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

I’m watching bbc news this morning and whilst there’s more focus, there is still v little commentary on just WTF working parents are supposed to do if they have inflexible employers or of course, work outside the home.

Part time and blended is what is being planned. Blame science and the virus not the unions.

This doesn't make sense anymore. Even hairdressers are reopening next month. Groups of teenagers hanging out in large groups with nothing to do. Most professions going back to work. Why is science allowing this and not schools back full time??

I should say, I recognise the issues raised by teachers and this isn’t about that side of things! We are where we are, we know most of not all schools won’t be taking more children back til Sep at the earliest so we need to know what employees and employers are supposed to do. If I need to go part time or leave then I need to put plans in place now.

Did a teacher really say that about a pub? 🙈

@fia101

www.google.com/amp/s/www.bbc.co.uk/news/amp/health-52770353

Re: the teacher and pub comment - I presume the poster meant that most people understand that the government won’t allow pubs to open yet, and so do not direct their ire at Wetherspoons etc. But when it comes to schools being closed, people seem to not understand that again it’s the government guidance preventing it, and therefore they are blaming the teachers.

I can't believe the govt didn't join up all the dots here and realise that this puts people in a terrible position where they have to risk giving up their jobs. Surely the Tories are all about thinking people are better off in work? Doesn't fucking seem like it.

I don't think the government really care about safety, they are fishes out of water and don't know what they are doing. They could relax the two meter rule to the same as other countries and this may help, but I'm not sure it has even occurred to them. They should have been planning from the moment they closed schools how they would plan to reopen them again. I don't get this impression at all. It feels like the peasants have led the masters through this pandemic.

It's true that women are more affected by this. It would be sad for women to lose their jobs over this, but I'm sure the likes of JRM would love that idea!

‘The unions are asking the government to follow the science in schools as elsewhere’

Are they fuck Militant teaching unions in this country do not give a damn about science or our children. They, as always, have a fucking agenda to be in control, in charge. Children are collateral damage and the hysteria that these people have stirred up amongst teachers is bloody shameful.

This is definitely not in the best interest for children.

@Spacepocket I'd agree with if schools were the only poorly thought through element of our pandemic planning. But it's been a shitshow in so many areas (late to lockdown, PPE, Care homes, wear a mask, don't wear a mask, quarantine or no quarantine) that I put blame squarely on our Government.

I can't believe the govt didn't join up all the dots here and realise that this puts people in a terrible position where they have to risk giving up their jobs. Surely the Tories are all about thinking people are better off in work? Doesn't fucking seem like it.

It is highly unlikely that they have any idea of the difficult position that ordinary working people are in, particularly women who carry the burden of working, caring and homeschooling. Remember that their children are likely to be educated privately or have nanny's so this is not an issue in their world.

What was the point in furlough if ultimately lots of women will need to leave their jobs anyway and/or redundancy- they invested in furlough but then forgot to think about schools and childcare

But when it comes to schools being closed, people seem to not understand that again it’s the government guidance preventing it, and therefore they are blaming the teachers.

I don’t blame teacher for schools being closed - that’s the responsibility of the government. I don’t blame them for the shit show that is blended learning come August, that’s down to the government too - regardless of science etc the government make the final decision.

I do hold teachers responsible for the utter lack of consistent, cohesive materials to support my child’s learning, which is their job.

they invested in furlough but then forgot to think about schools and childcare

Remember when Boris was questioned on this at the daily briefing a few weeks ago? His panicked look to the right, followed by a load of waffle and then “expecting employers to be understanding”. The issue didn’t seem to have entered their heads, presumably because they’ve always had other people (women) to organise the childcare for them behind the scenes.

Surely they should have factored this into the flexible furlough going forward instead of blocking working parents from joining the scheme by having to be on full furlough first? The 80% safety net would help many struggling to do their hours. I am close to resigning as it's not healthy to live as we are, working into the early hours and stress levels so high we all break down frequently and using all my holiday/taking lower than 80% salary for the privilege. Keep schools open for childcare for the most in need of it and suspend education consistently across the board for now. Knowing the key worker year 5 kids are getting an education at our school makes me angry when my son can't and isnt even being home schooled as we have no time.

