Please don't send your child to school if you don't need to.

[Zacharyezrarawlings]

Please, please can I ask you to NOT send your child to school unless you really need to?
I realise the government guidance is badly written and clear as mud (what a surprise) but actually if you read it all (and not just check if you're on a list of keyworkers) it does state many times:

"If it is at all possible for children to be at home, then they should be."

"If children can stay safely at home, they should, to limit the chance of the virus spreading."

"And every child who can be safely cared for at home should be."

already I am seeing posts on here and elsewhere along the lines of "Im on the list of keyworkers, wondering if I should send my child to school. My DH/partner is WFH but would get much more done if fred went to school" or " I'm on the list of keyworkers - should I send 15 yr old betty to school s she can see her freinds and keep up with her studies?"
Or even posts asking " can I turn down my child's school place if I am a key worker"

I am a doctor. This is going to be the worst few months of my medical career. Im not scaremongering but we need to take responsibilty for doing what we can to limit the impact of this.

I realise some people absolutely will need to send their dc to school for various reasons and so they should, but please, please if their is any way your child could stay at home please dont send them in.

[Isseyflora]

But there is a point agent - keeping them healthy and keeping others healthy.

[AgentPrentiss]

🤷‍♀️ Just taking my cues from the government and everyone else.

Like I said, I have no ability to homeschool them.

[Onlyinanemergency]

As I said, my secondary school in Scotland is opening as usual for more than 50% of pupils. This virus will spread pretty quickly with such reckless behaviour.

[Isseyflora]

Then don’t, agent but don’t put them in danger.

[Chanel05]

I'm a teacher - I am in a vulnerable category so I'm not able to work. I am frustrated on behalf of my colleagues who are still doing their bit, being put at risk. Lessons will not be going ahead as normal because teachers cannot deliver the curriculum to only a minority of the pupils.

Remember that not all learning happens within the four walls of a school building. This is the perfect opportunity to teach children at home about budgeting, food shopping, preparing food for cooking and baking, gardening, sewing. Some very vital life skills.

[janeskettle]

while the rest of their classes carry on as usual

I work in an Australian school. It is not 'carrying on as usual' in any way, shape or form.

If you have your children in a public school, I am telling you now, it is not a safe environment. Schools where I am have not adopted anything other than handwashing reminders (if there is soap). Teachers are busy organising home learning packets. There were casuals in most of the classes today at my school.

You are nuts if you think sending them in will ensure continuity of education. There's 'learning activities' happening, that's it. Those will fall away too once more teachers inevitably catch the virus from children. Schools will be radically understaffed, and the staff under enormous stress.

I am so thankful, as a teacher, for those parents who have pre-emptively removed their children from the school. They are doing their best to protect us, the staff, and their own children and families. Bless the 30%.

[AgentPrentiss]

LOL. How am I putting them in danger? Literally almost everyone is at school.

You really think they should just miss school for an undetermined amount of weeks/months? I have a year 10 child aiming for ATAR. She would be fucked.

[Aragog]

Agent

I have you actually read what's happening?

Or are you be deliberately irresponsible?

The guidance, even for key workers, is : Keep your children home, unless you have no alternatives.

And a teenager doesn't need childcare.

Are you in England or somewhere else?

1. Schools have been told to close. They are remaining open as school hubs for key worker children who have no alternatives.

1. There will be no proper lessons going on after today in most schools. Childcare is being provided, with home learning. Packs, etc. But this is no where near the same as proper lessons. Why would schools be teaching proper full lessons when they'll only have to repeat the, when schools reopen? It'd be daft, it will be, at most, consolidation and revision

If people send their children in when there is no need for them to do so you will overstretch the childcare system being put into place. Staff may well get ill. Staffing will reduce. Then the whole system will end up closing, even for those are really need it.

Is that your plan?

[AgentPrentiss]

We have had daily updates from our school. I’m assured it’s classed as usual, with preparing for online learning in the event of a mandated closure. If I new how to attach pics I’d attach today. 🤷‍♀️

[Aragog]

Okay, cross posts. You're not in the uk, so maybe a different system and approach over there.

But here in the UK parents should not send their children in if they don't have to, and \proper full lessons will not generally be taking place.

[DBML]

@AgentPrentiss

“LOL”

Says it all.

[AgentPrentiss]

I dunno if that will work, but that’s today’s update. Classes as normal.

[SinkGirl]

I’m really torn on this. I honestly don’t think I will cope with my twins 24/7 (literally, they rarely ever sleep at the same time) for months on end. Before they started nursery I was completely unable to function. They both have significant needs and have 1:1 at nursery to keep them safe, both have EHCPs and I expect the nursery will offer to have them at least some days here and there as they basically already offered this before the announcement. There would be very few other children there and it would give me the respite I need to function the rest of the time.

