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

Also, my work is critical in keeping up the telecoms network, but I'm able to work from home. As it's all computer based and tbh, if I can't connect to the network, there's nothing I could do to help. We've had an incident just a month ago where two cables were severed in two different locations. We were asked to get online by management to divert calls. But reality is we can't do a thing if we can't connect to our computer infrastructure. I was handling the response from home and it was the weekend.

What I'm saying is some of the people on that critical list don't need to send their children in either. We can work from home.

Haskell

But that's what every other non key worker is having to do. It's a case of looking for ways round it, changing the times you work perhaps, bosses making allowances and not expecting th same level of work, etc.

Again nothing about this situation is deal, but we all have to pull together.

The childcare being provided by schools and school hubs really needs to be saved for those who truly need it.

Not for those who could stay home, even if working from home.
Or for most teenagers who could stay home alone.

In fact - all those year 11 and 13s - if not self isolating, and just social distancing - how about some childcare and babysitting to help everyone out. We aren't in lockdown and it would be possible to have a teen care for your child in many cases, still with sensible precautions.

@Whatsername177 I do get where you're coming from. My mother was a middle school teacher for 42yrs during the three tier system...I remember having to go into school with her when I was ill as she was a single mum during the 80s.

But these are times which need definite guidance. Which need thinking outside the box. You have a duty of care to your pupils and as you will be in school as you say what is the issue?

Exams may be missed. But really anyone can be taught to pass a test...surely your appraisal of your pupils is more en pointe?

And maybe when this is over there will be shown better less stressful ways of educating children.

But before I get shut down by being told I'm this and that. I work in the nhs. I see what happens. And health is a personal responsibility at the end of the day.

It's a tough one. The list is longer than expected, but from my perspective working in management in a small UK food producer, I did not expect food production workers to be covered but so glad they are. Our small workforce is made up of mainly parents and over 60s with underlying health conditions. We are a long shelf life product but already talking to supermarkets to expect interrupted supply, despite having bigger than normal stock due to Brexit.

With everyone panic buying, it's very hard to keep supply going for a number of producers, depending where their key ingredients come from (ie countries in lock down). China didn't impact food as food standards mean very little is brought in from there. Italy Poland etc will have a much bigger impact along the line.

They might not seem essential short term, but as this is likely to be longer term, we will need this continuation of supply.

We are both key workers (nurse and carer) but I work condensed hours over long 3 days instead of 5. I'm going to see if it's allowed to only send mine in on the days I have to work and keep them home when I'm off. Just waiting for an email from school.

Finding it hard to have sympathy where husband is high earned and has to stay home to look after kids so Nhs wives can go to work tbh!

SCHOOLS: ok... let create hub schools full of kids we dont know and we'll babysit them. Oh and all staff expected in

it's not the schools who have said that, the government have told them to do it.

@fedup21 I didn’t see TAs in the list-can you please copy and paste that bit for me if you find it?

'Nursery and teaching staff' did you miss that? Sorry if I misread your tone but it comes across as sarcastic.

Whole SEN schools are being kept open due to those with EHCPs being allowed in, that means the whole staff is still required. TAs and all.

‘Nursery staff’ doesn’t just mean teachers, also means support staff and dinner ladies and possibly midday meal supervisors. Same for ‘teaching staff’.

Agreed! I mean nurses taking leave so their partners can do their well paid job? Whose job is actually more important right now?

The list refers to education support staff as well as teachers.

Really? So nurses lose their homes and can’t put food on the table AND care for Coronovirus patients?

My DH can’t wfh with two small children. I have to go out to work. My wage doesn’t cover half of one mortgage payment. If the NHS wants me there the Govt MUST provide childcare, or I won’t be able to work as honestly the roof over my kids head and food in their tummies comes first.

Our children have been out since last friday however was intrigued to know whether DP counted as he works at a recycling centre

My husband may be on the list, it's not clear and we're waiting for confirmation from his employer (they think they should be, but personally we don't think it's that essential!).
I'm wfh and not a key worker. I don't really want to send them to school/nursery as I don't feel like we desperately need it but as I'd hardly get anything done with a 3yr old around I'm not sure how sympathetic my employer will be when they know dh is a key worker and could have got a childcare place they will expect us to take it. It's hard to know what to do for the best.

@WhenYouveAFirstInEnglish you can get mortgage holidays and financial support at the moment. Are your DH’s hours fixed? Are yours? Isn’t this about keeping people alive?

