School Closures and Key Workers - I am so frustrated with the government

[Whatsername177]

I am a teacher. Over the last two days I've been through the mill with everything that has happened. The closure of schools was a devastating blow, especially to my yr11 pupils whose future is now uncertain. I have cried, they have cried. It has been fucking awful. I am gutted, genuinly gutted. It has been compounded by the fact that I've had to self isolate since Wednesday because my husband has symptoms - I'm frustrated because I am well and feel blody useless at home, communicating virtually with my kids. When the government announced that schools would stay open to provide childcare for front line staff I was happy. I knew I'd be rota'd in - good. I will happily provide childcare if that is what the key people need to do their job. It is literally the only thing helpful that I can do. But, now the list has been released - there are 8 categories, pretty much most jobs can be covered by the list and it seems it applies to two parent households even if only one parent meets the criteria. We could potentially still have hundreds of pupils in school. Parents are frightened about losing their jobs and I understand that. But social distancing is the only way to beat the virus. We have just thrown the entire education system out of the window, but if it doesn't result in an increase in social distancing to save lives, what was it for?!

Here is the list:
www.gov.uk/government/publications/coronavirus-covid-19-maintaining-educational-provision/guidance-for-schools-colleges-and-local-authorities-on-maintaining-educational-provision

The issues with it needing to be both parents is that if the none key worker parent earns lots more, say an Nhs nurse and a banker (just an example). If the banker gives up work to be a full time parent then they would lose their house, not be able to pay the bills etc. They will have based their financial commitments on their income.

Why should a family go bankrupt just because one of them is a key worker?

This isn't my position personally but I can see it from their perspective.

SCHOOLS: ok... let create hub schools full of kids we dont know and we'll babysit them. Oh and all staff expected in
It is ridiculous, in theory it would be a good idea for medical staff, it sounds like a free for all. The DC are carriers.

I am a manager in the back office of banking. We do all the checks etc for all the clients we service. My dds dad is in the NHS and my DH works for travel. My work are trying to see if they can get us to work from home. Currently we are all on 14 day quarantine however as my ex is not showing any symptoms the NHS is asking for him to come back in? We are pushing for DD to get tested as asymptomatic people are the real issue and we have a moral responsibility to protect other people. It is a nightmare. If I can work from home I will be keeping DD home.

I have a friend who works as a carer, she is part time and works out of school hours yet she is sending her 3 kids into school as she is a key worker and needs her rest.

Our school have sent an email saying they are limited in the number of places they can provide due to staff numbers, so places will be given in priority order. Top of the priority list is families who have two parents who are key workers.

You need to read the guidance before the list which says (amongst other things) "Parents whose work is critical to the COVID-19 response include those who work in health and social care and in other key sectors outlined below. Many parents working in these sectors may be able to ensure their child is kept at home. And every child who can be safely cared for at home should be."
I.e. It's not just anyone who works in those sectors but only if your work is critical to COVID-19 response AND your child can't be kept at home.
I'm struggling to see what is difficult about this...?

They should staff their own schools and have their own teachers in.

They won't have enough staff to do this. Especially as more and more people begin self isolating due to their own symptoms or family symptoms.

I'm struggling to see what is difficult about this...?

It’s relying on people to do the right thing and keep their kids off if they can.

I totally agree OP. The fucker didn’t close the schools at all, did he 😡

This, absolutely. The list cannot be definitive and it drives me nuts that people talk about the 'long-awaited list' when all these things are a reaction to a fast-changing situation. It relies on people using their intelligence to interpret it, which I'm sure most people in charge of the local school situation will be able to do. Beyond that though, clearly people are going to get confused and enraged as if they could do better.

I agree & am confused as to what people want. Do you want to get paid? that involves payroll & banking services to work, do you want to cook? that required food supply, logistics & utilities, etc

Someone up thread said FE Colleges won't be open but I work for one and we are staying open for vulnerable students. I was surprised by this I know "a child" is anyone under 18 but I am surprised my employer seems to think 16 and 17 year olds need the College to stay open. I don't think many will turn up and I feel sorry for the staff expected to come in and put themselves at risk.

Does anyone else work for an FE College that is staying open?

ALL work on that list is critical to COVID19 response in that the workers make sure everyone has food, electric, money etc

It’s just business as usual in the UK

I.e. It's not just anyone who works in those sectors but only if your work is critical to COVID-19 response AND your child can't be kept at home

But what is meant by 'can't be kept at home'?

I have already spoken to several people who are key workers themselves who reckon that their partners can't possibly look after their kids because they are in remote meetings all day etc and literally wouldn't be able to work? It's too subjective and woolly.

@catgirl1976 I think you will be surprised how teenagers feel about this. They aren’t happy/excited to be ‘free’. They are sad about not seeing their friends/worried about exam work etc

Where is the leadership? Its not just on the school issue either.

Stop expecting the public to 'do the right thing' - they won't. Grow a fucking spine and tell them!

Both DH and I are keyworkers - the keep the public safe type and have a 15 month old, I'm very pleased he will still be able to go to nursery so we can carry on doing our jobs.

FE are staying open to the vulnerable groups. Some teams have been asked to work. I think they should ask for volunteers across the whole college, rather than telling a team they have to be in.

@SubjectMatterExpert

You may be right, I do understand a lot are devastated. I don't work directly with the students, I'm on the business support side so perhaps they will all turn up. I know we are concerned about them getting fed as where I work is in a deprived area which is very sad

The guidance says below

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

If your work is critical to the COVID-19 response, or you work in one of the critical sectors listed below, and you cannot keep your child safe at home

Fedup21

The guidance includes :

Education and childcare
This includes nursery and teaching staff, social workers and those specialist education professionals who must remain active during the COVID-19 response to deliver this approach.

TAs are teaching staff. So he they are included and will be working in schools or,school nuns providing childcare and supervision of children.

"If the banker gives up work to be a full time parent then they would lose their house, not be able to pay the bills etc."

I thought there was talk of mortgage providers arranging a 3 month holiday to payments?

I honestly believe that the CSO etc didn’t really want to close schools and believed that doing so would have negligible spread on the virus, but felt pressured and forced to do so. This is their half way house solution. And even if people take the mick, then you will still be providing childcare and help to those of us needed to keep everything going. Thank you.

Stupid question....does this included babies and toddlers, of just s hool age children? Because dont think Teachers are specifically trained to look after babies ?

My DH wanted to send out kids to school as he wfh and I am NHS. I told him to take his laptop somewhere quiet and leave kids at home. youngest is 13 and they will be fine without him. He just find working in a house of 3 teenagers a challenge. No one said the next few months won't be a challenge. We all have to be as flexible as possible and do what we can. My staff are offering to work evenings and weekends ( we are a Mon to Fri service currently, so that there partners can be at home whilst they work. As NHS workers we just have to find a way. they predict that 20% of our NHS workforce will be off sick with symptoms at any one time so the rest of us will be working overtime, cancelling leave and doing whatever we have to to care for our patients and their families over next few months.
But back to the point of the OP. If there is a parent able to WFH then the kids should be at home. If a work call had to take place whilst juggling a baby on your knee, I think the rest of the world is aware enough of the situation to not get overly stressed about that!! Everyone has to do their bit here. This is like a war effort and there are far too many entitled people around who think they are too important to look after their kids ( mainly men!!!)

Someone has pointed out that not all NHS staff are key workers, only front line staff. I work for the NHS microbiology lab testing (among other things) samples for Coronavirus. Let's all go home then and let the doctors and nurses test all the samples