I think the children of this generation...

[TheDailyCarbuncle]

Will, in future years, legitimately ask us why we let them down so badly. Why we allowed them/their peers to be left at home for months with abusive/neglectful/drug addicted/alcoholic parents, with no outside contact, no adult help, relief or respite whatsoever. Why some of those children disappeared, never to be seen again, or were so badly hurt as to have years and years of horrendous struggle ahead of them.

It's only now beginning to be talked about, months too late: www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-52876226

When everyone is talking about 'protecting' children, where is their concern for those children for whom home is a dangerous place? For whom school is their only sanctuary?

@nellodee hit the nail on the head.

@Trevsadick

My worry is that in September, some children just won't turn up at school and no one will know what happened to them.

So kids won't turn up at school and the school will go 'oh well'. Is that what usually happens?

Where did you get that from? They won't turn up at school and it will be impossible to find them because no one has had contact with them (by order of the government) for months.

A huge amount of evidence that you are not going to quote because you don't have any want to derail the thread

Where did you get that from? They won't turn up at school and it will be impossible to find them because no one has had contact with them (by order of the government) for months.

Impossible to find them? So the whole family disappears?

Where have the government ordered schools and ss to not have contact?

No it's not what happens and it is very very rare that a family just disappears, particularly during a lockdown.
Schools are very regularly in contact with those children who have been signposted as vulnerable. Some children slip through the cracks. That is a fact and any professional will tell you that this is what keeps them going - trying to ensure that they don't - but we are all doing what we can.

My DS2 has attended his main stream primary school throughout as a 'vulnerable child'. He has been in a group of 8 other 'vulnerable children' - the only kids in the school. I know those kids and their parents very well. None of them are there because they are being abused, or because there are safeguarding concerns. They are there because they have SEN!

The schools use of 'vulnerable' (and the governments according to the guidance) means SEN, disabled, EHCP, etc. The general publics use means abused and has fuckwit parents. I'm quite concerned what my DS2 is going to make of it all when he grows up.

Myothercar

I am happy with all my voting/parenting/charity/career choices and continue to give 100% in my frontline NHS job

I hope you are and do too

I think Tory austerity is much more to blame for this than the virus.

The Tories created a toxic environment. The virus is just a canvas to highlight the harsh policies of the last ten years of Tory rule.

Do you think children didn't get abused before this? I was abused all through my childhood and no one did anything despite there being no lockdown

So true - and

@Newjez

I think Tory austerity is much more to blame for this than the virus.

The Tories created a toxic environment. The virus is just a canvas to highlight the harsh policies of the last ten years of Tory rule.

Too true Newjez

but my children's schools and many others I know of, discouraged people from sending their children in. In my mother's school 20 of 250 vulnerable children turned up when they offered support

My dc's school was actively encouraging them in, especially the vulnerable children.
They've had between 6 and 20 children turn up each day out of a school of over 1.5k.

All vulnerable children have been allowed to go to school with key worker kids since day one. I work in alternative provision and can assure that all of our vulnerable children have been monitored and those who didn't wasn't to come into the facility checked on , in person, often. We know they are ok and if they weren't we would have contacted SS.

This will be the case for all educational settings.

Stop making assumptions.

I agree. It also makes me angry that teachers have kicked off so much about reopening schools. What if supermarket staff, bus drivers, delivery drivers, health care professionals, road maintenance people, the police, etc. had said that they cannot work. These things are essential just as education is essential. There is virtually no risk to children from Covid - the science says so. Kids have accidents and get sick with other stuff all the time but we don't keep them home to avoid the risk. I appreciate that children might transmit the virus, but so might anyone who is involved with other essential services.

even a minority of children suffering is very sad.
but lots of children will thankfully never experience abuse and will not have found this period stressful or horrendous. this i base on my three grandchildren aged 3-4-5. i saw daily bike rides in the park, ice cream meet ups, and even a few sneaky cheeky visits. tons of fun things done at home; baking and pottery and painting.
maybe you can narrow down your "whole generation".

@fallfallfall this is a good point! My children are actively embracing home learning. It's not forever and it's not perfect but some children it isn't necessarily a bad thing. We absolutely must look after the vulnerable children but I don't think the answer is to open all schools before the science supports it.

[quote endlesswashingbaskets]@fallfallfall this is a good point! My children are actively embracing home learning. It's not forever and it's not perfect but some children it isn't necessarily a bad thing. We absolutely must look after the vulnerable children but I don't think the answer is to open all schools before the science supports it. [/quote]
The science supports it.

This was flagged in the very beginning of lockdown. It is horrifically sad and I really feel for all those children and anyone who knew of the abuse they faced when lockdown began.

@1950swallpaper

I agree. It also makes me angry that teachers have kicked off so much about reopening schools. What if supermarket staff, bus drivers, delivery drivers, health care professionals, road maintenance people, the police, etc. had said that they cannot work. These things are essential just as education is essential. There is virtually no risk to children from Covid - the science says so. Kids have accidents and get sick with other stuff all the time but we don't keep them home to avoid the risk. I appreciate that children might transmit the virus, but so might anyone who is involved with other essential services.

kicked off??? They've asked that schools don't go back until we can be reasonably reassured about the safety of the children, their families and staff. We haven't been AND WE'RE GOING BACK ANYWAY. Some kick off. It makes me so angry that parents are so ignorant and dismissive of what we do.

My worry is that in September, some children just won't turn up at school and no one will know what happened to them.

* They won't turn up at school and it will be impossible to find them because no one has had contact with them (by order of the government) for months.*

Are you with us OP? Because on the basis of the above, I’m wondering whether you’re... ok?!

As a retired primary school teacher I can assure you that class teachers are well aware of children at risk, we are with them five days a week and can read the signs. Well done, Duckfinger, for the excellent support you and you colleagues are giving vulnerable children.

@nellodee

I think they definitely will, but it will be because of climate change, not covid-19. They will want to know why we blew the last chance we had to save the planet.

Yep.

@MarginalGain it really doesn't www.independentsage.org/government-failing-to-follow-own-school-advice-review-by-independent-sage/

No country had reopened schools with our numbers.

If you think school is the way to safeguard children from neglect, google poor little Daniel Pelka.

Lockdown was an extraordinary measure for an extraordinary situation. Thankfully, it’s now being eased.

I feel very angry that my kid's education is being sacrificed so that the Welsh government can score political points.