So who will be returning their children to school in June?

[Bigfishylittlefishy]

Just that really. Parents of reception, year 1 and year 6, IF schools return on the 1st of June, will you send your child in?

My son is in reception and I would be willing to send him in.

Going on about people working to pay for luxuries isn't doing you any favours. It's just making you sound like a dick

I couldn't care less... If you think working 7 days a week to pay for your stuff instead of spending time with your child and having less stuff is worth it, you crack on.

Besides:
We've looked at the evidence and considered our individual circumstances
Basically is you saying,
"We're alright, fuck the wider community"
I may be a dick but at least I consider the health and well being of those who I and my child may come into contact with.
'im alright jack' is the Moto of the Tory self serving.

@MonkeyToesOfDoom you are right. I will tell my stupid, spoilt children to stop asking for food and other such luxuries. Perhaps I could just whip up a batch of stone soup with a side of grass clippings for them to eat. Cold of course as we won’t be able to pay for frivolities like the gas and electricity bills.

Can you not read monkey we're not in contact with the wider community.

And again ....since when is a house and food a luxury? You don't know anything about my financial situation so stop assuming I'm working to pay for luxuries.

I'm not sending my child back until it's absolutely safe for my family. At the moment considering yesterdays rise in deaths, i deem it as unsafe aswell as catastrophic should a whole class of 15 catch it and bring it home with them. Herd immunity being spun again. September is more realistic in my honest opinon and that's only of we have a substantial drop in deaths. I'm lucky I can home school my child presently but if I worked i guess i would have no choice. I have a choice so will excercise it and do whats best for my families individual circumstances.

Not that is any of your business but:

So your kid is going to teleport to school?
No walking there, cycling, driving..

We live less than 2 mins walk from the school so minimal risk.

No returning to a workplace? Or going for walks in the fresh air?

I will continue to WFH as will DH. However, we work in jobs that are difficult to do with a noisy child in the house. I am currently having to record lectures when DS has gone to bed as i can't ask him to be quiet for 2 hours at a time. I start live lectures again in 3 weeks, again that's hard to do with a 5 year old.

As for walks.....turn left out of my house you are in open countryside. I can walk for miles without seeing a single person or touching anything so again, minimal risk.

Lol. K. 2 people WFH 7 days a week 12 hrs a day.. to pay for bare necessities... Shore.. why not.. I beleeve joo..

Who said 12 hours a day??
Working 7 days is common in my role ( university lecturer) but we're having to juggle busy jobs with looking after a 5 year old and home learning. We're both having to catch up at weekends. I'm not getting paid any more for working long hours - you talk like i'm doing this out of choice and for extra money??!!
The current situation has created a hell of a lot more work for both of us and as I'd quite like to keep my job and continue to support my students working shorter hours isn't feasible at the moment.

Open your mind and try to understand that everyone's circumstances are different. it's not as straightforward as you think.

@MonkeyToesOfDoom day time drinking is baaaaaaaaaaaad for you

it's not as straightforward as you think.

It really is.

PeanutDouglas

I don't drink. Not something I'm willing to spend money on.❤

It really isn't.
Open your mind and try to comprehend that this is a complex situation and every family is different.

SueEllenMishke

It is, it's just you dont want to do it.
You'd rather moan and complain about working all the hours and having your child around being an inconvenience than actually change things.

But you crack on being you.. you've plenty of time for mumsnet to reply to me, use that time with your child instead. I'm sure they'd enjoy seeing you and they'll understand your absenteeism when they're older.

Ttfn and cheerio.
❤

Are you this judgmental in real life? because I guarantee you will know someone in my position faced with similar dilemmas. Try being kind and understanding.

I've never moaned, complained about my working hours and have never seen my child as an inconvenience. I've simply pointed out that it isn't an ideal situation for any of us and that it is difficult at times - you've made those judgments and put words in my mouth because you are unwilling to see things from someone else's perspective.

But you crack on being you.. you've plenty of time for mumsnet to reply to me, use that time with your child instead. I'm sure they'd enjoy seeing you and they'll understand your absenteeism when they're older.

