If it's OK for Dominic Cummings to break lockdown because he was concerned about the welfare of his child, why isn't it OK for parents to decide when it's safe to send their children back to school?

[jomartin281271]

My message is in the question. What a massive double standard from the government. One law for them, and a completely different law for the masses.

Because it was a total lie.

Because it’s the Tories. Why is anyone surprised by this?

Are we not over this Cummings business yet? Build a bridge , move on!

I would say that is a cast iron defence for parents if there is any query, now you come to mention it.

Johnson said Cummings “followed the instincts of every father and every parent”.

Gove tweeted "Caring for your wife and child is not a crime"

So presumably this independence of thought applies to is plebs as well?

Completely agree OP, they can’t get away with what they’re trying to do and when this is all over we must make sure there are safeguards in place so that no future government can ever try again.

Because it's one rule for them, one rule for everyone else. Literally do what you want. If you take your child our of school, get fined, but let it get to court and use the Cummings defence, you'll get away with it.

... life is about what you can get away with!

You can, you're always at liberty to make alternative arrangements for your child's education

I don't think schools will be issuing fines initially but when they do I fully expect smart arse parents to try this defence. However, I don't know how you'll persuade a judge that denying your child education is in their best interests. Of course, if you have formally removed them from school to home educate, there will be no issue.

Only those who can afford it can follow their instincts.

You have always had the option to withdraw your child from school

Deregister them though, so that the place can be taken up by someone else

Not keen on that idea, I guess

You are completely free to home educate should you wish

I completely agree.
Not a smartarse parent, but one who is pissed off that I will be fined if I decide to keep ds home, after shielding for nearly 5 months.

Jeez - thought we’d moved on from this. I really don’t think any judge will be interested in ‘the Cummings defence’. Home educate your kids if you don’t want them back at school.

Because those are two completely different things? If Cummings can break lockdown then why can't I do what I want?

MNHQ should really just starts a "Should I send my kid to school?" section.

I really don't think any Judge will be interested "in the Cummings defence"

Exactly! Thats the ultimate childish "well he did it first" defence. And if I was the judge id be more likely to issue a fine if that was the best excuse you could come up with

Home educate if you don’t want your children back at school.

Yes, I can see why parents feel annoyed about being pressured to send their children back to school, after the way Dom Cummings and some others have acted. I can also see why people might find it laughable that Bojo has stated that it's the "moral duty" of parents to do so, considering that he is not known for moral conduct in his personal life.

It seems that children who catch the virus are usually only mildly affected or even asymptomatic, but they can still spresd the virus to others. I think it's up to every parent to assess their own situation and decide whether the risk of their child bringing the virus back from school outweighs the benefits of them returning to school. It's a tough decision to make, and for many working parents may come down to balancing the risks against possible loss of income if childcare is not affordable/available.

Pretty sure a judge would only be interested in the welfare of your child and not Dominic Cummings to be honest.

It was never ok for Cummings.

And... two wrongs don’t make a right. Many, many (majority of parents?) are happy the children are going back to school. As others say, home educate if you feel your family is at risk. Or, keep an eye on infection rates in your area and make an informed decision based on your circumstances.

Lordy, railing against the barefaced hypocrisy, isn't quite the same as using it as an actual defence in court!

the answer for school transport is bugger it and pack 'em in

Very good point OP

Send your kid or don't, nobody cares.

@Uhoh2020

Are we not over this Cummings business yet? Build a bridge , move on!

This!

What does anyone think is gained by constantly harking back to this, it's got nothing to do with anything now, the world has moved on.

If you don't want to send your child to school stand by your own decisons making rather than hiding behind something irrelevant

What does anyone think is gained by constantly harking back to this

It's the principle of lying, hypocritical politicians. The politicians keep hoping that we'll forget these things, but we shouldn't. I haven't forgotten the expenses scandal, for one thing. Remember also how Tony we're-all-middle-class-and-I-am-God Blair took his children on term-time holidays, when his government was having a "crackdown" on parents who did this? One rule for them, another rule for the peasants who pay their wages. We should keep harking back to this until both Cummings and Johnson are out of office.

Telling us "it's time to move on" is what Saint Boris said to try to bury this; and as others on MN have pointed out, it's also what wife-beaters tend to say. "I thought we'd moved on from that"; "You're not still harking on about that, are you?"