Schools won't be reoping on 1 June, and if they do, I won't be sending my child

[effingterrified]

Unions will be doing what they exist to do and protecting the health of their members.

Until Boris can provide teachers with a safe workplace ie PPE for all staff, adequate social distancing, etc, unions will be telling members not to go in.

And if they do open, I won't be sending my child in as they wouldn't learn anything in the last few weeks under these conditions, and the health risks not only to the children, but to the teachers and parents, are not worth it.

Plus my child relies on a school bus to get to school and there is zero way of socially distancing on one of them. Or of running 3 school buses, say, per route, at an affordable cost.

Also, my dc is happy as Larry off school, and learning as much or more. Let's face it, how many kids object to longer school holidays? I know there are some eg vulnerable kids, but they can already attend at present.

Fed up of threads pretending all parents can't wait for schools to reopen. Not among the ones I know.

Agree the debate is feeling tired now with people resorting to stereotyping and teacher bashing as they can't reply to reasonable points made.

Reminds me of the Brexit mentality "we don't need advice and experts"

@nettleskeins but not necessarily safer for the adults involved. In that case let's put in measures to protect them properly and let's get children back. Nothing wrong with wanting to be safe while you do your job.

Your child won't be getting taught in the way you expect so no guarantee he'll be any better off than those receiving homeschooling. This will be more like childcare than education. Very tricky to try to teach under the circumstances they are going back.

Not everyone can homeschool effectively though. My child is year 12 and I'm sure the school could do a better job than I can even if it was part time. As I said though, I prefer it if schools don't open at the beginning of June as I think it's too soon.

But seriously, is your child being lonely or stir crazy enough of an excuse to potentially kill her friend's parent/s?

This is an appalling thing to say to somebody, especially somebody who's worried about their child's mental health.

You're entitled to your opinion about sending your own child @effingterrified but you are not entitled to do that to people.

As the government already said, you won’t have to send your child in if you don’t want to. So you can now relax and withdraw from the debate.

@mrpumblechook actually I take that back now I know how old he is. He will be able to adopt social distancing measures and access education in a way that is not dissimilar to what he's used to. It's the little ones i think will experience the most difference in what they are used to.

Today 13:16 Straycatstrut

Great for you OP. Woohoo.

I'm a struggling single parent. I'm crying and breaking down in front of my kids. I am crying out for a break. My kids aren't happy as larry off school. My kids are getting depressed like me. I want to die.

that is so hard to read straycat

How the OP can read a post like yours and continue with her I’ll-informed bull headed was is beyond me.

Bull-headedness

I hope something good happens for you soon straycat. Been there.

@terriblehairdon'tcare If transmission between children so small why do we need to remove resources? Why not classes as normal and limit the adults the children come to contact with? If children aren't spreaders then how is 2 adults with 15 better than 2 adults with 30?

I haven't said anything about transmission between children have I? It isn't for me to say, I'm not a scientist.

It seems reasonable and sensible to me to limit the amount of people you come into contact with. Coming into contact with 15 of the same people children plus a teacher (simplifying) massively reduces the risk compared to coming into contact with 200+ (the whole school).

I accept that it is not entirely without risk, but it won't be entirely without risk in September, or even at Christmas.

At what point will schools be happy to gradually reopen?

If your child is much happier at home, maybe consider home educating?

There will be parents concerned that if they don't send their child back they'll be missing out and getting behind. I don't see why there can't be honesty about this so people can make an informed decision to use the childcare on offer if they want or need to or not. There should be no judging of people whose children go to school because parents are working, in the same way as there is not judging of key workers for sending their children to school. There should also be no judging if those who decide to keep their children at home. It may be over cautious but none of us really know so people should have the right to choose. Also I don't think it unreasonably to expect the adults providing that care to be as safe as possible.

