AIBU to stand up for children and parents...

[alwaysraining123]

... and say that closing schools is not an option. Some observations.

(1) millions of children will suffer poorer mental health, educational deficits and be at risk of physical harm.
(2) if schools close now the government will struggle to get them back open.
(3) the unions are playing a highly political game preying shamelessly on people’s fears.
(4) online learning is of no use for most of the primary school years. Parents basically need to be available all day to support children.
(5) more parents are going to find themselves unable to work causing more financial hardship. This won’t affect your middle class sahps or people who can work from home as much- there are people who actually have to go out of their house to earn a living.
(6) if you’re parent and you’re worried you can keep your child at home.
(7) educational transmission of the virus is low and infection control standards can be escalated where needed.

Whatever is done we need to place maintaining educational provision for children at the heart of it. We need to make it work...there’s no other option.

How about pointing the finger at the government for not getting things organised properly and forseeing that THEIR lack of making decisions and putting measures in place has made this inevitable?
Oh, wait, I've got it.
Because it's easier to blame teachers. 🤷🏻‍♀️

Would it be possible for schools as ask parents to keep their children at home if they can do so....so at least the numbers of children (and parents taking them to school) was reduced. That way parents who really need school for work or children who need the routine to meet whit needs etc can have it while some who can stay at home do.

Totally agree. Teachers have totally dominated the discussion on this. It’s widely known that so many teachers on mumsnet seem to really dislike their jobs and really ideally wouldn’t be teachers, so would probably love schools to shut.
The shouting about schools shutting does not take into account what is best for children or parents.

Totally agree OP. I will not forgive the unions and teachers if they force primary schools to close again.

I agree. Parents should have the option to either send kids in or keep them at home. No one should judge the other. I personally want my daughter in school, she's in reception and has been doing so well, missing school will send her back. Her school had also been fantastic with their Covid precautions

You can't keep your child home though. I don't know if they're handing out fines but the absence will be classed as unauthorized.
I'm seriously thinking of keeping my reception aged child home for the first two weeks because the older 3 are going to be home so we could potentially stop contact with any positive cases for that time.
I don't see the point in keeping the older three home is DD is going to school mixing with atleast 34 other people, none of whom I know anything about in regards to how careful they are being outside of school hours.

I'm sad that early years staff and children rarely get a mention. Preschool kids need even more supervision than primary, which means EY staff are even more hands on and parents are even more screwed if nurseries close because there's no way in hell you can work from home, let alone go out to work, and look after a two year old at the same time. The government is at fault for all of this. They've let us all down here, kids, parents and teachers alike.

I was very in favour of schools staying open for a long time, but now with this new variant I think they need to stayed closed for a couple more weeks. Get the rates down a bit, get the vaccines rolled out.

I’m a full time working single mum so not saying it because I’m in any easy position! I’m obviously lucky I can wfh though.

For those bashing the teachers, it's not teachers who don't want to work, it teachers who want a safe environment to work in and no, no matter what Gavin Williamson says primaries are in no way covid safe! They can't wear masks, they can't distance, they're not being offered vaccines as a priority! This is not about teachers not wanting to work

My sons head teacher is desperate to keep his secondary school open because he's a head teacher and realises how important it is.
It's the government that need to make teachers and all teaching staff a priority. The elderly that aren't relient on care and can isolate should IMO and teachers should be given priority over them, especially those 45+.

Alwaysraining,

Fundamentally, I think children should be in school but, right now, the balance of risk has tipped the other way.

The government needs to make schools as safe as possible for pupils and teachers. There should be teams of maintenance men going round schools making sure windows open etc.

All pupils should wear masks all the time (as they do in virtually every other nation) and teachers over 50 should be number 2 priority (after NHS) for vaccines.

What would you say to a 55-65 year old teacher who is being asked to go into a poorly ventilated classroom with very little if any PPE, where there is likely to be at least one infectious child?!

I actually cannot get my head around why people aren't getting that the option of letting the virus do its thing and loosening the restrictions literally is not a viable choice. We would end up in the situation we are in now and then some. Mental health, education and the economy would be fucked anyway.

I feel far, far more sympathy for teachers than children right now. It's awful.

Teachers should be vaccinated immediately following frontline NHS staff.

And BTW I am saying that as someone with quite bad MH issues, working from home whilst caring for a reception aged only child in a small flat without no outside space.

@Saylethewayles

I actually cannot get my head around why people aren't getting that the option of letting the virus do its thing and loosening the restrictions literally is not a viable choice. We would end up in the situation we are in now and then some. Mental health, education and the economy would be fucked anyway.

I completely agree. Today in the UK they've recorded the highest number of covid cases to date, over 57 thousand.

I'm with you except point 5 - as someone who both mr and my headband WFH it isn't easy! I generally do 12 hours a day and he does 15. Where do we squeeze the teaching in??

YABU. Great, I can send my kids to school, they can pick up corona, and then share it with me and DP. What a winner. Obviously you think it's much less damaging for kids to have severely ill parents than miss a few days of spelling.

All these pseudo-scientists on the Internet will be like 'oh but the kids don't transmit it'. Yeah - bollocks, this isn't some magical virus that hates children.

Lastly, we all know the government will close schools anyway, just late, like they have done with everything else. For evidence I present you with exhibit A, the Christmas mess.

My husband not my headband!

Vaccinate all teachers and then open the schools.

Agree with vaccination but it’s gone beyond that with the new variant and the government shilly-shallying, the situation in schools is now affecting the wider community as well. How could it not when out of school we need to distance, ventilate, wear masks - in schools none of these! The government had the whole summer to make some sensible plans to make schools safer and they’ve done nothing other than saying “schools are safe” as though it was some magic incantation which will make it so.

Completely agree. It is disgraceful that kids are now no longer receiving an education. What on earth has become of this country? They had better start ramping up this vaccine distribution and get schools open and the country back on track. Enough is enough.

1. Agreed. Teachers want safety measures in place now to keep schools open without risking their families or the families of their students. (2) No. Teachers want schools open, just with some safety measures already in place for all other workplaces. (3) I wish their thinking was this sophisticated. They’d have much more power.
   (4) Agreed. See point 2 about keeping schools open. (5) Agreed. See point 2. Many teachers are parents too. (6) The government will fine you. The GOVERNMENT. (7) I’m sorry, you’ve lost me here.

Whatever is done we need to place maintaining educational provision for children at the heart of it. We need to make it work...there’s no other option

Schools have been asking for help to ‘make it work’ since September. They have NO money left, and cleaning/supply costs are escalating. Primary teachers have been asking to wear masks. Secondary teachers have been asking to run rotas. They’ve been ignored. No wonder they’re turning to the unions now.

Yanbu I agree although it is a balancing act. What I think is astounding is how naive some mnetters are in thinking we can close schools for 2 weeks and then hunky dory back...it will be months again!

I am not looking forward to home schooling again. It was awful the last time. However, when our borough was left off the original closures list I thought it was stupid. School is the best place for our kids to receive the education they are entitled to. However, school staff and the children are entitled to be in a safe environment.
All school staff should be bumped up the vaccination schedule.

How dare the unions look after the safety of their members?

I agree, OP.