State schools must stay open but private schools can close early

[Lumene]

This seems really wrong to me. Kids I know at private school has their last day yesterday, so a clear run until Christmas. But the government is forcing state schools to stay open, meaning parents have a legal obligation to send their kids in.

This means if you pay you can safely see your family at Christmas but if you don’t then you can’t unless you break the law and face a fine.

They are getting fined.

They are being issued with formal notices.

They are deregistering to avoid it.

They are sending their children to school because they are scared of the consequences.

Some LAs aren’t. Some heads aren’t. Some are. It’s a lottery. It’s a joke.

Honestly, please click on this link and read some of the stories. The d of e have removed it from their page and it’s not hard to see why.

m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=3535507603151665&id=116423535060106

Definitely not a covid thing, I picked my eldest up on Thurs, same every year. They always get longer than state schools. Youngest (not yet old enough) always has a strop because the 3ldest has longer holidays.

Generally 3 weeks Christmas, 3 weeks Easter, 8-9 weeks summer plus only the Feb and Oct half term.

@catspyjamas123

The issue is freedom, isn’t it? Parents should have the freedom to protect our children by not sending them into Covid-riddled school buildings. But there is no freedom. We are warned we may be “reported” and schools are told they may be sued. The teachers are not being lazy but they would like to protect themselves, their families and their pupils. I can’t see what the Government is trying to achieve? Infections have rocketed thanks to the schools. Meanwhile private schools (e.g. Eton) have the option to close if they think it best.

As for Gaffin’ Gavin, he hasn’t put a foot right all year. How is he still in a job?

This.

I don't understand why they're not prioritising school staff for vaccines. If you do this, it will slow the virus rise in schools & in the general community. You'll see quicker results in controlling the vaccine this way than just from protecting the vulnerable. The approach has to be two way: attack & defence against the virus. The gov are just concentrating on defense atm, they need to be a lot more proactive.

petition.parliament.uk/petitions/554316

I’ve got children in a mix of both and it’s the child in private who’s still having to go in.

The two in state are home learning - one from Tuesday and one already.

@combatbarbie

Definitely not a covid thing, I picked my eldest up on Thurs, same every year. They always get longer than state schools. Youngest (not yet old enough) always has a strop because the 3ldest has longer holidays.

Generally 3 weeks Christmas, 3 weeks Easter, 8-9 weeks summer plus only the Feb and Oct half term.

It is in some private schools (a covid thing).

@EssexCat

I’ve got children in a mix of both and it’s the child in private who’s still having to go in.

The two in state are home learning - one from Tuesday and one already.

Presumably because their schools are so broken by the unsafe, unsustainable over crowded classrooms.

@combatbarbie

Definitely not a covid thing, I picked my eldest up on Thurs, same every year. They always get longer than state schools. Youngest (not yet old enough) always has a strop because the 3ldest has longer holidays.

Generally 3 weeks Christmas, 3 weeks Easter, 8-9 weeks summer plus only the Feb and Oct half term.

So you go back on... 🤔🤔🤔 New Year’s Eve??? 🤭🤥🤫🤫🤫

@DidoLamenting
Edinburgh private schools are closing on 18th December same as state schools. Scottish schools, state and private, close for summer around 23 June.

That’s not actually true. State schools finish on the 22nd.

This is such an England-centric thread.

Welsh secondary schools are moving to online learning from Monday.

Not all schools are threatening fines for non attendance, our Scottish state school has specifically detailed that they are sympathetic to people taking children out early.

Exactly @BiscuitDrama which is what makes it so unfair. I think posts will always represent whoever chooses to post. An amazing number of people from the private sector. An amazing number trotting off the party line.

@wondersun

They are getting fined.

They are being issued with formal notices.

They are deregistering to avoid it.

They are sending their children to school because they are scared of the consequences.

Some LAs aren’t. Some heads aren’t. Some are. It’s a lottery. It’s a joke.

Then complain to the DofE.

Private schools exist and can react as they see fit to suit their staff and pupils. Which is why we use them.

People are complaining to the d of e. The d of e removed the threads from its newsfeed. You could not make it up. Except they do. Again and again.

I really don’t think this is a private school bashing thread btw. It’s about safe schools for all and how frustrating it is that a lot of the people making decisions for state schools have their children in private schools.

@wondersun

People are complaining to the d of e. The d of e removed the threads from its newsfeed. You could not make it up. Except they do. Again and again.

Not good, but I doubt very much private schools were responsible.

@BiscuitDrama

This is such an England-centric thread.

Welsh secondary schools are moving to online learning from Monday.

Not all schools are threatening fines for non attendance, our Scottish state school has specifically detailed that they are sympathetic to people taking children out early.

Yes, I think it's pretty clear from the thread title that it's about an area where state schools aren't permitted to close early.

@wondersun

I really don’t think this is a private school bashing thread btw. It’s about safe schools for all and how frustrating it is that a lot of the people making decisions for state schools have their children in private schools.

You wouldn't agree this wasn't a private school bashing thread if you had kids in private school! The OP clearly had no understanding of shorter terms.

The problems in state education are why people choose private in the first place.

@MrsMiaWallis of course not, again, not the point of the thread. Why the 🍟

Derailment. This is about state schools getting threatened with legal action when private schools aren’t getting threatened with legal action.

This is not a private school bashing thread.

People aren’t angry with you. Honestly hop onto the link I have put above if you want to properly understand the problem.

Merry Christmas to you and yours 🌲 🎅

[quote wondersun]@PixellatedPixie you find Christmas childish? I think that’s the point? It’s about children? Thoroughly baffled by your comment.[/quote]
I didn’t say Christmas was childish. I said that I think it is childish to be obsessed with one day at the expense of education. All children need on Christmas is to be loved by their primary caretakers and no one is suggesting that that will change. If kids stay in school and have to self isolate that doesn’t mean that they won’t spend Christmas without their own household. Presumably some kids will miss out on seeing their extended family and older relatives during one ten day period but most kids won’t even notice that.

@wondersun

Exactly *@BiscuitDrama* which is what makes it so unfair. I think posts will always represent whoever chooses to post. An amazing number of people from the private sector. An amazing number trotting off the party line.

The fact that private schools were mentioned in the title of the OP is the reason why so many people involved in the private sector are commenting here.

This has nothing to do with private schools. It is actually about the government and what it allows in regard to state schools. It’s like bringing private hospitals into a discussion about how the NHS is managed.

I am not a Tory and wasn’t even raised in the U.K. however I do think that if the government allowed state schools to close there would be a shit show of complaints as how would working parents continue to work? Do we want the economy to take another hit just for the sake of one day a year?

Children will still be with their primary caretakers on the day so for them the day won’t be that different.

I think the way the government appears to be threatening the HT who wanted to close the school early is disgraceful.

@RoseAndRose

I think the way the government appears to be threatening the HT who wanted to close the school early is disgraceful.

So do I, but that has absolutely nothing to do with the fact that the private schools in my county have all closed on the 11th or 12th - as they were always supposed to.

@FuckeryOmbudsman

Yes, I think it's pretty clear from the thread title that it's about an area where state schools aren't permitted to close early.

If it’s been widely reported that English schools are not permitted to close early, but those in other parts of the UK are, then I have missed that.
Is that the case?