@Notonthestairs I’m in no way exonerating the government of their responsibility. But the crisis in schools? The damage to children? The impact on their mental health and emotional well being? Made absolutely 100% worse by union activists. Not to mention the impact on their own members who are being paralysed into fear about the risks. When you have teachers arguing that their risk is greater than that of HCPs carrying out AGPs, and claiming that most teachers are over 60, and that over 1/3 teachers are in vulnerable/shielding groups (all excuses quoted on MN) then you know the unions have done a good job. And they won’t back down from their campaign now.

The union's have done a number on teachers imo.

Because if this blended learning bullshit is "a success" (I mean, it won't be it's a recipe for disaster but they'll tell us it's brilliant, obvs) then why go back to normal schooling?

The online half of learning will be run by some faceless corporation that just sends out worksheets for that year group as standard across the board. And when social distancing is no longer needed the class can be together in school for just 2 days a week.

We won't need as many teachers then. Not as many classrooms or buildings.

Much cheaper to run an online "course" essentially than pay actual teachers.

It wouldn't surprise me if this happens tbh.

Don't think for a second that the tories are our masters.

Sorry to go off at a tangent but what kind of a comment is that.

. @Mrhodgeymaheg

@Spacepocket

‘The unions are asking the government to follow the science in schools as elsewhere’

Are they fuck Militant teaching unions in this country do not give a damn about science or our children. They, as always, have a fucking agenda to be in control, in charge. Children are collateral damage and the hysteria that these people have stirred up amongst teachers is bloody shameful.

That is just so ridiculous. And utter bollocks.

We’ve also had comparisons made between schools and GP surgeries / dentists. That’s to say “ why aren’t parents angry at Gps and dentists too, when they are so furious with schools. After all they are offering a reduced service for safety reasons?”

The answer would be fairly obvious to my mind:

1. the GP / dental comparison is not like for like in that it’s interrupted service does not have the unilateral impact on children that an interrupted school service does. Admittedly in certain specific cases the impact could possibly be severe if health treatment is delayed but it is not going to impact every child on a daily basis. We don’t need to go to the Doctors every day.
2. the level of risk in a health care setting is likely greater in that very vulnerable or sick patients may be in attendance in the setting. Similarly with dental treatment they are dealing with an area of the body which carries huge risks of infection

Are private schools still largely teaching kids (remotely or otherwise) then?

I’m broken by this
I’m senior in my role
I wfh on calls 8 hours a day and then work most of the later evening/night
I have 2 young kids who need supervision
My husband also on calls all day. The company he works for is small. He starts early 5am to get some hours in and supervise the early part of the day but they survive on screens way way too much which was ok short term but not more
I am also a school guv. They were busy talking about ‘parents waning interest’
Q me losing my shit that it’s not a wane but breaking point. They were shocked. I’m an interested parent. I’m involved and committed. How could I possibly struggle with this?
They have no fucking clue

@fia101

Are private schools still largely teaching kids (remotely or otherwise) then?

I believe most are.

Now they can open up to other years (bit don't have to as per gov) they probably will. They will have smaller class sizes anyway.

The gap will just widen even further.

@Spacepocket can you elaborate which of the suggestions made by the unions you think are unreasonable. The unions have websites which have attachments showing their suggestions and elaborate on their concerns. I had a trawl through the head teachers site a week or so ago and I didn't find it unreasonable. (I'm not interested in what newspapers write, they will each have their own spin. I also worked for a number of trade unions and have seen first hand how their concerns have been manipulated in the press so I have little trust there).

I don't assume that teachers on MN represent all teachers. In the same way I don't think MN represents all parents.

I'm not a teacher. And FWIW I have cried this week at the idea they won't be in class anytime soon. I'm at the end of my tether with it all. But without a lot more evidence I'm not going to jump on an anti union bandwagon.

Poor planning going in to and out of lockdown rests with the Government.