How the hell are parents meant to work?

[worzelsnurzel123]

With this latest blow from schools and yet further delays, I predict employers will cease to be “ fair” and they will run out of the patience BJ vaguely muttered about hoping they’d have. So what are the options?

1. Resign from jobs? This could have massive impact on income, likely to affect women and the future of women’s’ rights and progress in the workplace, creation of mental health issues and socio economic problems
2. Will some parents be pushed in to feeling the have no choice but to leave kids home alone? Esp those who are borderline age group eg 8-12. Not ideal at all. Clearly this will impact on MH, safety, parental work performance.
3. Leave kids with grandparents who are likely to be over 70 in many cases, shielding or vulnerable. Risks of passing the virus on would lead to guilt , worry on both sides.
4. Wait for everything to fuck up work wise, scrabble for child care here there and everywhere, lose employers good will due to time off needed and eventually get dismissed for poor attendance, breach of conduct and or poor performance

This is a disgrace. An absolute disgrace

Am sick to death of all TV/radio discussions I listen to being about holidays or hairdressers. WHY are children being ignored when they are least at risk??
I'm incredulous...and angry. But I seem to be only person in my circle who is. Currently avoiding even speaking to a close family member due to her 'oh well sure what can you do' attitude.

I was mentally prepared to see this out til August/September (even though I thought that was ott) but anything beyond is taking the piss. Cure worse than poison.

At least we don't have to worry about childcare since my husband lost his job. Hurray!

To answer the grandparent question, both sets of ours live 200+ away and the government have made it illegal for them to stay over. Plus they have jobs.

Unions have come up with workable solutions

What are these? This is a genuine question not a snippy one! I'm clinging to the hope that someone can come up with a workable solution that the government could actually take on board

I imagine it involves partime schooling / blending learning / teaching alternative weeks for an indefinate period of time which is of no benefit to anyone and isn't actually what the government wants. The only way this situation is going to be resolved is when social distancing rules are scrapped. But even then I fear school unions will try to cling on to the need to social distance for the safety of staff because schools are clearly the most dangerous place in the country to work.

NEU have proposed various things which might offer solutions such as:
establish regular testing of children and staff,
availability of appropriate PPE
enhanced levels of cleaning
Special plans for education of children who are in vulnerable health categories, or who are living with people in vulnerable health categories, not to be in attendance at school or college?
evidence concerning the groups of people who are most vulnerable to death or life-changing consequences as a result of the virus, for example the evidence of the impact on those who live in crowded accommodation, those with different comorbidities, those from different ethnic groups and of different ages and sexes.
extensive testing, contact tracing and quarantine in society as a whole?
Money to be given so that schools can hire out additional space, including marquees, portacabins and rental of local spaces.
Money for hiring of additional support staff
Money for additional supply teachers.

@lockdownalli

NEU have proposed various things which might offer solutions such as: establish regular testing of children and staff, availability of appropriate PPE enhanced levels of cleaning Special plans for education of children who are in vulnerable health categories, or who are living with people in vulnerable health categories, not to be in attendance at school or college? evidence concerning the groups of people who are most vulnerable to death or life-changing consequences as a result of the virus, for example the evidence of the impact on those who live in crowded accommodation, those with different comorbidities, those from different ethnic groups and of different ages and sexes. extensive testing, contact tracing and quarantine in society as a whole? Money to be given so that schools can hire out additional space, including marquees, portacabins and rental of local spaces. Money for hiring of additional support staff Money for additional supply teachers.

Interesting.

A lot of the things that some posters on here have suggested then? I wonder if they're the same posters who are decrying the Unions as having sabotaged the wider re-opening of schools.

Ah ok - so they're all things that need large amounts of funding. All sensible people understand the schools need a massive cash injection right now but the government doesn't seem to think any money is necessary. So I guess they're a non starter...

@CallmeAngelina

I was one of those who suggested some of the things you mentioned from @lockdownalli's list.

No, I definitely won't decry the union - I work in a school! I do decry the government though. They're very quick with suggestions, guidance and rules but oh so slow putting the hand in the pocket...

I have been campaigning for extra cash for schools for years. They have been underfunded for a long time. But people don’t like to pay the extra tax needed to support that funding

The solution is kids go back to school. End of. Anything else is utter nonsense. If I hear anymore about it not being 'safe' I may lose the will to live. There is no floating black mist out there.

@pennylane83 social distance for the safety of staff because schools are clearly the most dangerous place in the country to work.

