Those wanting school open - are you not worried about your DC?

[Hicksville21]

Just that really. Do you not think it’s time to keep our kids home safe until this wave passes?

@toocold54

How can it be safe for Primaries to go back and not Secondaries? It makes no sense.

It is for childcare reasons only.
My DCs secondary school was allowing places last time for key workers but they are saying this time the places will only be available for vulnerable or SEND kids as they are mature enough to look after themselves at home. So literally only those who need childcare.

Eleven year olds, five days a week?

Shame nobody actually acts on it... I wonder why.

Because understandably they would like to return their child to school as soon as possible without losing the place.

Because understandably they would like to return their child to school as soon as possible without losing the place

Children are entitled to a school place, they will get a place once this is over. But your answer says it all... schools are dangerous, but not enough to warrant any action from concerned parents.

@Ylvamoon

I WISH, that all the parents on treads like this that are pro schools closing/ keeping children safe from covid-19 will actually go ahead and de register their children. They can go ahead with home schooling and be happy that their children are safely at home wrapped in cotton wool.

In turn, that will leave us parents who want schools open with a less crowded school,
give teachers a chance to reduce their bubble size and helps reduce the spread of the virus. Our children will continue to get the education and social interaction they so desperately need...

Win Win for everyone! Shame nobody actually acts on it... I wonder why.

Well in the case of myself and several of my friends who have children with complex needs, because we have spent years fighting for the right support for our children and all that would be at risk if we de register our children.

Your post comes across as though you find this all really amusing, but this year has been incredibly difficult, not only organising all the virtual meetings and paperwork to ensure my ds gets his EHCP right for transition, the difficulties of shielding a child with complex needs, trying to work with Drs and school to ensure we are doing the right thing. I've left my job, I've struggled massively due to juggling the needs of my children, ensuring we don't get fined and bereavement. I consider myself lucky, but I have friends whose children are also medically vulnerable have not even heard back from their Drs. We have managed to keep ds home, as his Dr agrees this is safest, but we are walking a tightrope with school...and for people to joke about 'wrapping in cotton wool and blithely suggest we 'deregister!'...is just so insulting.

@Sockbogies
All those concerned about children catching the virus - kids aren't even on the list for getting a vaccination (unless on the vulnerable list). So how long do people that want to keep their kids at home intend to do this for?
Thanks for the reminder - actually we've been told ds would not be included on the vulnerable list, despite being cev. I don't know how long we can do this for, I don't know what is coming in the future, I can only deal with where we are now. I hope to high heaven that a vaccine suitable for children is rolled out sometime in the future and pray that some sort of herd immunity will protect ds as more of the population get vaccinated.

One thing i do know is that none of this is a joke, and it is pretty fucking far from easy. Win win eh.

@Ylvamoon

I WISH, that all the parents on treads like this that are pro schools closing/ keeping children safe from covid-19 will actually go ahead and de register their children. They can go ahead with home schooling and be happy that their children are safely at home wrapped in cotton wool.

In turn, that will leave us parents who want schools open with a less crowded school,
give teachers a chance to reduce their bubble size and helps reduce the spread of the virus. Our children will continue to get the education and social interaction they so desperately need...

Win Win for everyone! Shame nobody actually acts on it... I wonder why.

YES. This.

@HazeyJaneII agreed. It's complicated when the school is named on an EHCP and the only school that's suitable.

@HazeyJaneII - my comment is not aimed at people who struggle with children that have complex needs. You have it difficult, you are the parents who have to soldier on when nobody in a professional capacity is willing to help.
My DD (16), has developed social & health anxiety - a direct result of the shit show that is covid-19. We are on an emergency referral... even with that there is a 6 week waiting list... She needs to be in school to help her cope.

My comment is for all the people who think we are able to support online learning indefinitely, despite working full time, people who think we see school as cheap childcare, who believe all the frenzy that the media has whipped up... make out that this virus is worse than the black death.

@Ylvamoon

Because understandably they would like to return their child to school as soon as possible without losing the place

Children are entitled to a school place, they will get a place once this is over. But your answer says it all... schools are dangerous, but not enough to warrant any action from concerned parents.

Um, no children won't be entitled to a school place if their parents deregister them.

The LA will have discharged its duty of allocating them a school place originally. They are under no obligation to allocate another one if a child is voluntarily deregistered.

[quote Ylvamoon]@HazeyJaneII - my comment is not aimed at people who struggle with children that have complex needs. You have it difficult, you are the parents who have to soldier on when nobody in a professional capacity is willing to help.
My DD (16), has developed social & health anxiety - a direct result of the shit show that is covid-19. We are on an emergency referral... even with that there is a 6 week waiting list... She needs to be in school to help her cope.

My comment is for all the people who think we are able to support online learning indefinitely, despite working full time, people who think we see school as cheap childcare, who believe all the frenzy that the media has whipped up... make out that this virus is worse than the black death.[/quote]
Who else were your comments aimed at then?

You seem to know very little about education, let alone education for those with complex needs or medical needs tbh.

I'd love to be able to make this decision based on facts alone. Unfortunately any closures mean my daughter is totally isolated from any contact with other children, no one to play with all day, day after day. We both WFH full time, and feel like this whole cohort of workers have been completely forgotten about. The thought alone of another full lockdown while we attempt to work is enough to break me

@Sockbogies dh and I both WFH too and although we have 2 dc because one of them has additional needs with an EHCP there's very little social contact between them. Add in my health conditions it's not easy. And yet you think people just want to keep their DC off because we want to wrap them in cotton wool.

Yes, it's grim Sockbogies.

Unfortunately, the government has no appetite for considering alternative childcare provision to schools for working parents.

