why doesn't the gov pay the parents to home educate if they want to?

[tinselwreath]

I just have a question as I'm curious what people think here since there is the obstacle of closing primary schools to keep virus numbers down.

Why doesn't the government offer the pupil funding to the parent instead? This could be completely voluntary but considering there is about £3750 attached to each primary school pupil, they could give this directly to parents at around £300+ per month for each child and not include this in universal credit calculation to make it more lucrative. Plenty of parents would probably choose not to send their children in and it would leave more space for rotas/social distancing for the parents who cannot take the pupil funding option instead. This shouldn't cost anymore money because it is simply taking the money that the school would receive and giving it to the parent.

@FamilyOfAliens

I should be able to get some sleep when my DH gets up, we're taking it in shifts.

There's no online schooling that works for the kind of SEN my children have.

Err...send them to school then??

Where are the campaigns for all the working parents of Hull and Manchester who couldn’t work because their schools were shut through infection and couldn’t work. Just so long as the leafy suburbs are okay there won’t be anything done.

Absolutely! Hull nearly got to the point where they had to close key public services and yet nobody here cared.

@iamusuallybeingunreasonable

I don't understand this. Do people really fight schools to take children when they don't want them? They told me they wouldn't be able to provide an education. Why would I send them somewhere that wouldn't even try? Don't take this as a go, I just don't understand.

@MrsMomoa

We haven't been given a school place. I guess I could try to do a tribunal but we don't have the money for that.

[quote tinselwreath]@FamilyOfAliens

I should be able to get some sleep when my DH gets up, we're taking it in shifts.[/quote]

The people without children pay because those children will be the ones funding/operating the childless their healthcare and retirement in the future.

Oh goodness, so much wrong with this statement IMO.

Sorry Op, but it’s a choice to have children. Why am I, as a childless person under your idea, paying for children to be schooled at home?!

We are already paying for this - teachers are setting work and doing online lessons even in the state sector. A lot of parents are struggling with this so how will they cope being a full time teacher at home when they have (sorry!) barely any clue - not trained/educated to the right level etc.

Your idea just won’t work and doesn’t make sense. Sorry.

We have EHCPs but we are still being considered for a place for next year and I have no idea what to do or how to argue any of this. We have had no schooling since March. I don't even know how much the EHCPs are worth. The whole process for us started in late 2019 so its been really unfortunate timing. I receive carers so I consider myself as "WFH"

How much ECHPs are WORTH ?
As in money?

OP you are joking.

[quote tinselwreath]@iamusuallybeingunreasonable

I don't understand this. Do people really fight schools to take children when they don't want them? They told me they wouldn't be able to provide an education. Why would I send them somewhere that wouldn't even try? Don't take this as a go, I just don't understand.[/quote]
You find another school then, you're not explaining if this is a post or pre pandemic issue. There are SEN schools and respite settings to be envied in this country. It's clear you don't really value the educational in school setting by your suggestion we all have the option to home school.

I'm afraid most of us don't have desires to be a martyr, and school is the best place for the vast majority of children.

@SueEllenMishke

I see the vulnerable kids are being used as shields again by those who don’t want schools to close.

Tell me, what were you doing in September when schools in the most deprived areas of the North West were closed for weeks? We’re you out delivering food parcels or campaigning for more support for those families?

Or were you happily ignoring the situation because you could send your kids to FT school and didn’t have a care in the world?

You still haven't answered me.

What happens when it's deemed safe enough to go back to school and there are no teachers there?

Also what about parents who have been furloughed. So they are receiving 80% of their salary and legally can't work. That time can be used to help with online learning. You want the to have more money on top?

1) Your primary has low number FOR NOW. And you also don’t know how many asymptomatic cases there are

True but 3 cases since September is very low and doesn't warrant full closure.
.
2) Blended learning is one week in and one week out (with work set for the week out). Why couldn’t kids access that? It requires no computers. And vulnerable kids and kids with additional needs are provided spaces in school

Great. I'll tell my work I need alternate weeks off work shall I? My 6 year old needs supervision and support. Also, that's not how all schools are approaching blended learning- we've been told they'll be using google classrooms if they shut with 'live' lessons.

3) The government are the ones who are driving this. Where are the campaigns for all the working parents of Hull and Manchester who couldn’t work because their schools were shut through infection and couldn’t work.

I live I Manchester. Not all schools have been closed or have had high rates of infections.

As I said, keeping schools open as a priority means nothing else can open. It is quite an entitled take to suggest that the people in affected sectors lose their jobs and the childless remain sequestered at home so that WFH parents don’t have to deal at all with blended learning.

Children are entitled to an education. It's important. Why do you assume parents who WFH don't want to deal with blended learning. We're working!!!! I can't work and homeschool and care for my child at the same time.

