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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:
SkySports · 30/12/2020 23:43

@CelestrialWarrior

You do have the choice, take your children out instead of waiting for the Government to ask.
This for the people who perhaps don't have to work, have resources and education standard to hone school. Go do it. What are you waiting for.
Beebityboo · 30/12/2020 23:47

I suppose it needs spelling out. The disabled and the vulnerable should not have to give up the school places of their children to keep themselves alive. They should not have to choose between the education of their children and their lives. It is sadistic, it is cruelty and it is inexcusable.

PastMyBestBeforeDate · 30/12/2020 23:55

@SkySports some of us are so desperate that we're willing to juggle jobs with a few weeks home schooling. We did it in lockdown 1.

PastMyBestBeforeDate · 30/12/2020 23:56

It's the criminal prosecution that's the fear.

ReesMoggsGlasses · 30/12/2020 23:59

@herecomesthsun

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?

This is far too sensible, would never work as people do t seem to like sensible any more, they only want extreme
PandemicPavolova · 31/12/2020 00:01

Bee, nealry every winter dd has had some urgent medical interventions, maybe only one a year, she's not been classified as anything but I've had to get her on oxygen, nebs steroids in a hospital.

Why can't we also be allowed to stay well out of school.. I'm not worried at all about her missing some schooling for next few weeks because I know now thanks to the last lock down that she's a quick learner, we can make up that time.

But I am worried about needing to rush her to hospital for an absolutely no fucking about emergency and I can't get her in or, we risk the covid infection on top of what she may already have.

Parents be brave.. Make up excuses if you're worried tread water give excuses...

These are your precious children!

The government won't magic them back if something happens.. What good is an apology.. Things could have been done better at an inquest?

PandemicPavolova · 31/12/2020 00:02

Past,

There must be some counter action though, duty of care risk..

NHS boss said tonight, covid loves a crowd!
They didn't even mention masks, no masks for secondary even.

PastMyBestBeforeDate · 31/12/2020 00:08

I'm gathering resources Pandemic. I'm drinking wine tonight. Tomorrow I do thinking. I will be in touch with a law project on Monday. I emailed my MP before Christmas. There's a petition started by Laura Wong.
We need a journalist.

3littlewords · 31/12/2020 00:11

I don't think it should be a free-for-all anyone can keep their dc off like it was in the summer term, but for those whose families are vulnerable and where the children can effectively learn at home, each family should be able to put their situation forward and be granted special leave or whatever its called, if the children aren't adapting or following the home learning then they must return to the school settings. I appreciate this requires extra time from LEAs and teachers to facilitate this which is probably a main factor as to why it isn't happening already.

Flyingaway16 · 31/12/2020 00:13

Please don't forget you have that choice, LEA's are not fining- can you imagine the court cases and costs if they tried fining? It's scary tactics. Do what is right for your family.

EasterIssland · 31/12/2020 00:16

MH said soonest the vaccines would start making effect is middle April so we’re talking til nearly until may. Just because you vaccine a few doesn’t mean that we can start making changes as the vaccines needs to bring a fair amount protected

PastMyBestBeforeDate · 31/12/2020 00:34

@Flyingaway16 what assurance do you have that Local Authorities aren't fining?

SleepingStandingUp · 31/12/2020 00:54

You're sounding very educated middle class op.

"DH and are are very clever, we could teach our children anything a teacher can, we have adequate resources" good for you. Truly.

6 or 9 million functionally illiterate adults in the UK. How many of those do you think have kids in school? Possibly CEV or with CEV immediate family? Or have to catch buses to school so are worried about the risk? Or just think meh, keep them off, it's safer. But couldn't actually teach their kids phonics and basic maths let alone long division and grammar and all the rest of it.

Or who could but don't have the resources but now feel due to the risks they should try any way?

Or the ones who ways resented schools influence over their kids and now can abuse them with less risk?

Or the parents who think it'll just make life easier to not send them in and not bother with the work.

Which school now aren't really marking because the nice middle class parents down the road can do it all?

Yes there should be more flexibility bit it should be the exception not the rule. Parents should have to request specifically to withdraw their child temporarily and prove why is CEV parent

PastMyBestBeforeDate · 31/12/2020 01:03

@SleepingStandingUp Parents should have to request specifically to withdraw their child temporarily and prove why is CEV parent
And yet people who are doing exactly that are being told they will be fined.

SleepingStandingUp · 31/12/2020 01:05

[quote PastMyBestBeforeDate]**@SleepingStandingUp* Parents should have to request specifically to withdraw their child temporarily and prove why is CEV parent*
And yet people who are doing exactly that are being told they will be fined.[/quote]
Well that's because I'm not ruler of the UK. I said they SHOULD be able to, imo. Not my fault Boris doesn't listen to me.

eeeyulesmiles · 31/12/2020 01:38

To those who think this shouldn't be allowed - are there any circumstances at all in which you think it should? I mean, if not now, in the middle of a pandemic with infection rates shooting up and in particular in school-aged children, when could parents be reasonably 'allowed' to keep a child away from school for a short period of time without losing a school place?

