For those parents who fear the reopening of schools

[jomartin281271]

There are many parents around the country who don't believe the government's propaganda that schools are safe. If you are one of them, you can connect with other like-minded parents on this Facebook group.
Boycott Return To Unsafe Schools.

www.facebook.com/groups/657607021743154

Onz 🤷‍♀️ And @Trackandtrace too, so lovely to see people supporting others even with different choices.

I keep spouting teaching stuff on here but another thing I learnt is that when people are nasty / unkind to others it’s not about the other person it’s about the rubbish they’re dealing with. I know I’m very lucky to have a choice. And it must suck to have no choice / real choice. If I homeschool I have support, if I don’t I won’t in lockdowns as I won’t risk exposing my mum to covid.

I worked for 17 years as a full time teacher, I know a lot of teachers all of whom would be compassionate and understand. I’m just putting this here for anyone who is worried about damaging relationships with their children’s teachers because of what some “teachers” say on here - you really, really won’t. They’ll get it.

And I think the tide is turning anyway. Shame the government likes to play games. Thinking of everyone between a rock and a hard place at the moment - which I think must be pretty much everyone one way or another.

Thanks @sunseekin. I’m one of those who are reassured, as that’s something that worries me (beyond making sure we can find other local children to socialise and hopefully work with). My children enjoy school, I want to keep a good relationship with the teachers, not be some difficult parent giving them even more work on top of everything else.

But you’re right. We’re so lucky to have the choice where I can reduce my hours and teach. So many people don’t have that option (including teachers). Everyone has a lot to deal with.

I have one in primary & one in secondary. Totally with you guys.

I think primary kids are OK (not fine, but manageable due to lower numbers, following rules, single form bubbles etc) however secondary really worries me. I hoping they keep it optional so parents can decide what's best for the family without threats of losing the school place. No one WANTS to keep their teens home, but these are life/death decisions (who would've thought going to school could be a life & death decision) - maybe not for the child but for someone else in the family. I don't think secondaries can be made safe unless a number of measures are in place - all of which need more money/resources/space!

If the schools make it optional I would gladly keep my teen home until it makes sense to send them (low numbers/vaccine/treatments..).

@duffeldaisy I’m sure some will protest otherwise but it’s just not the case. Teachers want the best interests for the children, and emptier classrooms will be a big plus in the current circumstances too sadly.
@ElephantLover I think you’ve hit the nail on the head, I’ve accepted the situation as it is, I’m definitely not living my best life. I want normal back but think we just have to wait a bit longer, I’m telling myself I can dig deep until spring (bar something amazingly good happening).
I wonder if Boris’ behaviour scientists maybe know how much happier we will be to homeschool if we have had to fight for it 🤷‍♀️🤷‍♀️ Who knows, I don’t doubt that I’m a very common breed of lab rat. They must know this is how a lot of people will feel. Maybe I think too much 😂😂

It’s so difficult to know what’s right I also am concerned about how quickly the virus might spread once hundreds of kids are all back together but also I Go back to my normal hours next months ( I worked different shift patterns during Covid Much longer but less days in to make up the hours ) the Extra childcare I had For this time was only temporary and I honestly don’t know what Il do if schools don’t reopen .

I know school isn’t childcare and that Me having a job isn’t more important than people dying of coronavirus Obviously I know all this! but as a single parent I Genuinely don’t know what I would do other than be forced to quit my job

@Clumsyduck I really feel for you, I hope they come up with a plan that will make school more sustainable and full time for those that need or want the provision. I’m hoping what’s on the table will be safer by the time September comes around.

If thought through properly they could have had the most vulnerable teachers providing home learning for parents who wish whilst providing more chance for SD in already crowded classrooms for those who need or want children in school.

It would lessen the chance they'll close again which would be more of a disaster for our children.

They could split bubbles and have teachers delivering the core subjects and TAs delivering a topic and covering other areas of the curriculum this way.

But considering the announced the June 1st plan before they then issued 50 odd versions of the ever changing guidance I don't think forward planning ever occurred to them

The Times article on the study talks about 10 year old being a high risk. Then talks about secondary schools.

But 10 year olds are primary school age. Years 5 and 6.

I’m confused.

Are primaries “OK”? Or are they just basing their data on year 6 - the year group with the highest attendance last term?

@Bombergirl

The Times article on the study talks about 10 year old being a high risk. Then talks about secondary schools.

But 10 year olds are primary school age. Years 5 and 6.

I’m confused.

Are primaries “OK”? Or are they just basing their data on year 6 - the year group with the highest attendance last term?

I wondered this too, surely at best it’s a sliding scale of transmission (if indeed there is enough data to be sure at al?).

I remember reading once that 60% of young children with coronavirus were likely to be asymptomatic but 40% is still quite a lot to be actively shredding virus??

I don’t think we can afford to be complacent with any age group just yet. How can we be when the science is still so conflicting and new?

