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

You can tell most of the government are men - childcare and schools and kids in general not on the radar.

What was Rees Mogg doing bringing his daughter to parliament - we'll fall for that one - that you have no other choice or help

I am desperate to get back to the workplace. In my case, the workplace is a school, as I am a teacher. The provision of remote learning has crippled me. At the same time I am caring for my son and trying to homeschool him. My DH is a keyworker.

Our idea of "risk" and "safety" has become totally skewed. Schools, pubs, cafes, the arts....it all needs to re-open. And quickly.

@Useruseruserusee

I saw on the news that only 8% of the workforce have primary aged children and require childcare.

I honestly don’t think the government care, the percentage isn’t enough for them to.

Only 8%? Interesting, feels like a lot more. Bet they’re predominantly women!

Gavin just said they are going to ask schools to open up additional places for priority children not on the key worker list to help parents that can't work from home. Hoping that will get more information added to it.

Agree with the comments about schools going back not being the only factor. If there’s no wrap around childcare, parents are still going to struggle massively.,

It is unacceptable. It's putting parents in such a bad position, not to mention confusing for children.

Schools have had months to work this out. Why are they acting like this is a big shock to them? Why are we only seeing school principals on the news, moving tables, working it out, etc? Where are the staff? I know Im going to be buried alive by teachers reading this but why are you not in there working this out? My children haven't been taught one lesson since schools closed. We get a vague weekly email and no offer to return work for assessment.

I'm sure you have your own ideas, don't rely on the dozy lot at management level. A lot of schools have assembly halls, gyms, large and small offices, canteens, reception areas, chapels, etc - lots of space to turn into temporary classrooms. The education authorities/councils must have been sitting on their hands enjoying time off work rather than working out a solution to returning kids to school. Can you not look beyond the school building to the wider community and borrow community halls, church halls, portakabins, etc? There are loads of teaching trainees out there who can't return to university full time and could support classes spread out. Retired teachers could come back to help out too and those supply teachers who were dealt a raw deal throughout the lockdown will only be too happy to work! I'll happy get myself a tabard and give a hand with the cleaning.

I'll sit down now, I'm getting vertigo from this tall soapbox.

Off you go teachers, get stuck in ...

If my kids go back they'll be socially distanced at school then all jump in the childminders 7 seater with other kids to go to the childminders and not socially distance there

Women with partners will need to tell them to go pt, then both working pt, would be fair

Both me and DH work full time. P/T not an option for either of us. It's not that simple.

Gavin just said they are going to ask schools to open up additional places for priority children not on the key worker list to help parents that can't work from home. Hoping that will get more information added to it
But WFH with children isn't sustainable. My DH is is meetings all day so can't do much childcare during the day. I'm okay at the moment as I can be very flexible with my work ( although I'm exhausted as I'm working 7 days to accommodate shorter days) but that won't last as I will start teaching again soon and i'm not sure what we'll do if my timetabled sessions clash with DH's meetings.

Saying teachers should get "stuck in" with "working it out" shows just how remote people are from education. Education is an extremely hierarchical system, particular since the part-privatisation with the Academies program. My last school had 10 layers of management above a class teacher.

In an ideal utopian society many workplaces would have childcare facilities and families could travel to their jobs without worrying about the safety of their children and the security of their income. However as we all know we have no utopia and the pressure on families is enormous.

I listen to radio 4 on and off when going out for food shopping in the car and on two occasions today it was talking about families snapping and domestic violence on the increase. I do not condone violence in any shape or form but people can only take so much. This also extended to grandparents. People cannot cope out there and society is wrecked right now.

It's a really tough gig and yes mainly for women in the situation. I'd really like to see some positive approaches and instructions towards employers who it seems are going to bear a great responsibility in further facilitating wfh....
I'd be interested to see what the percentages for those who are unable to fulfil their work from home-and then see some initiatives to accommodate these first via investment in childcare, these should be priority over those who can possibly continue wfh a bit longer I guess.
It's an exhausting time for parents and children but I'd imagine if it could be controlled in a staggered method tha would really help. So those who need to go out to work receiving support first, followed by others who could be provided better flexibility of working hours etc....
If they could rush out a furlough scheme and find the money I'm sure this should be possible

I have drafted this letter (well actually it is amended by me, from a brilliant letter another Mumsnet poster produced, who is much cleverer than I am!) Amend it as you see fit and send to Gavin Williamson, local MPs, Children's Commissioner - anyone you think worth lobbying! This is a crisis. As parents we need to stand up for our children's rights.

