Is anyone not sending their secondary school child back initially?

[lastkisstoo]

I've decided to keep my 15 year old home, probably until the October hols to see what happens.

We are in Scotland. What just happened in the pubs in Aberdeen is exactly what I see happening in schools. Mostly young adults, enclosed space, no social distancing.

My child has asthma, and while not on the list for sheltering I still feel is vulnerable enough that I don't want to see him being used as a guinea pig while the government assess just how big the uptick in cases will be on schools re-opening.

porcupine have you considered speaking to your gp about the impact that catching covid is having on you? The fear you have of your children losing you. You have already come through it and so I wonder why you still feel you can die from it? You are very unlikely to both catch it, and/or die from covid. Statistically you are very safe. Maybe it has manifested itself in anxiety or stress disorder?

You sound very worried, and the feelings that you will die from this even now are not helping you move on.

Your gps if they are concerned can simply shield again, so they will be fine. I wonder if you need some extra support, and if your children are picking up on your fears and anxiety, this could be very bad for them too in the long run.

It is good you are at least sending them to school, and as a parent we always reserve the right to do what we think is best for them.

I'm emailing the school at the start of term and asking them what measures they have put in place for her, given her condition. If I'm not happy with the answer, then I'll discuss home schooling with the school.

What measures do you think they can put in place for her?

@Newdaynewname1

Do what you need to do, but provide him with an education! bbc bite size id nice, but ridiculously easy. Its in no way adequate to replace education in school. my oldest has SENDs, is slightly behind, but bbc bitesize is waaay to easy for him...

BBC bitesize is the main resource available to teachers. If your child learns and understands everything on BBC bitesize, they will get A* in all subjects.

@rookiemere

I wonder if views on sending DCs back to school are coloured by level of online education received over the last term.

If DS 14 had received a reasonable online education, I might be less strident about getting him back into an educational setting. However as the quantity, quality and organisation of what was provided was variable and required a lot of coordination on my part whilst I was trying to work, I would feel far from confident about an ongoing online/mixed situation now that he's moving into a more important school year.

Also I suppose it depends a lot on the nature of the child. DS is not very organised and the work sent out seemed to require a level of coordination well beyond his remit, plus they were receiving over 20 emails a day about different things.

For those who aren't planning to send your child back to school, what was the provision of education like during lockdown period and is that a factor in your decision?

but he had access to bbc bitesize and oak academy. two full time programmes to choose from

I'm really very tired of anyone who has a legitimate health concern being diagnosed by internet randoms as 'having anxiety'.

At the start of all this there were many people saying the virus would never get to the UK, fuss over nothing, just like flu blah blah blah.

Now those same people say nothing to worry about very mild illness risks very low blah blah blah.

People who have had covid and experienced the long lasting impact know more about the reality than people who've never had it.

Long lasting side effects and potentially permanent lung/organ/neurological damage are a real concern. The science community has NO knowledge yet on how these impacts will affect people. Doctors are very worried about this. There is also little knowledge on immunity.

IMO the people determined to minimise the virus are just as likely to be in need of psychological support.

@Friendsoftheearth

porcupine have you considered speaking to your gp about the impact that catching covid is having on you? The fear you have of your children losing you. You have already come through it and so I wonder why you still feel you can die from it? You are very unlikely to both catch it, and/or die from covid. Statistically you are very safe. Maybe it has manifested itself in anxiety or stress disorder?

You sound very worried, and the feelings that you will die from this even now are not helping you move on.

Your gps if they are concerned can simply shield again, so they will be fine. I wonder if you need some extra support, and if your children are picking up on your fears and anxiety, this could be very bad for them too in the long run.

It is good you are at least sending them to school, and as a parent we always reserve the right to do what we think is best for them.

Why would this poster have an anxiety or stress disorder? Why not just maybe they are worried because antibodies only last a few months, and there are plenty of records of people seemingly getting it twice? Why assume the problem is in their head, when the threat is actually real.

At the start of all this there were many people saying the virus would never get to the UK, fuss over nothing, just like flu blah blah blah.

Yes I remember those posts hack in February when anyone who expressed concern at the virus coming here was told they should seek help for anxiety. There was one persistent poster (who I'm sure has now name changed to hell and back) continually reassuring everyone that her husband was an ITU consultant and was certain it was all an over reaction.

@mosquitofeast I really do agree with most of what you're saying in a lot of your posts but I have seen you comment a few times that BBC bitesize is the main resource available to teachers and that learning everything on it would allow a student to get an A* (I assume you mean a grade 8/9 if talking about GCSES. Apologies if you're referring to something else, I'm very England centric it seems!) This really, really shouldn't be the case! And it hasn't been in any of the departments I've taught in/managed.

Learning should begin with the specifications from the boards or from the national curriculum depending on key stage. There are a wealth of resources available from a variety of publishers and I would recommend anyone homeschooling to invest in a decent set of textbooks (exam board approved is usually helpful as there is often overlap between the writers and the exams team) and revision guides. Bitesize is comparable to a revision guide, the content is reduced.