There is indeed a massive change coming: we are both key workers but were told not to send our daughter in unless absolutely essential so we didn’t. After seven weeks of combining a difficult and stressful full-time job with home-schooling four kids I can guarantee I’ll be sending our youngest back as soon as they start to creak open the gates.

my first ever

"That's Nice"

School will be very different when kids return. They will be in groups of 15. School's won't have the staffing to assign a teacher to these groups so some will be run by teaching assistants. Provision will be part time (children will be in for part of a day and only for some days in a week.) I think parents who are anticipating service as usual to resume for their reception, year 1 or year 6 kids on 1 June will be very disappointed.

the risk to your child from covid is minuscule. There’s more risk in the journey to school.

People need to get some perspective, ultimately we have to learn to live (and die) with covid

@terriblehairdon'tcare In my opinion schools should open but let's do everything we can to keep everyone safe. The guidance for staff in school is different than that for general public which is one of the reasons the unions aren't happy. Let's put in precautions to properly protect the adults as well as the children and then what we are asking of teacher is reasonable. Not reasonable to say facemasks in enclosed spaces but not needed in a classroom just because it's not convenient for most children to wear them. Let's be fair.

You're the best mum in the world op

Also, my dc is happy as Larry off school, and learning as much or more. Let's face it, how many kids object to longer school holidays? I know there are some eg vulnerable kids, but they can already attend at present.

But seriously, is your child being lonely or stir crazy enough of an excuse to potentially kill her friend's parent/s?

Seriously just do one. If a child doesn't have an ECHP then they can't go to school at present. You might think that it is all painting rainbows and stuff, but it really isn't. It is totally and utterly shit.

Oh and the suggestion of CAHMS, sadly they and every other agency don't want to know. They didn't give a damn before covid-19, so they definitely won't now. They can't even respond to a complaint from months ago.

@AmateurDad the advice is now that keyworkers kids and vulnerable kids should be encouraged to go in so maybe contact the school and see if they can accommodate yours before half term. Certainly after, even if it's not open for other kids.

@Healthyandhappy I do the same job as your BIL, but I have a totally different attitude. I'm desperate to go back in and I've also been doing a biochemistry course while I'm off to try and make myself better at my job.

I hate being stuck at home, especially as I have a lot of behind the scenes work I could be getting on with. Only problem is, my school won't let me go in

^*Great for you OP. Woohoo.

I'm a struggling single parent. I'm crying and breaking down in front of my kids. I am crying out for a break. My kids aren't happy as larry off school. My kids are getting depressed like me. I want to die.*^

I'm sorry straycat. This is the bit that people don't see or don't want to see.

For every parent and child happy, sat round the table having a lovely time. There's another family struggling, maybe trying to work, homeschool, cook, clean do everything with no break and nowhere to go.

No reported cases because the schools have been CLOSED

But not everywhere. Sweden never shut its schools, Denmark went back very quickly. The WHO doesn’t just take stats from the UK !
I’m in Europe just now and schools go back on Monday . Different age groups to start .

@straycat I'm sorry to hear that. Hopefully you are having some contact from your school to check on welbeing. If not contact them. In your circumstances there will be support they can sign post you to locally and there is also lots out there if you google. Please don't suffer because even in these unusual times wellbeing must not be overlooked

I think we need to remember too that some children aren’t having the time of their lives at home. Sadly school is s safe haven for some children who’s home life is absolutely dreadful.

@MrsSnitchnose my bil has just had a baby and I think hes just enjoying having time of since his wife has severe anxiety. Prob is hes calling us names for wanting schoole open but he wants full pay and to be completely of until the virus has completely gone. Yes def its rubbish for staff that wanna work but seem to be a lot that want a long holiday so they can avoid having to deal with having missed half the curriculum and trying to catch up. September is a new term and new topics so can imagine it's hard for teachers but hard 4 us all. My 5 year old cant read I've taught her to write shes 6 in nov and cant read she needs to go school I'm working from home full time so it's really hard xx