Thread to state that you will not be playing a part in the experiment of secondary schools reopening as normal with no masks, no social distancing, no additional cleaning and no additional transport

[TheKarenWhoKnocks]

The arguments have all been hashed out many times on other threads. This thread is for parents to state that they won't be participating in this and will not be sending their young people back to secondary school as things stand. Not deregistering, just not attending. Phoning in sick, phoning in as self isolating etc but not sending them in.

I state that I am not going to send my children to secondary school under current proposals.

@ChavvySexPond

I think there will be so many parents not sending their children that the government will have to back down on fines etc.

If it hasn't climbed down on the whole plan by then already.

Their schools plan (as is) will obviously and inevitably increase the infection level and kill some more British people. Who wants to be a part of that?

It could possibly go the other way, they could go even harder on fines in an attempt to ensure more children are back in. Let's face it this government haven't got a track record of doing the right thing (ie care home fiasco, Dominic Cummings etc) so it wouldn't surprise me in the slightest if they did. They have "threatened " it from the start after all.

I'm sending my dc back but I don't have a medical reason not too, added to the fact they want to go back so I haven't got the extra emotional turmoil of what that decision entails. I'm under no illusion that's there is risk involved though.

I'm possibly not sending mine back. Not deregistering.

I think we will all have to do what we think right for our children, and hope for the best.

@Uhoh2020

"It could possibly go the other way, they could go even harder on fines in an attempt to ensure more children are back in. Let's face it this government haven't got a track record of doing the right thing (ie care home fiasco, Dominic Cummings etc) so it wouldn't surprise me in the slightest if they did. They have "threatened " it from the start after all.

I'm sending my dc back but I don't have a medical reason not too, added to the fact they want to go back so I haven't got the extra emotional turmoil of what that decision entails. I'm under no illusion that's there is risk involved though."

It could definitely go that way.

However, the fines don't really impact on my decision.

What's the right thing to do for the fight against coronavirus, for this country and my family are my criteria.

There are ways to get education going again with much lower risk.

The government's plan is the opposite of that.

@ChavvySexPond I've no doubt that some will of factored the possibility of fines in to the equation when making that decision it would be silly not to think its a possibility really. I've no idea how much fines are or how often they get issued. I don't think you are in anyway wrong in your decision BTW we all come to our different conclusions based on our own circumstances.

What happens when all the dc are eventually sent back? Through no fault of their own many teachers aren't able to completely meet every need of every single child as it is, whether that be outliers, chaotic homes, sen etc. Will the same teachers be expected to try and shoehorn a tailored catch up program in there too?

Perhaps the solution could be a massive fine, the money then used to cover the extra staff/ resources it's going to cost.

I disagree that you should deregister if you still have concerns initially. I do accept that some small concessions are planned with less students moving around school by keeping year groups in certain areea but having a bubble of 200 kids is a risk imo as dh extremely clinically vulnerable. However I will send dc in.
Of course I understand other not wanting to send dc in.

I feel there will be a pressure to issue fines despite some schools feeling it drives a wedge between them and the parents.

You don’t need to make a statement. As others have said, withdrawn your child, give up work and homeschool them if you’re that concerned. That is your choice. No one is forcing you to send your child to school. But don’t rob other children of their right to receive an education - remember that a lot of parents don’t have the option to keep their children off school and home school them because they need to work and earn a living. If schools close those children will either not receive an education or will be plunged into poverty.

My kids haven't missed a week of school since March (keyworker DH), and they'll be there first day back in Sept.

I won't be sending my children in under the current plan.

It puts staff and pupils in danger and will create extra community transmission leading to avoidable hospitalisation, deaths, and long term health problems.

And my family want no part of that.

OK stay in your bubble forever then. Hope you're saving the fees for your child's therapy.

Those not sending their children back - how will your employer feel about that? Schools will be open do surely there will be no excuse to be less productive than colleagues without children which you surely will be with children at home?

People chosing not to send kids back wont affect your kids in a bad way unless they deregister and funding gets cut. In fact they are probably doing you a favour as there will be less COVID risk as more space and therefore schools may stay open longer.