I'd argue that because of the descriptors for grade 8/9 (A/A* at A level) learning all the content doesn't make it certain that a student gets top grades as this negates the requirement for application of skills and/or basic exam techniques -one of the best ways to develop these areas is through the use of past exam questions with feedback. I'd hope that parents who choose to homeschool could interpret a content based subject's markschemes but essay subjects in particular definitely need a more nuanced understanding. I'm science and maths mainly but one of my A level subjects is essay based but I'm not sure I could accurately judge an English Literature answer and provide useful feedback.

To be clear - I'm actually very pro homeschooling (even more pro blended learning provided schools and parents have clear guidance provided on what is to be expected from this) but at secondary it's definitely not enough to just look to BBC bitesize.

Anyone considering keeping their children off and needing support would be much better served finding a local homeschooling group to share ideas or if finances permit, hiring a tutor with the purpose of setting work and giving feedback each week... (oooh actually that's an excellent idea - I may have to start offering that on top of my usual sessions when the return all goes tits up)

@Friendsoftheearth I think you mean well so I hope this doesnt come across as rude.

My gp has not referred me to the COVID recovery unit because I am anxious but because I have ongoing problems with my breathing, heart rate and nervous system (plus some other more minor stuff). It seems likely that I have sustained some damage to my lungs and/or heart. Depending on the extent of any damage and whether its recoverable or not, I may now be more at risk from another infection (COVID or otherwise) - theres only so much damage an organ can take. So yes, I am concerned that another bout of COVID would do for me because the first one took me from healthy to semi- invalid.

As for my sons, they are 14 and 12. They haven't "picked up on my anxiety" they have seen me change from a normal, active adult into one that struggles to get up the stairs or out of bed some days over the course of 3 weeks. They were there when 111 sent the parademics. They are not stupid, they can watch the news and listen to the debates over sending schools back.

And yes I asked the doctor about all this. They answered as they always do - they dont know yet. Because that's the truth. The virus is new and both less and more nasty than was first understood. So they - and I - are making assumptions and predictions based on limited data.

@mosquitofeast - sorry I am not able to quote - perhaps I need a BBC bitesize on that . But my understanding was that the school would provide the teaching for my DS 14 to follow.

Should he or I have been researching alternatives for him and potentially following curriculums different from what he was meant to be studying? If so they should perhaps have made that clear and refunded some of the tuition fees.

Perhaps we will have to DIY, if they do end up at home again. Hard when I - like most - already have a paid job to do.

But I don't want to stray onto the path of appearing to criticise teachers as that doesn't go down well and also I'm sure all the teachers are working hard - just like the rest of us in other professions.

porcupine that sounds horrendous, really horrendous. I am sure your dc would have been very worried about you whilst you were ill. I did read today that some patients in Wuhan were experiencing the same thing many months on. Really hope it gets better for you, after all you have been through your feeling about covid are completely valid and legitimate re further exposure.

It’s a very difficult time for everyone.

As a teacher I would just point out that unfortunately you can’t just remove your child from school - it’s a legal requirement that they go. So if you make that decision you will have to declare you are home schooling and relinquish his place at the school. Just another thing to consider incase you hoped to be able to take him out then send him back later on - it might not be that easy.

I hope All of ours come back but I know many pupils / parents are very anxious also.

I know two who have done that - deregistered and opted to home school. It’s an option if it’s properly planned I guess.

Home tutors too. My DD has a tutor who worked throughout the height of the pandemic. That’s something else to consider. Initially on zoom but later she was happy for face to face.

We did bbc bite size and just found it lacked depth. Oak academy was a bit better but no replacement for interactive lessons.

Mine are certainly both going back.

@CountessFrog a tutor is a good suggestion. How would I go about finding one?

@alittleodd

yes, I agree that just learning the content of BBC bitesize isn't wnough, students also need to undersatnd it.

And you are right, I do mean grade 9 not A*

But the content of BBC bitesize is specific for each exam board, so you cab certainly cover the whole curriculum for any exam board, and it has practice questions too.

It is a very important resource. I am a bit at posters saying it is no use for their children because it is too easy.

I use the (exam board specific)content of BBC bitesize right up to grade 9. I think it is great.

Why would this poster have an anxiety or stress disorder? Why not just maybe they are worried because antibodies only last a few months, and there are plenty of records of people seemingly getting it twice? Why assume the problem is in their head, when the threat is actually real

Many thousands of people have developed anxiety disorders during the pandemic, it is both documented and understood that mental health during this period has been widely affected. It has happened the world over. In the case of porcupine her concerns are due to her own experience of covid, but for others they have developed a pathological fear of covid that is far bigger than the risk to them or their family.

I found mine by word of mouth - are you on local FB pages?

There are also a couple of websites where you can search for a tutor - think one might be called ‘my tutor?’ I got quite rapid responses from that, and really good quality people, too.

You might find it’s easy to find people to tutor during school hours because most people want somebody after school.