My sister has lost two jobs this year and is about to lose her house. She works in the hospitality sector.
That is dreadful. I have friends in the same position. I don't agree with the closing of the hospitality sector either. There were lots of establishments which were managing the situation well and it's a travesty they had to close.

@FamilyOfAliens

What?

@Toilettripping

You pay towards children because you will depend on those children when you are unable to take care of yourself. If the current system doesn't work then it shouldn't be controversial to figure out how to keep it working.

You seem to spend an inordinate amount of time on here, you need to go wake your husband up and go and sleep - he's definitely not pulling his weight

@tinselwreath , the school place you have is the one you are currently refusing. The school are telling you that continuing there is not in the best long term interests of your child. It would be nice if the school could say this on Monday and you are provided with a shiny new specialist place on Tuesday, but real life doesn't work like that. The school need to tell you how it is and not tell you lies. They are trying to take the first step towards getting a better place for your son because they want him to have the best future possible and they can't provide that. If they didn't, you could bumble along thinking all is well for another year or two while it becomes even harder to find another suitable setting. I appreciate you are tired and sleepy but I really do think you need to talk to someone to help move your thinking on about your child and what his best interest are because I have seen so many children stuck in the wrong provision because parents find it hard to understand what the school is saying and why they are saying it.

@tinselwreath

Without it being law, there is no way that hours of work will be reduced. The most likely thing is that women will not be working anymore.

There are far more female primary school teachers than male, and the primary school teaching support staff is also largely made up of women.

Give the money to parents to home educate - reduce primary school budgets - reduce primary school teachers and support staff - less women working.

So how does that help with your idea of keeping women in the workplace?

And what happens after the pandemic? Are people continuing to home educate? Or,do they expect schools to magically re-recruit those they kicked out previously?

[quote tinselwreath]@iamusuallybeingunreasonable

I don't understand this. Do people really fight schools to take children when they don't want them? They told me they wouldn't be able to provide an education. Why would I send them somewhere that wouldn't even try? Don't take this as a go, I just don't understand.[/quote]
If your children have EHCPs as you stated up thread, your SEN case worker would be able to advise you about naming another school in the EHCP. It’s not about fighting, it’s about your children’s right to a education.

The school needs to show evidence that they can’t meet your children’s needs. They need to hold an emergency review so that a more appropriate setting can be found for them.

I would urge you not to waste your time arguing with strangers on the internet - work with your DH and do some research, speak to your case worker once they’re back in the office. Be pro-active.

I genuinely think this is the most ridiculous post of the year.

If you want to home educate your precious little darlings do it but don't expect to be paid.

It so open for abuse it's unreal.

[quote tinselwreath]@MrsMomoa

We haven't been given a school place. I guess I could try to do a tribunal but we don't have the money for that.[/quote]
You don't need money to use the SEND Tribunal.

Also you should contact SOS SEN about enforcing your child's right to either a school place or specialist home tuition. sossen.org.uk/admin/resources/JR-2020.pdf

@Goodbye2020Hello2021

Did you read the post I was responding to? PP said it was 70k and I said I don't know what ours were worth. We have 2. Why does it bother you if a mum to children with SEN discusses that she doesn't know what something is worth anyway?

@iamusuallybeingunreasonable

We are still waiting for a decision. We haven't been given a place and you can only apply to 1 special school from what I was told. You have to wait for their answer. If I'm wrong, please let me know it would be useful info.

@GinAndTonicOnIt

Do you think all people would really take this offer up? I honestly don't.

Actually per child is around £7 per week teaching budget for primary so work away ( due to the high numbers is school costs are lower) work away is you want £28 per month

You really need to educate yourself about your children's right to education and support for their SEN. Have a good look at the information on the SOS SEN and IPSEA websites.

I agree @plannit...

@tinselwreath I am paying for my retirement. In the thousands of tax that I pay each bloody year. I don’t take much out of the system but I sure as hell pay in. No children requiring extra support etc.

Your idea fundamentally doesn’t work because as pp’s have said, you assume that it’s just as good for children to be home educated (and pay parents!) as it is currently with being in school or learning from home with school support.

It simply doesn’t work.

@littlebillie

Actually per child is around £7 per week teaching budget for primary so work away ( due to the high numbers is school costs are lower) work away is you want £28 per month

Well, that might cover your twinkl subscription I guess

I see the vulnerable kids are being used as shields again by those who don’t want schools to close.

Have you ever worked in education? Supported these vulnerable, disadvantaged children? I have..... it's not a shield. It's a real issue.

Tell me, what were you doing in September when schools in the most deprived areas of the North West were closed for weeks? We’re you out delivering food parcels or campaigning for more support for those families?

I'm part of a local community group that supports disadvantaged and vulnerable people across Oldham and parts of greater Manchester. We have a food bank and collect school uniforms. We also collect medication and do shopping for those who can't get to the shops.
I sit on various education groups, I'm a school governor and volunteer to support secondary school leavers with job hunting and careers support.