Again, are you always this horrible? Are you now the internet police?
You have no idea how much time I spend with my son and to suggest i'm an absent parent is below the belt. Do you get satisfaction from trolling people anonymously?

Nice to see #bekind lasted all of a matter of weeks.

I work in a school and we have been discussing this non-stop.

The government's advice to parents is totally misleading.

Schools will not be socially distancing. I repeat schools will NOT be socially distancing. There will be no staying 2M apart and staff will not be wearing PPE. This is all across England.

We are being asked to prepare plans for the youngest children to come back to school first from the 1st of June. So Nursery and Reception children. This will likely be in groups of 10-15 children in a new concept of 'Social Bubbles' with 2-3 adults per group depending on ratios for ages.

In social bubbles the same staff and children stay isolated from the rest of the staff and children in the school, but within the bubble there is no social distancing in place.

The bubble would be in school for say a week, and then the classroom and resources they use would be deep cleaned at the end of the week in addition to frequent hand washing and cleaning during the day. The following week another bubble would come in to school with year groups potentially working on a 3 week cycle. 1 week in school, 2 weeks home learning.

The staff working with your children may not be the ones they usually have because of staff shortages and the need for more bubbles. Similarly, we are being asked to remove all soft furnishings and small toys from EYFS settings, and children will be eating their dinner in their bubble's classroom, so school life will be very different.

In addition to this, If you have more than 1 child in school in different year groups, there is no guarantee they will be in at the same time. So how parents are meant to work is beyond me.

Our Head is advising parents of this, but also that there are no fines for parents who keep their children at home. Most staff and Headteachers are against the guidance set out by government, as are the unions.

Basically, we don't think it is safe for children, staff or our parents.

Are you this judgemental in real life?

Yep.

because I guarantee you will know someone in my position faced with similar dilemmas.

Unlikely, I don't associate myself with such people.

ideal situation for any of us and that it is difficult at times

It is for me. I love.my child and gave up everything to give her my undivided attention.

unwilling to see things from someone else's perspective

I see things from others perspective.
People "need" schools to open so they can work and earn money to pay their bills.
Bills that when my daughter was born were investigated, looked at, binned and lowered to allow me to work less and see her more.

Are you always this horrible?

Yep.

You have no idea how much time I spend with my son and to suggest i'm an absent parent is below the belt

You were the one that moaned about it. Would hardly seem.worth mentioning if it wasn't an issue.
You evidently feel bad, take steps to rectify situation. If work is too demanding of your time, leave and work less. You've one life, don't mortgage your time for the sake of stuff you don't need.

#bekind
Is the hasthtag used by TRAs to demand women bed over and get screwed out of rights. No thanks. Try #behonest instead.

Haven't you got lectures to give? You seem quite good at them... ❤

At least you're honest.....
So do you not know any working parents?

I happen to love my job and you know what- that's okay. I don't deserve to be judged for that.
It is possible to love your job, work full time and be a great parent. It doesn't mean it's easy all the time.

I wouldn't give everything up for my child. I don't think that's healthy and leaves you very vulnerable....but isn't it great that we live in a society where women have choices.

So do you not know any working parents?

Yep. But none that put money, bills, cars, houses etc before their child. Most are similar to me and gave up stuff for their kids instead of taking more on.

I went from 70+ hour weeks, three bed detached and new Audi to 20 hour weeks, 2 bed semi and 8 year old Fiat.
I just stopped being willing to exchange 280 life hours a month for a house i was in 12 hours day and a car i drove 1 hour a day. Etc.

leaves you very vulnerable
I was more vulnerable before, as many are now finding out. If your bills are £3000 a month and you suddenly stop getting £3000 a month, you're in the shit. My bills are now under £900 a month.

Nope. I’ve accepted most likely we’ll need to deregister in September too

@Randomschoolworker19 I don't think the government is misleading parents. What you've described is exactly what I expected after reading the guidance.

Education, like the NHS, won't ever look the same unless covid is eradicated. I'm in NHS and for some reason, no one yet is shouting about how we've been told most OP contact needs to be virtual for at least 18 months. People won't get seen unless life threatening.

