To think schools should be shut during lockdown.

[Ilovegreentomatoes]

So shutting down everything but keeping schools open.AIBU to think that a lockdown should involve schools closing as well.Have been about six cases in my dds secondary zero social distancing and is just defeating the object of a lockdown as it has now been proven that schools,colleges etc can easily spread the virus.

Also honestly what happens for people who can work from home but have young kids. In lockdown my day went 5-8am - work & send kids back to play in room if they woke up, 8am-1pm - breakfast, get everyone dressed, couple of hours of school work with Y1 child and learning activities with the 3 year old, hour out in the garden to play some games & run off steam and some kind of arts & crafts activity kids can mostly do alone while making lunch. After lunch work 1:30-6:30 while hubby does similar activities with kids. Dinner and bedtime together and then take turns to work (where possible with a glass of wine in front of the TV) or housework and prep for next days food 8-10pm. Repeat 6 days a week with one day off to do something as a family, be constantly behind & feel like you are failing at all times. By the end of lockdown I was so stressed I was waking up in the middle of the night to throw up. Work wouldn’t furlough anyone, I couldn’t go to part time as my department was understaffed and they also wouldn’t sign off for me to take paternal leave. I had no options but to stick with it or to quit entirely. Luckily my immediate manager is lovely and did what she could to help and was 100% flexible about my working hours. It was immensely hard though trying to do everything at once even with my husband also wfh. I still think we had it easy compared to lots of working parents.
I genuinely don’t know the answer but the idea people have that lockdown isn’t any issue for people who can work at home isn’t really accurate.

@Nicknacky I think all options should be explored including schools open for children where there is no alternative whether their parents are key workers or not.

There are others where homeschooling or online learning would work and if this was an option could reduce the numbers in schools which would surely help. As I said I don’t have the answers, I just feel it’s a very one size fits all approach at the moment and alternatives should be looked at.

For me personally the last lockdown had a terrible effect on my child’s education. The remote lessons didn’t work. Therefore I don’t want schools to shut. I was working really hard so my kids pretty much watched tv most of the time. But if the lessons were thought through and delivered effectively then it could potentially work.

I take all the points above and it’s all a total shit show, but this will be the next government u turn in maybe a week or two (day or two) when they realise how much secondary school pupils are inadvertently spreading the virus.

Ah I see , you’re a parent to one secondary school aged child .....

Why can't we separate secondary from primary?

Primary: hard to supervise home learning. Seemingly less transmission and illness. Keep them in school.

Secondary: spreading virus lie wildfire. Other than vulnerable kids, certainly the older ones could do live lessons from home, with parents at work. Maybe keep yr7 in, Yr11 and 13 on rota, rest WFH.

@BurningMam

You wouldn't necessarily be told if there was. How do you think you'd know the medical status of every child in your child's school?!

No, you're right. The area reports every positive case, but of course - they wouldn't do it if it was my child's school. Of course.

*every positive case, in schools.

But huge numbers of schools cannot/will not offer live lessons.

The problem is, when you're talking about "all secondary age kids can stay at home, unsupervised, except for 'The Vulnerable'"... what about all those vulnerable kids that weren't given a place in school in the first lockdown? Why would they be given one now?

@Ilovegreentomatoes

Teachers are always seen as being unreasonable when they voice their concerns .

They wouldn't be shouting for the schools to close down if they went on to 70% (or whatever it is now) wages.

They (the whingers - not all teachers) are more than happy to keep getting all their wages even when it means that kids are left high and dry

No. No, no, no. Nope. Nopington. Nopeletts. No-no. Not at all. No way.

No schools shouldn't shut. Risk to children is low and they do better in a teaching setting and socialising with friends. I was furloughed during the last lockdown and homeschooling all 3 of them was hell on earth. I've now been back to work for 2 weeks and am working from home so no homeschooling would be done this time. Our primary school has had one case since they went back in September and zero cases for the secondary school

I'll happily take 70^ to stop being continually castigated by people who know fuck all about what schools are ACTUALLY like. It'll be a joy. I'm sick of 50+ hour weeks (& I'm part time) only to be told I'm lazy blah blah blah.

Zero cases you know of.

Schools aren't actually telling kids, parents or staff outside the immediate contacts about positive cases any more. Happy days!!

We seem to get emailed every time there is a case at school then a follow up email if it’s our kid involved.

We also got an email from the school the other day saying that there has only been a few reports at the schools and the local media reports are blowing it out of proportion.

That'll be a hard NO from me!

YABU

They wouldn't be shouting for the schools to close down if they went on to 70% (or whatever it is now) wages

Who are these teachers? Any evidence of this?

It’s hard to take lockdown seriously when schools will remain open

@GuyFawkesDay

I'll happily take 70^ to stop being continually castigated by people who know fuck all about what schools are ACTUALLY like. It'll be a joy. I'm sick of 50+ hour weeks (& I'm part time) only to be told I'm lazy blah blah blah.

Youre working a 50 hour week even though you're part time? Why?

Schools should shut if they are not empowered by government to manage the infection risk properly. Students should wear masks, have shorter lessons and more breaks to allow air changes in each classroom. And bubbles should be proper bubbles, where if one student tests positive then the whole bubble is sent home.

My children would be fine if schools closed again. They are very privileged in that they have loving, supportive parents and have a warm, safe home with access to adequate food. There are many children who do not have this. They may not be flagged up as ‘vulnerable’ but school is their safe space and safe haven. I worry for those invisible children and the long term impact on them.

Sign me up for the 70% wages as well please.

They wouldn't be shouting for the schools to close down if they went on to 70% (or whatever it is now) wages.
Teachers wouldn't be furloughed even if schools closed because we'd still be teaching. Unless you're actually proposing that we don't teach.

I think schools should stay open. I disagree with this new lock down. If things are so bad why wait till Wednesday.