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Original poster

2 months to the vaccine - let parents decide

107 replies

herecomesthsun · 30/12/2020 17:05

We only have 2 months to go (according to the BBC discussion I am listening to now).

The ministers are "very fearful" of the virus being out of control.

We have over 50k cases and 981 deaths today.

Why not give parents the choice about homeschooling while the vaccine is rolled out? (with social services supporting vulnerable children).

That way - parents & children who need schools open can get into schools

  • vulnerable families who need to homeschool can homeschool

-schools are safer as fewer children are in

Fewer people die awaiting the vaccine.

Homeschooling could only be for a few weeks or months and children of responsible parents will be fine.

everybody wins

it is simple?

OP posts:
PastMyBestBeforeDate · 30/12/2020 19:50

Yes Nutty also looking at previous attendance. I genuinely can't remember the last time ds missed a day of school that he was eligible for.

Understandingnotignorance · 30/12/2020 21:59

Some posters here have made really good points of the impact on their children becoming one of those vulnerable/disadvantaged children if anything was to happen to them. Schools are aware of the majority of those children who are at risk or have concerns about so I think it is weak to state all children must be in regardless of their CEV family members or circumstances on the basis of this argument.

inquietant · 30/12/2020 22:02

I am just popping in to say a big F Off to the suggestion I should have to deregister.

Deregistering is a rubbish option and I won't do it.

So I will keep campaigning for schools to SHUT since I have no sensible option open to me.

Iremembertheelderlykoreanlady · 30/12/2020 22:05

My child has two CV parents.

Is it better for his future to

A) miss 2 months of school and have us set him work to do at home which we are more than capable of doing and he enjoys

B) become an orphan (in a worst case scenario) and have to live with the knowledge that he more than likely brought it home from.school. And before anyone pulls out the "how would he possibly know that he brought it home from school?!" He's 9, not stupid. He knows what is going on with regards to coronavirus and schools.

SinkGirl · 30/12/2020 22:18

You would think that if you can provide medical evidence that someone in your family is significantly at risk, there’d be no issue keeping them at home if you wish. It’s really appalling parents are being told this isn’t possible. If I were in this situation I would tell the school my children aren’t coming, here’s medical evidence of why, and see what they do. Surely they will have to use their discretion here.

MushMonster · 30/12/2020 22:31

Yes, options would benefit all around as you say. I agree with that.

Vitaminsss · 30/12/2020 22:35

Because it’s more hassle than it’s worth?

What if the standard of education provided is poor?
What if the child is in an abusive household?
What if the child isn’t being regularly fed, but would be in school?

This would only work if schools and social services were closely monitoring home schooling, they don’t have the resources

Vitaminsss · 30/12/2020 22:36

Schools are aware of the majority of those children who are at risk

So it’s okay to let the minority slip through the cracks?

Lumene · 30/12/2020 22:37

Because vulnerable children who most need school to support and sometimes feed them and spot signs of abuse won’t get sent in.

Lumene · 30/12/2020 22:38

Schools are aware of the majority of those children who are at risk

The list changes. Circumstances change. Children join in year.

Plus awareness means little if those children are stuck at home and never in school.

Original poster
herecomesthsun · 30/12/2020 22:40

@Vitaminsss

Because it’s more hassle than it’s worth?

What if the standard of education provided is poor?
What if the child is in an abusive household?
What if the child isn’t being regularly fed, but would be in school?

This would only work if schools and social services were closely monitoring home schooling, they don’t have the resources

What if the parents get ill? What if a parent dies?

What if the children get a better education and are better fed than they would in school?

What if the family, having lost a family member, sues the D of E?

What about the effect of family illness or bereavement on children's mental health?

Wouldn't it be fairly straightforward to let the family just home educate in the current situation? Unless there is a good reason against?

OP posts:
Lumene · 30/12/2020 22:40

Having said that, if I was a parent with a CEV household member I would likely not be sending the child in.

brightlights73 · 30/12/2020 22:46

My primary age kids won't be going back in the first week. Will see how the numbers go and take in a week at a time. Can't trust a word this government says, will make our own decisions.

Understandingnotignorance · 30/12/2020 22:46

@Vitaminsss and so it's ok for those who have CEV family members or children to have their lives at risk??