This is life in the health service in a covid world. What you're describing is education in the new covid world. It's just the way it is.

Well that's good for you but surely you can understand that not everyone is fortunate enough to be able to do that.
And that not everyone wants to....that doesn't mean prioritising cars, holidays, houses over a child it's just doing what works for you as a family.

I don't drive a new car, I don't live in a huge house ( a compromise we made to live in a nice area with excellent schools) and we don't go on loads of holidays. You need to stop assuming people working long hours are doing it for luxuries and that they don't care about or see their children. It's insulting and wrong.

Nope. I’ve accepted most likely we’ll need to deregister in September too

I wouldn't rush to it. I don't think there will be the political will or capacity to administrate the paperwork around the number of children who are refusing to return to school. I imagine there will be a lot of bluster but a significant amount of leeway.

Monkeytoesofdoom why do you presume that people are putting money before their children? What are you even going on about?

We don't have a fancy lifestyle. Just a bog standard semi t tryst we've literally put blood wear and tears into, we do everything ourselves, I drive a 12 year old car, I shop at Aldi, have a cheap UK holiday every year, dh and I hardly buy any clothes, we don't drink, don't smoke, we never go out.

I still need to work ffs!

The one in year 6, absolutely!
The reception one... not so sure yet.

Yes I have a daughter in Reception and she is definitely going back as soon as schools open. We are both struggling to work full time from home and the atmosphere is one of huge stress and tension . It will do her good to be back in routine amongst friends

@ABucketOfShells I’m the same but I will hold off de registering Dd.

Only because @FourTeaFallOut is completely right.

In my opinion, It will be a long time before non attendance fines are rolled out. I personally don’t think schools will be back anytime soon. And when they are, they can’t possibly enforce it from the outset. Could you imagine if children got sick because parents felt forced to return children I school or be fined? That would open up a whole other can of worms.

I’m quite happy home educating. I’ve had no resources from the school as we moved areas as Dd was only offered a place at a new school the week of lockdown so hadn’t set foot in it yet. But I’m already an experienced home educator so I know what I’m doing.

However, when schools do open if parents want their children to go back then that is their choice. We all have to do what’s in the best interests of ourselves and our own children.

As seen on another thread..

IMMEDIATE: JOINT EDUCATION UNIONSTATEMENT

Wednesday 13 May 2020: for immediate release TUC press office: 020 7467 1248

Education unions’ statement on the safe reopening of schools

Unions with members in the education sector are today (Wednesday) publishing a joint statement on the safe reopening of schools.

Today’s statement follows a longer statement to the Secretary of State on Friday (8 May), which set out in full detail the principles and tests necessary for the safe reopening of schools. It is signed by AEP, GMB, NAHT, NASUWT, NEU, NSEAD, Prospect, UNISON and Unite.

Full text of today’s statement:

“We all want schools to re-open, but that should only happen when it is safe to do so. The government is showing a lack of understanding about the dangers of the spread of coronavirus within schools, and outwards from schools to parents, sibling and relatives, and to the wider community.

“Uniquely, it appears, school staff will not be protected by social distancing rules. 15 children in a class, combined with their very young age, means that classrooms of 4 and 5-year olds could become sources of Covid-19 transmission and spread. While we know that children generally have mild symptoms, we do not know enough about whether they can transmit the disease to adults. We do not think that the government should be posing this level of risk to our society.

“We call on the government to step back from the 1st June and work with us to create the conditions for a safe return to schools based on the principles and tests we have set out.”

The principles and tests include (see full statement from Friday 8 May, linked to below):

· Safety and welfare of pupils and staff as the paramount principle

· No increase in pupil numbers until full rollout of a national test and trace scheme

· A national Covid-19 education taskforce with government, unions and education stakeholders to agree statutory guidance for safe reopening of schools

· Consideration of the specific needs of vulnerable students and families facing economic disadvantage

· Additional resources for enhanced school cleaning, PPE and risk assessments

· Local autonomy to close schools where testing indicates clusters of new covid-19 cases

ENDS