Not true and you know that. We have to follow guidelines laid out by government, dfe and local authorities. Majority of us are more than happy to go back. Extra hand washing etc. I want to teach not spend my time cleaning (do enough of that at home)

However if schools go back fully then the rest of the workforce needs to go back. No more WFH malarkey. Everyone needs to be back properly

Totally agree

As a single parent I count my blessings how understanding my boss has been. But have constant anxiety about when compassion fatigue will set in.. Getting irritated by some of the ‘ I’m alright Jacks’ , many private sector workers are in a perilous position right now.

If you think blaming teachers is wrong have a look at the teachers staff room threads.....

'want to stop children starting primary and delay a year'

'part time teaching in September for secondary

It would appear lots of teachers really cannot see children returning in September.

It's going to be hard work getting the teachers back in front of a class of children rather than childminding key workers children and 'school club' as my primary call it for year 6! Even though they have little bubbles they are still not teaching but doing 'activities' instead! Why not teach to catch up.

Sadly though Pootle40 what you say is ignored by the handwringers/second wave hopefuls/malingers etc since they just shriek 'it's far too dangerous'

The solution is kids go back to school. End of. Anything else is utter nonsense. If I hear anymore about it not being 'safe' I may lose the will to live. There is no floating black mist out there.

However if schools go back fully then the rest of the workforce needs to go back. No more WFH malarkey. Everyone needs to be back properly

Why?

I mean that would just be increasing the risk for no real benefit wouldn't it?

The solution is kids go back to school. End of. Anything else is utter nonsense. If I hear anymore about it not being 'safe' I may lose the will to live. There is no floating black mist out there.

Agreed.

NEU have proposed various things which might offer solutions such as:
establish regular testing of children and staff - tests are now available for everyone,
availability of appropriate PPE - you and the rest of the country
enhanced levels of cleaning don't really see why cleaning staff can't work a weekend or a late evening to do a deep clean
Special plans for education of children who are in vulnerable health categories, or who are living with people in vulnerable health categories, not to be in attendance at school or college? this is a separate issue to the opening up of schools to all other children
evidence concerning the groups of people who are most vulnerable to death or life-changing consequences as a result of the virus, for example the evidence of the impact on those who live in crowded accommodation, those with different comorbidities, those from different ethnic groups and of different ages and sexes so expects conclusions from indepth studies that scientists spend years working on - lets just put the nation on hold indefinatly then shall we
extensive testing, contact tracing and quarantine in society as a whole? in place - not the goverments (or our childrens) fault that society is being difficult on the issue and refusing to cooperate when contacted
Money to be given so that schools can hire out additional space, including marquees, portacabins and rental of local spaces. *Holding the government to ransom to up the education budget - using our children as pawns is not acceptable, there is a time and a place for point scoring.
Money for hiring of additional support staff again holding the government to ransom and using our children to point score
Money for additional supply teachers as above

@pennylane83 Glad that giving schools grants to hire out space / portacabins etc has been mentioned. That’s the only way forward to create more space for safe SD and safe return to school. I support that. We need to act now as September is only round the corner. This gov is so laid back as if there’s no urgency to this matter it’s so infuriating.

@TrustTheGeneGenie *
Why?

I mean that would just be increasing the risk for no real benefit wouldn't it?*

If schools are all back in then everyone needs to be back in. Otherwise it is mixed messages

After all the bubbles will all break down as kids and families mix

WFH malarkey 🙄....FFS
Some of us WFH before all this. However, doing it with kids at home AND homeschooling is a different kettle of fish all together. There's a reason I'm usually supposed to have childcare in place on my WFH days.

If schools are all back in then everyone needs to be back in. Otherwise it is mixed messages

That's incredibly foolish.

Say if schools go back thats like an extra risk in terms of virus' growth. Probably manageable.

But then if you say oh yeah and everyone go back to your offices that's like a much bigger risk mainly because of the transport and people travel further to work and what not (and some offices are massive!)

Like why take the additional risk when it literally benefits nobody except perhaps train companies?

We are not thick. We can handle "schools are open but please continue to wfh if you can"

@DoingMyOwnThing

If you think blaming teachers is wrong have a look at the teachers staff room threads.....

'want to stop children starting primary and delay a year'

'part time teaching in September for secondary

It would appear lots of teachers really cannot see children returning in September.

It's going to be hard work getting the teachers back in front of a class of children rather than childminding key workers children and 'school club' as my primary call it for year 6! Even though they have little bubbles they are still not teaching but doing 'activities' instead! Why not teach to catch up.

I am not aware of the threads you're quoting there, but it sounds to me more like realism, rather than a stated intent to not complying.

Pass a temporary employment law to prevent employers being able to dismiss staff for working from home where the job allows.

This is some ways is the best and only answer and even this has its problems

@TrustTheGeneGenie so school staff are all expected back doing their thing. Lots of us travel by public transport - I take the train.

But other workers don’t go back because they travel on public transport

Not sure how that logic works