Original poster
herecomesthsun · 30/12/2020 22:47

@Lumene

Because vulnerable children who most need school to support and sometimes feed them and spot signs of abuse won’t get sent in.
then support those children? and let CEV families survive till they get the vaccine otherwise family members actually are going to die?

I mean, I would say pick your battles, but this is one worth fighting.

If people are keen to support vulnerable children, that's fantastic, put money into services for them. I have paid a shedload of tax in my time (and never voted conservative ever) and I would support that.

Forcing children into unsafe schools in the middle of a raging pandemic is a very strange way to keep children safe.

And actually parents will go to court to stop this because it is an abuse of human rights as things stand. Article 2 of the Human Rights Act is the right to life, for example, and that is protected by law. In a pandemic there could be interpreted as right to a work (or study) environment with reasonable mitigations to protect from infection, and we don't have that in schools the way they are. At least, that is one avenue that could fruitfully be explored.

OP posts:
Understandingnotignorance · 30/12/2020 22:47

So it's ok for these people and children to slip through the cracks too??

Original poster
herecomesthsun · 30/12/2020 22:50

@Understandingnotignorance

So it's ok for these people and children to slip through the cracks too??
So it's ok for CEV families and children to skip through the yawning cracks of the government's plans and get ill?

It's ok for infection control to slip through the cracks and allow other variants of this virus to mutate that are even harder to treat?

Is that what you mean?

OP posts:
Vitaminsss · 30/12/2020 22:52
  1. Irrelevant
  2. How many children may die of starvation or abuse?
  1. The majority of the British public are not well off and are not well educated. You are referencing the privileged minority.
  1. We’re not in America old dear
  1. Your tunnel vision is apparent here - the opposite also affects children’s mental health.
  1. No. The resources aren’t there and protecting abused children should be the upmost priority. You sound truly vile if you think otherwise.....imagine if that was your child in that situation? Let me guess, you’re one of those “I’m alright, Jack” people? Cute, just don’t feign condolences the next time a child death is reported in the media
Understandingnotignorance · 30/12/2020 22:53

@Vitaminsss and what do you mean by its more hassle than it's worth. Its a hassle to safeguard the lives of CEV? That's the value of people who are significantly at risk, they aren't worth the hassle of Safeguarding their lives by not applying a blanket statement in the midst of a pandemic?

Vitaminsss · 30/12/2020 22:53

This reply has been deleted

Message deleted by MNHQ. Here's a link to our Talk Guidelines.

Understandingnotignorance · 30/12/2020 22:56

No the op doesn't sound truly vile, your words are the ones that are abhorrent. "Not worth the hassle" beggars belief and then followed up with irrelevant.

I think you are being deliberately antagonistic which given the circumstances is even more disgusting.

movingonup20 · 30/12/2020 23:05

@Busygoingblah

Exactly my thoughts

PastMyBestBeforeDate · 30/12/2020 23:06

Vitamin and if parents off roll their DC to avoid prosecution then who will keep an eye on them? Most of the CEV are hoping for vaccination within weeks. Then those children will be back.

MeringueCloud · 30/12/2020 23:22

@PastMyBestBeforeDate

Vitamin and if parents off roll their DC to avoid prosecution then who will keep an eye on them? Most of the CEV are hoping for vaccination within weeks. Then those children will be back.
Schools can " off roll". Parents can de-register.

We should not assume that most parents are so bad at bringing up their children that they need someone to constantly "keep an eye on them".
According to the Education Act it is the parents who are responsible for making sure their children are receiving an education, not schools. You can let a school educate your child for you, but that is up to you. I think the government/authorities often forget that their function is to serve the population, not the other way round. They should trust parents to make these decisions. We should not assume that children are by default safer and better off at school.

However, there are of course children who need the support of schools and social services to keep them safe. They need more support than they are getting ( and were getting before covid as well) and that's something that the government needs to prioritise asap.

OzziePopPop · 30/12/2020 23:24

I’d fully support and take this up. Both DH and I are are (not shielding) but have multiple vulnerabilities, me more than him. I’ve got four separate vulnerabilities. The kids are in school, well were before Christmas but I’m terrified to send them back, it’s worse here than March! I am disabled and at home, well educated etc and can support them (years 5 and 9) so please let me. I know our teachers would support and both did any and all work in lockdown 1 plus lots of extra. We ran ‘mummy home school’ and they learned so much they were bored when they went back! No a blanket approach won’t do either but for some of us, where appropriate, please allow this as an option.