To ask if you will be sending your dc back to school after the holidays

[Toaskif1]

Yabu- I won’t
Yanbu- I will
As an aside what would convince those who aren’t to send them and does anyone know if schools will be issuing fines?

Of course schools aren't Covid secure. I never thought they were anyway. Tbh where I work isn't either (no ventilation, lots of people, though probably better than schools). I have to go out to work (no home working) so my children are at risk of catching it from me or their dad anyway. Besides which they need their education.
I can understand teachers not wanting to go back but online working didn't work (at my children's school) last time so why would it this time?
If sounds Heartless but do you really want 13/14 years of children education fucked because schools keep closing?

There were a few cases in my daughters high school last term, a couple of pupils and a few more teachers, thankfully nothing in her year.

We are in Scotland where teachers go back next week along with vulnerable children and children of key workers. Next week there will be no learning, just well-being support being provided and from the 11th for a week there’s will be online support for each class. Which means the majority’s of children in mainland Scotland don’t go back to school until the 18th.

Ds is in year 12 and I would like him to attend, if at all possible. I also work p/t in a primary school. He's just been granted an EHCP (should be finalised this week) and after years of little to no support, I'm keen for him to start getting the help he desperately needs.

I'm sure I've already commented on the thread but it wasn't high lighted.

I'm going to try and tread water for as long as possible, hopefully the rumours are true that secondary dc go back 18th... So I'll try and keep her off the week after.. Primary dd... I'll definitely not send back the first week and try and tread water for the second...

I wish people would stop lumping all schools together in the same category. DDs school has about 90 pupils, each class has its own entrance and outdoor play facility so they really are kept in their bubble of 15. Ventilation, staff have ppe etc. I'm so lucky that all the staff are absolutely amazing and genuinely want to be there with the children.
Yes it might not be 100% secure but it's working.

Luckily, dh works from home, he can't do much apart from feed them and keep loose eye bit my expectations are changed in the face of this pandemic. I'm worrying about Access to health care and breathing stuff...

Not sure. We're in T4, her school is in the oart if town which has the highest cases. A deep dive found that the very high rate of cases in our area was down to a few areas in the town.

DD has asthma, I have a range of health concerns which make me extremely vulnerable.

It doesn't feel responsible to send her in.
On the other hand, I'm concerned that if I don't send her in, EWOs will get involved, and I'll get into trouble.
I just wish that they closed the schools until the rates fell back down.

If sounds Heartless but do you really want 13/14 years of children education fucked because schools keep closing?

It won't be 13 years

If it was a choice then no. As it stands I can't afford to be fined, queried with primary school earlier in the pandemic re: keeping youngest home (her older sister has cerebral palsy) and was told that if school is open she has to be in or it would be classed as unauthorised absence

I'm really unsure what to do - I don't think it's safe, but I think it's in my DC's best interest to be there, mental health wise. This makes the decision on an individual basis (we're low risk and won't see older relations) far from straightforward.

I just wish the government would do the responsible thing and close all schools - at least for a few weeks.

If anybody is watching the Oxford vaccine press conference, teachers over 50 and those under 50 who are CV are now being included in the first phase of the roll out.

Yes when they open fully

If anybody is watching the Oxford vaccine press conference, teachers over 50 and those under 50 who are CV are now being included in the first phase of the roll out.

Over 50s and CV people were always included in phase 1 of the rollout.

Most likely won’t be sending him - as long as we aren’t fined of course.

I will, but reluctantly. None of us are vulnerable but I m self employed and the higher earner so I really can’t afford to not be able to work if I am ill so I really want to avoid catching it for this reason. I really want the government to make the decision for us and close primaries. I ll lose half my income if that happens but I just don’t think it’s safe particularly for school staff. However I need to balance this with school being the best place for DS to learn. There has only been one burst bubble in a school of over 500 as well and although we are tier 3 we haven’t been mentioned as an area set for tier 4 so I think our cases are stable for now. All of this has factored into our decision to send him back but I am unhappy about it. I have been fine about him going in up until now.

@Doublefaced

If anybody is watching the Oxford vaccine press conference, teachers over 50 and those under 50 who are CV are now being included in the first phase of the roll out.

They always were !

"The committee considered evidence on the risk of exposure and risk of mortality by occupation. Under the priority groups advised below, those over 50 years of age, and all those 16 years of age and over in a risk group, would be eligible for vaccination within the first phase of the programme. This prioritisation captures almost all preventable deaths from COVID-19, including those associated with occupational exposure to infection. As such, JCVI does not advise further prioritisation by occupation during the first phase of the programme" (published 2/12, updated 3/12)

CEV priority 4
over 65s priority 5
CV age 16-64 priority 6
over 60 priority 7
over 55 priority 8
over 50 priority 9

Occupational priority (teachers, first responders, military, criminal justice system, transport, workers essential to pandemic response) is being considered for next phase

We are in a tier 4 area, with over 1100 cases per 100k in my immediate area. My DD is in year 1, she won’t be going back for the first week for definite and then I will play it by ear.

How do you know it won't be for 13 years? It's a mutating virus. Okay it probably won't be 13 years but it doesn't matter if it's 13 years or one year. Children are still missing out and especially when they get to about Y5 or 6 and beyond the chances of them catching up reduces.
I think they will close because I can't see what else they'll do but praying I'm wrong.

How do you know it won't be for 13 years? It's a mutating virus. Okay it probably won't be 13 years but it doesn't matter if it's 13 years or one year.

OK, well firstly scientists know that viruses (all viruses) mutate and they are confident that vaccines can be tweaked to respond to those mutations (as the flu jab is every year). Secondly of course it matters if it is one year vs thirteen years. You're not seriously telling me the outcome is the same whether a child misses one year of school vs their entire schooling career?

Definitely will be sending all 4 in to secondary and primary. I "homeschooled" last time but made it clear to my employer that if they close again they can either provide proof of keyworker status (we are on the list but not specifically and are now wfh) or furlough me.

I now have keyworker status (which I also think is a load of bollox and grossly unfair)

I imagine a lot of people who didn't send theirs in will do this time.

Yes without a doubt. Not have the means to home educate or keep them off. For the majority of us we don't have that privilege.

I'm the opposite. Sent mine in last time but won't this time.

And I wfh in a small gardenless flat. So less privileged than a SAHP with large garden but more privileged than a supermarket worker who has to physically attend work.