But looking at the numbers without some significant changes, we're going to be seeing more and more schools closing to more and more year groups or altogether for weeks due to staff sickness, and multiple periods of 10 days off for self-isolation.

Grim all round.

Obviously there is the concern that children will pass it on but unless your child is medically vulnerable, anyone who is worried about their child catching it must be really really bad at statistical analysis....

There are quite a lot of children who, one way or another, are medically vulnerable.

The concern that children may pass the virus on to someone else who is medically vulnerable is also a legitimate one, is it not?

@PastMyBestBeforeDate not at all. I think we all express views based on our circumstances, some of which are choices and others not. I try not to judge so I apologise if I came across that way. I do find it hard within my group of friends who all want schools closed as they are either furloughed or don't work. I got on with it last time,made tougher watching endless adverts or seeing posts on Facebook about the slowdown in lifestyle and how wonderful it was, whereas working long hours, trying to hold educate and shopping for my disabled parents absolutely floored me. I guess this is where my negativity stems from. Given the choice? This week, having a week of work - easy, even under tier 4. If I had to repeat this week until February without the stress of working - not fun but doable. But working and doing all the rest with full knowledge of what that does to me after a few weeks of failing at everything? I think it's understandable why I feel utterly terrified at the idea of doing it again.

Thank you for the apology and explanation . You're right it was galling to see all those "What new skill will you learn in lockdown?" posts and articles. Advanced meal planning with irregular deliveries, stock shortages and an autistic child who will eat 10 specific foods was my only new skill
Given the choice of a safe school or juggling it all, they're going to school every day. I wish I was in that position.

@Sockbogies

Exactly the same. Those who want the closures don’t work or are furloughed. The same people who were #livingtheirbestlife on Insta while I was crying myself to sleep every night during lockdown #1.

I would be interested to know how many would have a change of heart if they had to cope with ft wfh & homeschooling (& a toddler in my case too).

I am made to feel selfish because if schools/early years close my life will be intolerable. I nearly had a breakdown last time. I understand that there is a risk with my dc going to school/childcare and I don’t think that the teachers lives are disposable, I think they should have the best PPE money can buy. I don’t know the answer but I’m sick of being made to feel guilty for NEEDING to send my kids to school/childcare.

[quote Carrotcakey]@Sockbogies

Exactly the same. Those who want the closures don’t work or are furloughed. The same people who were #livingtheirbestlife on Insta while I was crying myself to sleep every night during lockdown #1.

I would be interested to know how many would have a change of heart if they had to cope with ft wfh & homeschooling (& a toddler in my case too).

I am made to feel selfish because if schools/early years close my life will be intolerable. I nearly had a breakdown last time. I understand that there is a risk with my dc going to school/childcare and I don’t think that the teachers lives are disposable, I think they should have the best PPE money can buy. I don’t know the answer but I’m sick of being made to feel guilty for NEEDING to send my kids to school/childcare.[/quote]
You are not alone.

Watching other people have a furlough sabbatical whilst I was throwing 7am to 9pm shifts, fitting it around my kids, food prep, shopping and a husband working out of home as a key worker - ignoring the children, whilst I worked, children who essentially were right down the pecking order as my salary pays the mortgage, killed my soul.

[quote Carrotcakey]@Sockbogies

Exactly the same. Those who want the closures don’t work or are furloughed. The same people who were #livingtheirbestlife on Insta while I was crying myself to sleep every night during lockdown #1.

I would be interested to know how many would have a change of heart if they had to cope with ft wfh & homeschooling (& a toddler in my case too).

I am made to feel selfish because if schools/early years close my life will be intolerable. I nearly had a breakdown last time. I understand that there is a risk with my dc going to school/childcare and I don’t think that the teachers lives are disposable, I think they should have the best PPE money can buy. I don’t know the answer but I’m sick of being made to feel guilty for NEEDING to send my kids to school/childcare.[/quote]
I feel the exact same, it was the hardest thing I’ve ever done and I lost my job at the end of it.
Now so lucky to be in a new job and am having panic attacks at what is going to happen next.

@GoldenLabbie give over with the "free childminding" comments. God forbid people actually want to work to feed their kids!

...and it's absolutely not free anyway. We are paying for our children to be educated!

I'm in a forgotten about group too, I'm not a key worker but I can't do my job from home. I think a lot of people assume that anyone who isn't a key worker can WFH, and that isn't the case, if school isn't open I literally can't work as I can't leave a 7 year old home alone, and as a single parent we need my income to survive.

I've been called selfish for wanting school to stay open and I do feel for teachers but keeping my home and being able to feed DS is my top priority, I cannot do that if he can't go to school as I have no other childcare options right now. It sucks.

The whole situation sucks.

@Carrotcakey reassuring yet sad to know you (and many others) were in the same boat. It really was awful wasn't it, and I don't have a toddler to worry about. I wish I could stop work for a few weeks to get through this bit but that's not an option.

Oh and I bought Dawn O'Porters book about life in lockdown. If you were working and looking after children in the last lockdown DO NOT READ IT!! It will make you ragey!!

your answer says it all... schools are dangerous, but not enough to warrant any action from concerned parents.

You what now?

You are making no sense whatsoever.

Pretty sure that when it comes to claiming benefits, school is very much considered childcare and women are expected to job hunt because their children are at school.

I'm a sahm and want the schools to stay open....for my dcs mental health, their socialisation and education obviously.

I really don't care enough about random elderly people to sacrifice my children anymore.

@sockbogies I'm completely with you. I hate the narrative that anyone who doesn't want schools to close is selfish. Dd is so listless and sad after spending 5 months of the last 10 unable to see other children. So many of the children I teach are struggling with their mental health as a result of Covid restrictions. Why do they not matter?