Are you sending your kids to school Monday?

[colouringinpro]

Yes, No or Maybe answers only please.

As the WHO have now criticised the UK Government's strategy; death rates today doubled and we simply have no idea of the actual numbers of cases due to very limited testing. I'm seriously considering following the advice of WHO and most other European governments and self-isolating me and the kids from Monday.

post edited by MNHQ at OP's request.

No - I also didn’t send them thurs or fri either. The gov not closing the schools because they want it to spread, whether it’s mild or not, I don’t want my children getting it, they have no idea what the consequences of getting it might have on our children in a few years, we’re not guinea pigs! I’m also autoimmune so that was an added factor.

I'm a head. I cannot close school unless directed by Public Health England, although in the event of not having enough staff I could close on those grounds.
Schools have plans, we have to, and much of the past week has been spent in looking at what will need to be done in the event of closure.
It is not just a case that staff go home and that's it for a few weeks. We have children on Child Protection registers, we need to check in either to make sure they are ok. We will be ensuring that our most vulnerable families have food etc we provide two meals a day for many children.
Many of parents who do work are in the caring professions, man you are care workers, if we close they cannot work, they then don't get paid and those they care for will be left in very difficult circumstances.
It is hard, we don't really know what we are facing, media hype and general panic, don't help.
Please believe that schools care, headteachers are working hard with very little support from anyone outside of the school.

Yes but reluctantly, and keeping an eye on the situation. Our council is looking at extending the Easter holidays by 2 weeks...

If schools care then can you explain why

a school near me took two year groups to a local visit with guest speakers from Italy

why there are reports of no soap

why parents evenings are going ahead

Maybe.

Once they're off I'll have no income (unless I can do a deal with work) as although I can wfh it will be impossible to do much with the DC around, especially if I am supporting their learning (both primary age).

I have signed both the petition upthread asking the government to close schools and a different one on change.org asking for parents to be allowed to make the choice without fear of any penalties. I will feel happier to keep them off without that hanging over my head too.

MN always feels like a different world to me because it's quite middle class. In my world, none of us are SAHPs or have professional jobs that we can do from home. We are low paid and can't just take our kids out of school and not go to work for weeks. We're worried about the virus, but we're worried about how we will make ends meet when schools do close.

Undecided yet.
If he goes in it will be for one more week only but my instinct is to keep him off.
I may send him on Monday so I can have a chat with school about what work to do with him at home.

Yes

No

No, my dc never miss school usually, they love going and education is very important to us. I won't risk their health and mine when our government is plainly going against WHO advice.

Nope, and they've had 100% attendance (so far) for the first year ever too.

how are people going to keep kids confined for months?

who are all the employees that can have parents wfh for a long period of time? What happens if the business goes through rapid changes due to having a workforce that may be dying or ill?

Yes

me - probably no
Dh- yes

Although we have agreed not to go to parents evening this week

Yes my child has A level exams. He will find it very difficult to study at home for 8 weeks. He has a design technology project that isn’t finished yet. He needs to use the schools labs.

It is the poorer that will be disproportionately affected isnt it. If we were wealthy and could affors it we'd def stay home and get food delivery and some activities/lego from amazon...

If we were wealthy and could affors it we'd def stay home and get food delivery and some activities/lego from amazon...

But what if half of that workforce are off as they also have taken their kids out? I think it's too simplistic to think I will take my kids out of school but production lines & supply chains & deliveries will continue as normal so I will get everything I need. Even if you normally work from home where is the new business going to come from as for certain industries people won't be spending any money.

Yes - Both DH and I are NHS, we can’t stay off work and when schools close we will be reliant on friends and neighbours to help.

No, DS is already ill with something else.

For as long as I can!

Erm I struggling. Ds had tonsillitis, symptoms began last Friday. High temp Friday til Tuesday. Back to school Wed. Generally well but lingering cough(absolutely typical of ds with sore throat). School okayed this in line with the then Gov advice.

Advice changed Thursday eve- school still okayed his attendance Friday. Temp is still normal(just!) but cough lingering. Not constant cough, more spluttery every hour or so and more after any exertion.

I’m tying myself in knots, genuinely no idea what to do. I’ve a feeling though that attendance officers and LA’s will have absolutely no control over attendance for the rest of this academic year

I know lots of accountants, barristers, surveyors etc who can work from home but you can only actually work if there is work to do.

Yes mine will be going for as long as possible. We need to work.
I can't see everyone who says they keeping their kids off, staying in the house?
Genuinely... I'll struggle to keep mine indoors for a week, never mind a month or two

I’m unsure. Our kids go private and we wouldn’t get hassle over it. We’ve already had a week off because of the kids coming back from Italy after half term.

It’s the calm before the storm and I find it really unnerving.

Yes