Pull kids out of school

[Mummyworriestoomuch]

I'm in county Durham. Most schools in my area are reporting cases now. My kids schools haven't yet but I'm really concerned it's just a matter of time. I'm conflicted. One one hand I want to pull them out and wrap them in cotton wool but on the other hand I don't want to disrupt their education any more than necessary. I just don't know what to do.

This is a different perspective. It’s not peer reviewed yet but suggests having children at home does not increase risk and may decrease it. As you’ve said you also need to weigh up the benefits of attending school. Most studies have shown they outweigh any risks. www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2020.09.21.20196428v1

Someone on brtus fb school has 13 cases and they are still pressuring.
Very suspicious

I think there's so many of us in the same boat. The school.plans are dismal, cases are rising, of course people will be starting to worry.

I'm stressed with it all now.

Shit shit shit government.

We're currently stuck home with "covid symptoms", although werent able to get a test.

We've decided to keep our preschool age boys home. I miss the nature time and walks more than the school.

I will do my best to offer them some preschool education but I also work.

Until its in your child's school it is pointless pulling them out. It has to spread outside of schools befor it gets into them, so currently having them not in school could be just as unsafe as in school. However at least in school they are monitoring it whereas supermarkets and parks etc you will have no idea if it's been around!

@Forgone90

Until its in your child's school it is pointless pulling them out. It has to spread outside of schools befor it gets into them, so currently having them not in school could be just as unsafe as in school. However at least in school they are monitoring it whereas supermarkets and parks etc you will have no idea if it's been around!

Much less likely to pick it up in supermarkets or parks.

If you want to avoid it, schools are really the worst idea.

I’m in Bolton. There’s lots of classes closed however my children haven’t been affected yet. But I’ve not heard of outbreaks in schools here so transmission through the odd case seems low. I’m keeping children in school, no intention of pulling them out as they need to catch up on their education and are enjoying the social side of being back. They say they’re happier at school although one is devastated 2 of his friends have been pulled out and may not be able to get places at the school again.

If someone in the household was previously in the shielding group then I do get the anxiety and I appreciate I am fortunate not to be in that situation.

Outdoor car parks are very low risk. They’re not riskier than schools.

Schools are crowded indoor settings with no distancing. That’s the risk.

In June all month there were 30 schools with outbreaks. Not cases - actual outbreaks phe declared because of transmission.

In the last two weeks there have been 350+ outbreaks in schools,

That’s more than ten times more outbreaks with no distancing and high transmission,

Whitty’s letter and the phe report in August stated ... While he was saying schools were safe because of only 30 cases, that might not be true without distancing and with high transmission. You don’t say?

There were more outbreaks in schools than care homes last week.

Definitely more than in pubs past 10pm!

I want schools open but I want them open safely.

Parents should at least have a choice rather than being persecuted.

You certainly have a point there @swg1

I'm also worried about my business, I don't know how we will survive repeated isolation, all staff have children.

It all seems so impossible at the moment.

This pic illustrates the above better. Sorry grabbed wrong one.

Data locally ( large LA) is 74% attendance so you wouldn't be alone in having your children at home. Attendance has dropped this week, positive cases, lack of staff and parents keeping their children at home.

@MorayPlace

Data locally ( large LA) is 74% attendance so you wouldn't be alone in having your children at home. Attendance has dropped this week, positive cases, lack of staff and parents keeping their children at home.

I wonder where you get the local data - are you a teacher?

County Durham teacher and parent here and until this week I would have said keep them in. However, I’m now starting to consider this for my own kids! Their school now has multiple cases and my own school is struggling too. My class is one of the few classes left open at the school I teach in (after multiple cases there too). Our area seems to have a particularly high rate of infection at the moment, hence why we’re in local lockdown. I cannot understand why the Government is persisting with its threat of fining parents in lockdown areas, especially families like mine with medical conditions to worry about. It’s a tough call though as my kids love seeing their friends and Zoom calls aren’t the same. Good luck with whatever you decide.

[quote WalesAppearsToBeSlightlySaner]This is a different perspective. It’s not peer reviewed yet but suggests having children at home does not increase risk and may decrease it. As you’ve said you also need to weigh up the benefits of attending school. Most studies have shown they outweigh any risks. www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2020.09.21.20196428v1[/quote]
So that study is interesting but

does the data come from the period

-when schools were only open for small numbers of children and so had social distancing? and

• when vulnerable people were shielding?

Because that would skew the results, as potentially would part-time working by mums of young children.

Also, this study only looked at under 11s, we all know over 11s is where the risk is.

But yes, interesting.

I don’t have dc yet myself but I know dsd’s mum is seriously considering pulling her out.

Dsd is ECV and her stepdad is CV. She had tried to work out an arrangement with the headteacher since our area locked down, but the school is becoming increasingly belligerent about absences.

Whatever anyone wants re: school closures I think it is beyond cruel to be forcing vulnerable parents and dc to choose between a personally dangerous situation or losing out on education as they refuse to allow remote learning for the vulnerable.

@herecomesthsun - It covers children who were positive and transmission at home where I’d assume there was no sd (hope parents weren’t keeping their under 11s 2m away) so it’s possible that exposure to children actually decreases transmission. I wouldn’t be surprised as an ex head I know has had to nurse her husband through Covid and was absolutely fine. She is in the older risk category but maybe exposure is a protective factor? Who knows but the immune system is an incredible thing.

I work in a school in a lockdown area. We are being SO careful with the kids and they are so happy to be back.
It is lovely to see them with their friends again and enjoying play and learning. I really think the benefits outweigh the risks.

I think the first sign of it in either of our schools will tip me over the edge. Thankfully we have avoided it to date. Miraculously. Keeping fingers crossed

Repeat public sector, education.

Im 100% againt closing schools. Kids have low infection problems. Many asymptomatic. You cant keep closing/ opening schools.

Get linen bags like nurses did. Kids in, was hands. Uniform into laundru back so nobody else in contact.ppl should also be washing masks.

Those parents that want to pull their kids out and home school should be able to for whatever reason, caring for an elderly relative, asthmatic child, diabetic dad etc without penalty, less kids in school means less transmission and the parents who rely on school for childcare are more likely to be able to keep their kids in school and continue to work.
Cases in my area have gone up over the last couple of weeks, a primary has confirmed cases, will pull mine out as soon as I feel it’s necessary, lockdown didn’t affect their mental health and they knuckled down with the school work that was set.

@swg1

Are there people from UsNotThem who have certain things set as keywords now or something?

I'm definitely noticing that certain threads bring up a pack of people who are more intent that NO ONE should ever pull their kid out of school than actually working out the posters circumstances and what's appropriate for them.

@swg1 I meant to ask yesterday, what is UsNotThem? I googled it to find out but all that it showed was a song.

Im 100% againt closing schools. Kids have low infection problems. Many asymptomatic. You cant keep closing/ opening schools

Doesn't matter what you are against....no staff - no school.

Kids can't attend school by themselves ( though I think reading the determination of parents on here to 'keep schools open' maybe that's what will happen😉)

OP listen to your own intuition and pull them out if you are practically able to.

I think it depends on your child. Mine was miserable during lockdown and is thriving back at preschool.

I'm dreading any further lockdowns. However if I had a child who was happy at home and keeping up with their schoolwork I'd probably keep them at home.