How do you protest safely?

[herecomesthsun]

in a time of covid? this is schools related, of course, but the issue here, is how do you protest safely if you are ECV (extremely clinically vulnerable)? I think going up to London wouldn't be safe, and my own GP is now independent, but I suppose we could target the nearest Conservative MP when surgery is in progress?

Also, a demo would be more difficult in winter, especially if you are vulnerable to respiratory illness and with the threat of covid. Could you have cars with banners maybe?

We need to do something, because the situation with schools is just getting worse and worse and the government will watch teachers and families get sick and die before it changes its ridiculous fining and prosecuting policies.

(And yes I do know about BRTUS and its defence of parents and I am very glad it is there)

I don't know I don't have an answer I'm afraid. But I'm a teacher and I don't know if anyone else feels the same....but the unions have been quieter than I would have thought they would be at this time.....

I'm a parent. But I feel very concerned at the current situation.

I imagine the current situation is exhausting for teachers. that can't help! I

You can protest against a virus until you are blue in the face, it won’t go away!

I'd be protesting to keep schools and nurseries open. I've been shielding and was shielding March to July, about as high risk as you can get. My mental health can't cope with WFH and 2 DC here full time. If you're unhappy with your child in school, deregister then

No. You see, deregistering is very unfair to ecv children and families.

Our children all have a right to an education, but they should also have a right to a safe learning environment and, in a heath crisis like this, concerned parents should be allowed to take children out for a short time (over the winter say)without losing their place.

This shouldn't adversely affect parents wanting to keep sending their kids into school. In fact it would help you, as it would help keep schools open for longer, in a safer environment (as less crowded)

I would also protest to keep them open

Online? Probably reaches more people than a physical protest would anyway.

@Jrobhatch29

Ah, you see this is not wanting schools to close, this is
a) wanting them to be safer (which means they will stay open longer, in fact) and
b) wanting parents to have more choice to keep children off briefly instead off being punished (fined, offrolled or prosecuted) - which is not in the children's best interest

I'm not sure how you would protest on line?

There's BRTUS, which is a campaigning on line organisation, on Facebook. But that's not the same as, say, protesting outside Parliament.

But unfortunately you can't ask us to keep schools open but then some kids will be at home.

We can't do that. We can either teach all the kids in the class in school, or teach all of them online because a year group is isolating. We physically can't do both.

Unless you are planning to completely de register and home school your proposal isn't fair. Lots of schools have kids on waiting lists, so it's not fair that some people can just deregister but keep the place for as long as they want.

Also, if you have say, a term off, during which you home school, you'll have guessed what we would be teaching at school, your child will end up in a totally different place to the rest of the class, and when they come back, they will have missed things that have been done in school. Which isn't fair on them or us.

Whilst I understand what you're saying and it is very frustrating especially if you have vulnerable children, they either need to be in school or not at all.

I want to protest about No Deal Brexit. I wonder whether anyone will be brave enough. Also it probably won't make a difference now. But it would be good to show what we're feeling.

There need to be protests about all sorts of things. The government is getting away with murder. Literally.