Is there any situation at all in which you think it would be appropriate to allow something more than an all or nothing "in every day school is open, or deregister" choice?

I find it bizarre that people claim to worry about vulnerable children, when not allowing a bit of parental discretion at this point already has led some families to deregister, and therefore go much further from the oversight of any authority and for longer than just having a few weeks off school.

Are people against this also against schools closing every year for the summer holidays?

Do people against this not really believe that the CEV parents and siblings of some children are really at risk? Or is it that they do, but they just see them as acceptable collateral damage if they get ill, and those children's resulting suffering as a reasonable price to pay to keep another group of children who are vulnerable to neglect or abuse in school every day? Even right now when the risk to the CEV parents is higher than it's ever been at any point in the pandemic?

Why not at least try to keep both sets of children and families safe, rather than just giving up on one set completely and saying tough luck, you've got to just take your chances?

Understandingnotignorance · 31/12/2020 01:52

@eeeyulesmiles well said.

More than bizarre though I think it is a case of lack of empathy as people are not in the same boat and so fail to see the viewpoint of those CEV and for some it is acceptable collateral damage like you state after seeing one posters comments on here.

openallthetime · 31/12/2020 01:55

yanbu OP, i would choose to homeschool (ie no school) for a couple of months just to see how it goes.

LacyEdge · 31/12/2020 02:33

Spot on @eeeyulesmiles

Not sure why we even need to gatekeep the home learning option. Why only offer it to CEV families who show proof? Why doesn’t the DfE just throw the option out to families who can deal with it, leaving more space in classrooms for vulnerable and key workers’ kids? It’s best for everyone.

Willyoujustbequiet · 31/12/2020 09:01

Yanbu op

The lack of empathy and understanding shown by a handful of posters is breathtakingly ignorant.

Im a lone parent with one vulnerable child and a disabled child for whom Im a carer. If I get this they go into care. There is no one else. Are some idiots really suggesting 2 further months in school is worth being an orphan for? Beggars belief

I'm not sending them back but Im not worried about threats as it would never stand up in court in a million years.

Original poster
herecomesthsun · 31/12/2020 09:05

@EasterIssland

MH said soonest the vaccines would start making effect is middle April so we’re talking til nearly until may. Just because you vaccine a few doesn’t mean that we can start making changes as the vaccines needs to bring a fair amount protected
I am supposed to get vaccinated in February apparently.
OP posts:
Aroundtheworldin80moves · 31/12/2020 09:19

Schools should be allowed to give permission for medically vulnerable families to educate 'off site'. (I'm pretty sure it's happening on my DDs school, according to my daughter anyway about her close friend). If they can't, it seems short sighted.

The London/SE situation of seemingly random council closures seems ludricous from the outside. I hope the schools/teachers/parents can vote with their feet... Although I'm sure there are loads of parents relieved they can still work.
I'm happy that schools are open in my 'lower case' area in the Midlands for now. But watching data carefully.

Bluewallpaperflowers · 31/12/2020 09:22

Totally agree OP

52andblue · 31/12/2020 09:25

@herecomesthsun

Re vulnerable children - We are talking a short period of time. If there are any concerns, schools could ask children to come in. If these families don't have laptops or broadband or there is not evidence children are doing work, then they could be asked to come in.

Re support from teachers, I would be really happy with the curriculum basically. And a copy of any work going to isolating children. We are able to teach. So quite minimal support. We can mark maths and offer guidance re English etc.

Re exam years, that is difficult and I would be keener for those to go in (but having some members of other years at home would reduce people going into school/ infections in siblings etc). It would make sense for there to be more emphasis on exam years.

This is eminently sensible and I couldn't agree more. At the moment ALL those in Schools (and therefore wider society spreading out in ripples from family units) are simply cannon fodder.
PandemicPavolova · 31/12/2020 09:28

Sleeping, you have sparked off questions that require much wider discussion and in fact I stumbled across a thread yesterday about phonics and illiteracy.
My own personal experience is learning to read like Michael Moropgo where he said one day the letters fell into place and the words made sense.

I was an early and then extremely advanced reader.

Dd1 Slowly absorbed this new to me way of reading, phonics.... And whilst not an early reader, took off by year 1 extremely quickly and has been noted by every teacher since as an extremely adept reader whose breadth of reading also reflects in her excellent writing and advanced spelling.

Dd 2 however, the path has not been that smooth. In fact I'd say now, phonics did not work for her at all and knowing what I do now I fully believe that when a child is not getting phonics, other strategies need to be quickly deployed.
Ie flash cards, Peter and Jane books, learning by building up the hfw. I got her reading over lock down.
So re the illiterate parents, if their dc learn or have same sen as mum and dad... Phonics may not work for them either and they will remain locked out of literacy for the sake of trying different strategies.

But this is a massive derailment.

Eeeey, totally agree..

I'd also like to know more about fines.