It will affect them when the teacher has to keep reintegrating kids who have been off for weeks. It will affect them when the teacher is knackered from providing in school lessons and out of school work. (whether you want it or not they are obliged to provide). It will affect them when the teacher is having to spend time finding out what they've 'missed' out on. It will affect them when the teacher spends more time with them catching them up.

Here's your statement

'i would like to deregister my child and home educate"

I for one will be sending my kids to school and working in them as well

The amount of these threads makes my blood boil

You can and always have been able to take your kids out of school. However, if you've not taken them out of school yet for all the other illnesses that might out them at risk , I'm very sorry but you don't get to keep your place for this one, so you can keep a place away from someone else who'd like to take it , so you can fanny about with your choices in your own sweet time.

@Hercwasonaroll my dd was off for much of the schoil year before lock down and the school provided fuck all. They may be obliged to do it but it doesn't mean it happens. Ideally what I would like is a proper online school provision for those who need it for health reasons and that includes prople with extremely clinically vulnerable family members. But no BJ wants us to believe kids don't spread it. You can't trust a word that comes out of his mouth.

So kids over 10 spread the virus like adults and you wonder why op and others are eortied with no masks or proper sd in school with bubbles of 150+ kids and lots of bubble mixing with school transport with siblings etc etc.

Worried

What's your long term solution then northern?isolating for months on end isn't healthy for anyone.

I'm a teacher. I'm not particularly looking forward to going back with no protection and no SD. However the solution the OP is proposing is a shit one.

I work as a nurse in the community and have done throughout the pandemic visiting several households a day.
I was really anxious back in March, worried I would catch the virus and bring it home to my children.
I didn't.
The more I worked the more normal my life felt. Neither me, my DH or my children have been sick.
I will be sending my children back to school tomorrow (Scotland)
My children are really looking forward to seeing their friends.
We have to take these steps, children can't be off forever.
I understand people's fears, and wish everyone well whose children return tomorrow.

All I want is better online school provision for those that both want and need it. You know the type of provision the LA is supposed to provide in addition to full school reopening with further protections in place like mask wearing.
Incidentally despite dh being extremely clinically vulnerable and me being clinically vulnerable we will be sending our kids back as we have no other option and dd1 and dd3 need it tbh.
No idea what going back if I can get her back will do to dd2s mental health but after a big CAMHS and school screw up we have no choice.

Oak academy sounds perfect for you.

Schools will struggle to have staff in school teaching and providing online stuff. Oak academy has been designed to help.

www.standard.co.uk/news/uk/older-kids-spread-coronavirus-adults-schools-a4521416.html

I haven't been reading much, so thank you Northernsoulgirl45. I've just read the above.

Something is amiss. The research has not been properly analysed according to the researchers. However there is something else concerning too.

They have found
Emerging data show that in (younger) children, Covid-19 is a silent infection, with no or minimal transmission,” they said.

However they go on to say
The only time (primary) school children are at risk is if a child brings it into the school from home. Importantly, it does not seem to work the other way around.”

This makes no sense whatsoever. It's simply impossible. Why would primary age children be at risk if the virus is contracted at home? They either pass on the virus between their cohorts or they don't irrespective of whether an adult or child passed it to them. Its virus, it doesn't in and of itself make distinctions or complex choices about who to infect, how, where or when. Its opportunistic. what makes a home acquired covid behave differently to a school acquired covid? nothing. This suggests to me that the researchers have been told to hide the fact that transmission will happen from school to home. This is so the parents of primary age children will not panic. Also it suggests that primary age children are safer in school than at home. The virus does not behave differently depending upon which environment it is acquired from.

My other concern from reading this is
One source with knowledge of the research told The Times that as children aged “their bodies start to act like small adults” in passing on the virus more effectively – something also seen in other studies.

Whilst I agree that older children will of course have "bodies that start to act like small adults" that cant be denied, however the virus transmission rates are affected by human behaviours. Not by biology. So even if larger bodies were found to replicate the virus through their systems more rapidly, or to become more diseased, or to carry higher viral loads etc, it's down to behaviour how the virus is able to transmit.

Some of the transmission of virus is from surfaces, younger children are more likely to spread this around sharing resources. But that's the least of it.

How can these findings challenge the government to change course?