I would. I'm fortunate that my kids are grown (tho the youngest will be starting a Masters in London in sept), but I've thought about this, and know I'd send mine. They're at a very low risk themselves, and I feel the risks of not going in terms of being left behind educationally and socially are greater than those of them becoming ill. And yes they could pass it on to their parents etc. But that genii is out already as we're all back at work. So yeah, I'd send them. No question.
Obv if yiur child has a major health condition then that changes everything.

[quote rookiemere]@mosquitofeast - sorry I am not able to quote - perhaps I need a BBC bitesize on that . But my understanding was that the school would provide the teaching for my DS 14 to follow.

Should he or I have been researching alternatives for him and potentially following curriculums different from what he was meant to be studying? If so they should perhaps have made that clear and refunded some of the tuition fees.

Perhaps we will have to DIY, if they do end up at home again. Hard when I - like most - already have a paid job to do.

But I don't want to stray onto the path of appearing to criticise teachers as that doesn't go down well and also I'm sure all the teachers are working hard - just like the rest of us in other professions.

[/quote]
Ideally yes, but it is not always possible. Almost my entire depatment was ill. Some severely so, for a long time. Other teachers died, or were coping with illness and death in their family, as well as their own children and babies. Many teachers resigned and left at Easter. How could schools replace them during a lock down?

So it wasn't always possible.

Hence why the both the government and the BBC made very much publicised programmes of study universally available for free, all years, all subjects, every day.

No child in the UK with internet can claim they had a single day without a full education provided.

Those without an internet connection are in a different position, but most schools were open to children without internet, or driving round stacks of text books to children who had no internet and didn't want to come into school.

Some children had major sickness or trauma to deal with, and these are the ones that any catch up resources will be concentrated on, not children who just couldn't be bothered. It tends to be the same children who couldn't be bothered during lock down as couldn't be bothered before lock down. There is always a certain percent of children that do nothing. But the parents don't normally see it with their own eyes as they have done this year.

@Friendsoftheearth

Why would this poster have an anxiety or stress disorder? Why not just maybe they are worried because antibodies only last a few months, and there are plenty of records of people seemingly getting it twice? Why assume the problem is in their head, when the threat is actually real

Many thousands of people have developed anxiety disorders during the pandemic, it is both documented and understood that mental health during this period has been widely affected. It has happened the world over. In the case of porcupine her concerns are due to her own experience of covid, but for others they have developed a pathological fear of covid that is far bigger than the risk to them or their family.

most people just have a very sensible fear of the damage that would be done to the fabric of our society if thee is a second wave, and are doing everything they can to prevent that.

There is no need to go around attempting to diagnose mental health disorders just because people want an end to the pandemic

Unless a child is very vulnerable, I should think the mental health benefits of return to school far outweigh any risk from covid for the majority of families.

The schools have a duty of care to ensure each child is safe and well, and they will be very keen to see all of their children back in September. I would expect that any missing children will be quickly followed up with a visit, and possibly social services involvement, because all agencies will need to be sure that every child is accounted for. This is not to 'check up' on parents but simply to be sure that all children are safe. It is a very important and essential safety net.

@Friendsoftheearth

Why would this poster have an anxiety or stress disorder? Why not just maybe they are worried because antibodies only last a few months, and there are plenty of records of people seemingly getting it twice? Why assume the problem is in their head, when the threat is actually real

Many thousands of people have developed anxiety disorders during the pandemic, it is both documented and understood that mental health during this period has been widely affected. It has happened the world over. In the case of porcupine her concerns are due to her own experience of covid, but for others they have developed a pathological fear of covid that is far bigger than the risk to them or their family.

I just find this attitude quite superior.

I think people who have blind faith they'll be ok are perhaps in denial, resulting from their deep-seated problem dealing with negative emotions? They should see their GP about that!

@Friendsoftheearth

Unless a child is very vulnerable, I should think the mental health benefits of return to school far outweigh any risk from covid for the majority of families.

The schools have a duty of care to ensure each child is safe and well, and they will be very keen to see all of their children back in September. I would expect that any missing children will be quickly followed up with a visit, and possibly social services involvement, because all agencies will need to be sure that every child is accounted for. This is not to 'check up' on parents but simply to be sure that all children are safe. It is a very important and essential safety net.

no we are not, we are desperately hoping some parents keep them off. WE can't fit them all in if they all show up. Our plans only work if some children are kept off

just because people want an end to the pandemic

But you can't 'end the pandemic' mosquito it doesn't work like that. The only way to end the pandemic is to roll out a successful vaccine, and that could take years if not decades. Children can not be left without an education until the 'end of the pandemic', because that moment may never come.

@Friendsoftheearth

just because people want an end to the pandemic

But you can't 'end the pandemic' mosquito it doesn't work like that. The only way to end the pandemic is to roll out a successful vaccine, and that could take years if not decades. Children can not be left without an education until the 'end of the pandemic', because that moment may never come.

many countries have effectively ended it within their borders . It would be possible here if people were more careful and stuck to the rules better