I've heard of others on the bush telegraph (Facebook) but wouldn't have known of them otherwise. And these only came out recently when close contacts are asked to test at the start of isolation where I am.

MarshaBradyo · 04/07/2021 14:29

I really feel for you TheDevils

Horrendous all round. No thought of impact

LoathingAndFear · 04/07/2021 14:29

Vaccinate those pupils who want to be vaccinated - optional vaccination.

As with the rest of society, double-vaccinated people don't need to self-isolate, they take daily tests if they are a close contact of a positive case.

That should also be the case in schools for double-vaccinated pupils, and probably non-vaccinated pupils too since all adults will have been double-vaccinated by September (or should have been if they take up the offer and are not medically exempt).

Since they are likely removing school bubbles, clearly secondary school pupils need vaccinating - it is already approved as safe for over-12s and many other similar countries to the UK are vaccinating over-12s (optionally, fgs anti-vaxxers calm down, don't spoil it for everyone else, your DC does not need to be vaccinated, but I don't need you to decide in your scientific wisdom whether my DC should or should not be vaccinated).

Iggi999 · 04/07/2021 14:32

It doesn't sound right to say three sets of isolations comes from one positive case though, there must have been three cases for three separate isolations!

TheDevils · 04/07/2021 14:32

Plus schools have to educate remotely so no learning has to be missed.

Yeah, not that easy when you're working full time and your child is too young to do their work unsupervised.
The amount of work provided is nowhere near the amount they'd learn in school and a parent doing this while trying to also work is not as good as the child being in a school environment learning from a qualified teacher.
Not to mention the social aspects of school. Locking children in their houses is not healthy.

TheDevils · 04/07/2021 14:34

@Iggi999

It doesn't sound right to say three sets of isolations comes from one positive case though, there must have been three cases for three separate isolations!
I didn't say that. Three different people, three different isolation periods but only one positive case at once.
TheDevils · 04/07/2021 14:36

@Iggi999

We don't hear about further cases from the school though. Only the cases that were positive in school. I've heard of others on the bush telegraph (Facebook) but wouldn't have known of them otherwise. And these only came out recently when close contacts are asked to test at the start of isolation where I am.
I'm a governor at my sons school so I do get to know the numbers. Plus the class WhatsApp is very active and everyone posted their results when all kids had to have PCR tests.
Iggi999 · 04/07/2021 14:37

Every single time there has been only one positive case yet the 29 other children have had to miss nearly a month of school
Most people reading this would think you mean children miss a month for one positive case. Which would be ridiculous!

MarshaBradyo · 04/07/2021 14:37

We’ve known about each case in the secondary.

All student PCR tests included. Remarkably low for disruption incurred as it turns out.

But hard to know how much immunity plays a role.