9 June 2020

Dear Mr Williamson,

In these challenging times I feel I need to contact you, in your capacity as Secretary of State for Education to request your help to address a matter of urgency. I would like to know what the Government is planning to do regarding the current breach of Protocol 1, Article 2 of the Human Rights Act which states that, “No person shall be denied the right to an education.”
As an example, I have a 7 old child who is in Year 2 at a local State primary. He has not received an education since March 17th of this year. The school have provided some work online to download and complete at home but I can assure you this does not in any way constitute an education. Schools are extremely inconsistent in their approach to home schooling with some offering live lessons via Zoom or Google classroom but many more offering a handful of printed worksheets with no feedback loop to teachers. During June, many Primary schools are not even able to bring back the full complement of year groups suggested by Government, let alone any children in Years 2 to 5. There are simply not the number of teachers or the space required for social distancing.
Whilst I fully understand the many implications of this unprecedented pandemic and I also appreciate the need for school closures to relieve initial pressure on the NHS, this situation is now becoming untenable and unsustainable. I am concerned that there seems to be no clear plan in place for a return to education for September 2020. Part time learning mixed with home schooling is being suggested as a solution for many schools. By September most workplaces will be looking for employees to return to their usual job roles and hours, it is simply not possible to home school (especially for those with two or more children) or for parents to manage part time hours at school.
Children across the country are suffering massively. The many vulnerable children and those living in poverty are being placed at risk of permanent harm. The impacts of this on young people’s mental health will be felt for many years to come. There is a growing feeling from parents that children and young people have been ‘thrown under the bus’ in this situation, especially considering that they are at the very lowest risk from Covid-19 of all the groups in society.
A child’s right to an education is a basic human right. I understand why this has been temporarily suspended in these circumstances however the return of this right should be of utmost priority, second only to the health service. I would remind you of the concept of Proportionality which applies when a basic convention is interfered with. This states that, “Interference with a Convention Right must not be excessive, arbitrary or unfair, or to have too severe an impact on a particular group or individual.” I would argue that interference with this human right is having a severe impact on the nation’s children. I would also suggest that currently the interference seems to be both unfair and arbitrary. How is it fair that some children are receiving the opportunity of going to school due to their date of birth or their parent’s jobs whilst other remain at home with little support from schools?
I am not unaware of the many challenges involved in bringing children to school safely in September but the apparent lack of planning and problem solving that seems to be happening in the Government is shocking. Creative strategies have been quickly applied within the NHS (for example Nightingale Hospitals) and businesses have been expected to quickly pivot to survive, however no such creative problem-solving strategies are being employed to secure our children’s futures. It would certainly seem that the nation’s children and young people are a very low priority for the Government, certainly coming behind strategies to safely open flat pack furniture stores and beer gardens.
So please can you urgently raise with your colleagues how this Government plans to respond to this ongoing breach of a child’s basic right to an education.

Yours Sincerely

@SueEllenMishke

Women with partners will need to tell them to go pt, then both working pt, would be fair

Both me and DH work full time. P/T not an option for either of us. It's not that simple.

Gavin just said they are going to ask schools to open up additional places for priority children not on the key worker list to help parents that can't work from home. Hoping that will get more information added to it
But WFH with children isn't sustainable. My DH is is meetings all day so can't do much childcare during the day. I'm okay at the moment as I can be very flexible with my work ( although I'm exhausted as I'm working 7 days to accommodate shorter days) but that won't last as I will start teaching again soon and i'm not sure what we'll do if my timetabled sessions clash with DH's meetings.

It wasn't entirely clear who would be able to ask to be priorotised, but it was an answer to a question about childcare options. It may well be down to schools and how much space they have and if they are willing to do it at all.

They need to pass a temporary employment law that treats having a child in the same way as other forms of discrimination like sex or race. It should become temporarily illegal to fire someone who has to look after their children.