It's hard to know what to do for the best.

Is it really? You can safely look after your child at home. You need to do that.

“Not getting much done” vs exposing your children, exposing the teaching staff and potentially increasing the number of deaths from the virus.

Tough choice.

All of our local schools are closed due to lack of staff. Today there was one person for three schools as everyone else is unwell or self isolating. I can't see this working as we will end up with teachers dropping like flies

My DH can’t wfh with two small children

Many many people are having to at the moment.

I don’t want to take a mortgage holiday and get into debt tbh. Of course I will if I have to but at the moment we can survive without my wage and it would make much more sense to quit my job than it would to take a mortgage holiday and my husband lose clients, especially as this is the busiest possible time for him.

I very much care about keeping people alive. I have spent much of this week directly nursing and caring for patients. I will carry on doing so as long as my children are taken care of. Not just physically but financially.

YANBU. My DC's primary school has stipulated both parents to be key workers regardless of the government's desire unless the child otherwise fits the vulnerable and EHCP category. They are a small school but still the largest school nearby so likely to be a hub school with staff from other, nearby and smaller ones coming in as well on some sort of a rota. This will mean provision is available for as long as possible.

Dh and I are both classed as Keyworkers. He is quite high up the list, I am a SEN LSA so whilst not vital to the running of the country, expect to be required in at some point while I remain well, especially given the large number of teaching and support staff who had to go off when the new 12 week isolation guidance for vulnerable groups was brought in.

I have discussed this with my younger DC's primary head as we don't know if there will be transport to take the older one to her secondary school - she relies on the school bus. I have asked if I am needed in, can she go to the primary and will be asking the same of the secondary that I work in. She is sensible but being nearly 12 and being left all day every day will be extremely challenging for her. She cannot go to my in-laws as they are following the 12 week self isolation guidance due to high risk ill health - when we drop shopping off, we leave it at the door and they come and get it, gloved up, once we are back in the car.

The primary school are very open to the idea of parents only bringing their children in on days they both need to be at work, so if one is at home, the children will stay home.

@HoffiCoffi13 as would we if we had no other choice. But hopefully my children can carry on going to school and we can both carry on working. And if once of us can’t work then I will have to SAH.

What will they do when the staff all start following the government's advice and self-isolating if they so much as cough 🤔

@LaureBerthaud
They can stay home themselves on a short term basis but from 8-6 every day for 6 months? Absolutely not

Why not?

Exactly my thoughts. Why the heck not? How about we all do whatever is possible to get through this.
Awful that the children of key workers- and therefore the key workers themselves, are being exposed to the same risks because people want to use the school for childcare and socialising.
My children could go to school- we are on that list- I wouldn’t dream of taking places and exposing the poor staff. I’m fortunate and can stay home and I realise not everyone can. But if you can- and if your children can manage alone- please do that. These are extraordinary times. I would leave a 10 year old home alone now.

@Tabbymumz, if there is a baby in a 2 key worker family, I suspect the parents will end up having to work opposite shifts to ensure a parent can be home for the little one, unless there is somewhere else safe they can be for the duration. Little ones pose less of a risk so it might be they end up self-isolating with grandparents over longer periods of time. I certainly know of one family where the grandchildren are now staying with their grandparents to enable their frontline parents to work. Of course if grandparents are very old, frail or ill, this doesn't work.

@PurpleDaisies I guess what I'm trying to say is that employers have a role to play in this as well, I work in the local education authority, we are going to be very busy supporting schools with this situation but also looking after kids at home. There needs to be an understanding from their side that we are turning down the offer of a key worker place for the greater good and not just expecting us to take it to get the work done. Everyone needs to work together. I am more than happy to turn it down, I don't want to send them and put pressure on our school / people at risk but my employer needs to be understanding of that, which I don't think they are particularly.

Nothingoriginalhere

I have nurse colleagues crying yesterday thinking they may have to take unpaid leave as they earn less than their partners who were being expected to take leave to look after the children. Obviously unworkable for most households as mortgages, bills etc need to be paid and most young families are fairly tightly budgeted to start with.
People in such a situation need to apply for mortgage payment holidays which were announced by lenders earlier in the week. Some energy companies are also offering help for those affected by the CV crisis, mainly for the vulnerable but they are also considering others on a case by case basis.

If you are a key worker, and your partner earns more than you and needs to stay at home as a result of the CV then contact your utility companies and your mortgage lender for help now.