But I’m also really worried about them catching it, us catching it etc. None of us have any conditions that put us at risk of severe illness, but if one of us ended up hospitalised we would be up shit creek.

So I’m torn. Will wait to see what nursery say today.

[Saoirse7]

Many kids on EHCP won't do well in school during this time. Especially kids with an anxiety or ASD type diagnosis - schools will not be centres of education. There will be no relatable routine for them. If they require 1:1 this may not always be possible if there are not enough staff.

I won't be teaching as I'm in an at risk category but if I was, I'd be outside playing non contact games, they'd be doing individual activities that require little to no adult assistance (colouring, word searches etc) or watching films.

It is NOT a time where the teacher will be able to stick to the curriculum. They will be implementing social distancing.

If you are able to KEEP YOUR KIDS AT HOME this is as a last resort. Don't try to wedge yourself in a category because you are concerned they'd be falling behind in their studies or even worse because they'd miss their friends.

Now is a time for common sense.

[janeskettle]

I have a year 10 child aiming for ATAR She would be fucked

This doesn't even make sense. An ATAR is TWO YEARS AWAY. AFTER SHE DOES THE HSC. IN 2022!!!

There is no Year 10 ATAR.

And yeah, every kid who comes into school right now who doesn't have to? Makes it more of an unsafe environment for those of us (students and staff) who HAVE to come in.

Hopefully at the very least, you're not the kind of parent who sends in sick kids. Hopefully.

[AgentPrentiss]

Err, grades in year 10 determine if they can do ATAR in year 11&12. Is that just our school? Thought it was everywhere. Oh well. Point still stands.

[AgentPrentiss]

What is HSC? Thought that went out decades ago?? Even when I was at school it had moved on from HSC to TEE. I have literally never heard of it in recent years. Is it a nationwide thing?!

[Missmagpie1]

@LaLaLaLa22 Wow I’m surprised you even have any friends with that kind of vile attitude you have, you really are quite short sighted and probably a little bit thick too, but how do you work out that someone who takes the maximum full year of maternity leave before going back to work and subsequently putting their child in childcare doesn’t like their child???

[Slurpy]

@ledkr regarding your DH's return home after work: my DH is an animal health officer, and they have regular infectious disease training and exercises (for foot and mouth, avian flu etc.). He's our link to the outside world in terms of shopping etc (I have asthma, so being very careful) and is doing a full farm gate routine. He removes outer packaging of things we've bought or washes it if that's not possible, and passes it into the house. He removes his shoes outside, then strips, puts his clothes onto wash and showers. That might be considered OTT, but I'm grateful for his training and would rather be over the top than ill. I'd be asking DH to minimise the risks wherever possible.

[namechangemania]

I am not going to send my 15 year old. I made the decision in haste this morning when I saw the list of key workers but on thinking about it I can see how that will be the wrong decision especially as it says to only send them if absolutely necessary.
My ex disagrees with me entirely (also a key worker) and we share residency and he doesn’t think it’ll be good for his mental health as he is a quiet child and he has no one else to interact with in the house while we’re all at work. So he is having a huge go at me.

This is all so stressful.

[AgentPrentiss]

Quick google tells me HSC is a NSW only thing. 🤷‍♀️

[crazydiamond222]

My son has an EHCP and is on the severe end of the autistic spectrum. I have been keeping him at home this week and will continue to do so until I have confidence in the NHS to cope. The last week has been horrible as I also have a 4 month old who will only nap on me and will only be put down for 5 minutes at a time. There is no hope of doing any form of education and my son has been on his ipad 8 hours a day. However that said his and the rest of the family's health is the prioty so we plan to muddle through at home as best we can.

[SarahInAccounts]

I think it won't be long before the only DCs allowed into school will be the DCs of key workers, as teachers fall ill.

They have to be the ones that take priority and parents will have to manage as best they can, sadly.

[Pluckedpencil]

No way should a fifteen year old be going if they don't have any special circumstances. These are exceptional times. The government are going to backtrack on this too, because it's another disastrous policy with disastrous consequences. We all need to be in isolation except for the people in essential jobs - including children!!! That means taking holidays, leave, throwing everything at it to keep people isolated. Schools are really breeding grounds. We need them closed and maybe make local appeals for childcare help, money released, etc. People want to help these days. I think the government are still not grasping how radically differently they need to be thinking.

[Whichoneofyoudidthat]

Are you in Qld Agent?