I’m lucky and our household doesn’t have this problem, but I imagine people who do, will in this order
1, ask grandparents, friends to have the kids
2, manage to get a childminder
3, leave child home alone
4, go on the sick
5, loose their job

Horrible, I feel for you all.

Wasn’t there a thing on mumsnet where you could take 4 weeks off work a year for a child under 12? Parental leave??

Schools have had months to work this out

Before spouting off with this shit, have a think first, eh? Think about the wider context within which we are all working normally, without a pandemic, and think about who makes the rules. We haven't had months to work it out at all because we rely on the Government for guidelines.

It is absolutely essential in that shouting about this will dispoportinately affect women (I agree) we don't just decide that teacher death and long term illness should be some kind of acceptable collateral damage.

It wasn't entirely clear who would be able to ask to be priorotised, but it was an answer to a question about childcare options. It may well be down to schools and how much space they have and if they are willing to do it at all

That's my worry. DS goes to a very small school. He's in reception but the school can't currently accommodate his year group at the moment. Only year 6's have gone back and it's unlikely they'll get any other years back this term.
We also need to know long term plans. I work at a university and we've had to make our plans for September clear with regards. We need to schools to do the same so we can start to plan and work with our employers.

I think the policy makers forget that not everyone is like them i.e. able to work from home indefinitely with a super sympathetic employer who will only make people come into the office gradually between now and Christmas. I was recently doing some consulting for the civil service and they are running a scheme where you can literally apply to work fewer hours for the same pay due to childcare. One woman was working 7-12 every day but still being paid for a 40 hour work week. I think they just don’t get it’s not like this for many people.

And of course it will mostly be women who are left to sort out the childcare issue - I’m only 30 and even so all my friends’ partners are acting like their careers are more important and it’s the woman’s job to figure out the childcare. And these are all Oxbridge high flyers. So much for modern men... so women will be the ones begging for part time or to stay at home while men go back in and pat each other on the back for dedication and get promoted.

*with regards our teaching provision

Schools have had months to work this out. Why are they acting like this is a big shock to them? Why are we only seeing school principals on the news, moving tables, working it out, etc? Where are the staff? I know Im going to be buried alive by teachers reading this but why are you not in there working this out?

You do understand that the schools aren't writing the guidance don't you? Schools began to get ready and then the guidance changed. 41 times in a week. How the fuck are teachers supposed to be 'working things out' when the Govt keep shifting the goalposts?

I understand the anger but try pointing it in the right direction.

Alwaysraining, thank you for your response. You are absolutely correct.
We are trying to look at organising a small bubble where we keep safe and the children are not being passed from pillar to post on daily basis.
I was expecting a pouring of outrage that I was breaking the rules!
I do appreciate your response.

Snowdown24 - parental leave is in legislation, yes, but it's generally unpaid.

@Snowdown24

Wasn’t there a thing on mumsnet where you could take 4 weeks off work a year for a child under 12? Parental leave??

Not so much a "thing on mumsnet" as a legal right (you get 1 week per child per year until they are 18 and can up to 4 weeks per year). However it's unpaid which is unaffordable to many. It can only be taken in week blocks (and this might be worth temporarily changing to allow parents to spread working hours if they need to, take one day a week off so you "only" have to work 4 not 5 for example).

However it's only 4 weeks, we are now, what, 12 weeks in and no end in sight until at least September for some. 4 weeks is a drop in the ocean

It seems at the moment that if it's not 9-3pm in the school building then it can't be done. There are loads of other options, I know they come with challenges, and cost but they at least should be thought about, my suggestions as follows:

• Use other buildings in the local area: libraries/leisure centres/community centres/churches
• Fast track student teachers nearing the end of their degree to help out like they did in the NHS
• Repurpose the disused Nightingale hospitals
• Change the length of the school day with teachers on early and late shifts so KS1 could begin at 8 am and KS2 could finish at 5/6pm, for example, their teachers come in earlier or later to accommodate this
• Deep clean the schools overnight (contract cleaning company?) to allow for greater use during the day
• Open schools at the weekend, (it's not like we're doing anything else) and some year groups/bubbles go in on a weekend day

I completely understand that this would be a massive change and would have all sorts of issues to be overcome, but other sectors have had to adapt, and loads of money has been found from somewhere for things like the furlough scheme, where is the money for education?