I agree @itsgettingweird this has stood out as the best approach to me too, hopefully everyone could have got a place who needed/wanted one and plans been put in place. There could even have been liaison between schools if some had particularly older or more vulnerable staff etc.

Completely agree - de register and home school for good, it will never be safe enough for a lot of the hysteria I have seen on here.
This

I haven’t seen any hysteria. I’ve seen people logically trying to understand the data and situation and suggest common-sense logical ways to open schools safely.

I want to send my child to a safe school with social distancing.

The hysteria seems to come from keyboard warriors blindly typing “de register then“ without reading or understanding the nuanced discussion taking place.

I see a fair number of parents on here who can not discuss schools at all which suggests they are really having trouble with change and uncertainty. They get very angry with anyone who suggests it won't all just be alright.

I'll be honest, I don't know what next term will go like, or whether I will feel it wise to go in and try it, or stay out for a bit.

My DD (who is 10) talked to me about all this last night. She said

1 - "it's not about us kids getting it, it's who we pass it on to, I don't want to pass it on to you and Daddy...." (I said that we are not in the high risk category but she knows we're older parents and she knows it affects older people more and she knows a few people in our age bracket who had it in March and are still ill, and she knows the impact this has had on their kids).

and

2 - "why are we going back with less measures than in June?" (she went back for a week in a 15 kid socially distanced bubble, they're proposing 60 kids in the bubble in September and no SD)

She's anxious. It really doesn't add up or inspire confidence that when infection rates were lower they were mandating stricter measures.

I think what’s concerning is some parents - likely none on this thread - are putting their anxieties first. I have a friend who is as low risk as it gets, as is their partner, but they won’t see anyone at all (even outside) and won’t let their daughter go to nursery until there’s a vaccine. That to me isn’t acting in the interests of their child, it’s indulging anxiety.

The posters on this thread don’t seem to fall into that category and I agree with those saying that children’s education does need to be considered alongside the fear of the virus. Ultimately it’s hard, we can’t just say “keep your child off, don’t deregister, just rock up whenever you feel happy to”. I can see that becoming a safeguarding issue potentially. It’s a very hard decision. I would be sending kids in if I had them but I understand that’s not right for everyone.. I just urge people to homeschool as a last resort.

Home school or shut up? Nice to have a balanced and nuanced debate about this subject. Lovely thing to hear for kids and parents who are shielding. Great for the BAME community who have already suffered disproportionately due to this pandemic.

That’s right, minimise parental concerns about reopening schools with no mitigation measures in a pandemic as “middle class hysteria”. Helpful.

It's not anxiety if it's based in reality.

Schools are the only place that don't have mandated mitigation measures in place.

Schools are the only place that will look like they did in Feb/March and we know how well that went.

The government is failing, they could provide money to schools to - at a minimum - allow for sufficient hand washing facilities.

I'm disabled and vulnerable to Covid (though not shielded) and I'm constantly worried that I'm letting my anxiety get the better of me. I really worry I'm putting my need to feel that we're all "safe" above what's best for my DC's. I just don't know what the answer is.

@IloveJKRowling

It's not anxiety if it's based in reality.

Schools are the only place that don't have mandated mitigation measures in place.

Schools are the only place that will look like they did in Feb/March and we know how well that went.

The government is failing, they could provide money to schools to - at a minimum - allow for sufficient hand washing facilities.

This

If people are going to homeschool through choice, then the progress of those children needs to be taken out of the school's data measures, and out of a teacher's accountability for performance management/pay progression. These shouldn't be a thing anyway in normal times, but definitely not now. In places where schools are oversubscribed it's also not fair to hold onto a place you're not going to use for months/a year. If a parent went travelling (we did this last year), you have to risk taking a child off roll.

People who are posting on here either strongly objecting or sneering: you're as invested in this as the ones who are concerned. No escaping that fact. You may be invested conversely, but you're still invested and just the other side of the same coin.

I am concerned because the adults in our household have underlying issues that are contraindicated. I am not really concerned about our DC's own physical health; but I'd prefer that they didn't have a parent who got seriously ill.

I totally agree that things are a disaster by the way. If I could choose, I'd want to teach half a class in the morning and half in the afternoon - still teach all children, but in a way that allows them and me to distance a bit. I'm only ok with my own child going back because her school is a modern building with loads and loads of outdoor teaching opportunities that they are well practised in using already. I'd be more reluctant if she was going back into the school I work at.

@Styledbyserpents

I agree with what this teacher has said entirely.

"Styledbyserpents Tue 11-Aug-20 20:11:43
I'm a teacher and I've been in school all through. So no, I have no time for those who don't want to send their kids back. Do or don't. Just don't expect us to provide you with home school resources or kerp your school place open."

I want schools to open AND STAY OPEN

I want government to give as much money to schools to allow this to happen as they have to sweet companies for PPE (not delivered) and their mates through non competitive tenders.

IT is scandalous they are expecting state schools to open with no extra resources.