Why do my children not deserve an education?

[noitsachicken]

Just because we are not key workers?
My children don’t qualify for a school place, that means they won’t be educated in a classroom, by a teacher, with their peers, they won’t have time to socialise with their friends or play in a group.
They will be sat around the kitchen table, sharing a space with siblings of different ages, all with different needs, with a non-teacher parent trying to do the best they can.
Last lockdown school provision was ‘childcare’ the curriculum was suspended and there was no expectation. That is not the case this time, children who are not allowed in school are at a huge disadvantage.
I realise we are ‘lucky’ compared to others, we have access to technology and I can be home with the children, but I worry for my children, for their mental health and their education.
Why do they not deserve an education and others are prioritised for an education based on their parents job?
How long will those of us with children who are not allowed in school accept this?
I understand the reasons for closing schools, but children are not being treated fairly, if childcare is needed for those with critical jobs then it should be no more than that.

@Freaksandgeeks Thank you
I've missed the boat with booking in a second member of staff to attend with me (huge comp, underfunded TA team - you know how it is) and am a Dept member down - he caught Covid in school and is hospitalised since Boxing Day.

Thanks though

Why?? It’s more important now than ever before! Unless you just want to wallow in an angry gloom for weeks, which helps no one, much less your children.
Think about what you have, not what you’ve lost and teach your children to do the same.

Because it’s patronising. It was appropriate in lockdown one when everyone was busy fighting over loo rolls and waiting to die. But now we’re well and truly sinking in the quicksand with our heads just above the sand, asking us to #feelblessed is just rage inducing.

Think about it other way around. Do you think all those people sending their children really wants to do it? Don't you ever stop and think they may also want to stay at home and keep themselves and children safe?

You are at advantage, your children have attention from you. Those children get way less attention from teachers if more children are in school. And you can help home school your children without planning/making resources yourself, since the teachers do that for you. You can give them extra attention, cater for their individual needs, look up more resources to extend, etc.
I think children who are really advantaged are the ones who has parents at home and not wfh.

@noitsachicken and incidentally op, my own dc certainly isn't receiving the same education as other children.
He's 15, so gcse year and as the bus is cancelled I'm unable to take up his key worker place. He's at home, alone, 5 days a week with no parental support.
Shall I ask to be furloughed? My bubble would then close and the 5 children I'm with everyday (and the 20 at home) would definitely have their education disrupted!!
Luckily I'm just coping with it as best I can and not moaning that it's 'not fair'

We are both key workers (frontline nhs and police), both last time and this time the school provided the same work for those in school as homeschooling.
We send our children in only on days when we are both working but if the school were not providing the opportunity to do the same work as those homeschooled they would have no education at all those days ( unless we started home schooling a 6 and 8 year old at 7pm?).
This isnt fair and it is rubbish I get that but I find it so sad that whilst I am working in a and e you begrudge my children any kind of education and support

Oh ffs. Firstly the DC in schools are not getting a better education unless you think the teachers are able to be in two places at once whilst setting work for the homeschooled children
Most teachers are upfront that the children in school it's about childcare and safety not education (not a dog on teachers just there are only so many teachers and they can't split themselves in two).

Secondly the education is there if you are able to deliver it , I fully recognise that's unutterably hard when working , I was during the first lockdown and it was horrific, but that's just the situation.

Stop playing the picked on martyr. They haven't prioritised keyworker because they think they are better but because they are needed. I promise you if you were lying in a hospital bed you would be grateful for the nurse standing with you because her child could go to school.

Do not make this about poor forgotten children. No child has it easy for education. Noone is getting a sodding gold star service. It's a national pandemic and how dare you create a silly rhetoric of your children not being important.

I could winge all day , I had no choice but to give up my career at the end of the last lockdown. I have no job , two DC,one with extra needs home learning. We haven't been forgotten , we are not less than. It just is.

It takes everything I've got to keep them going and stop backsliding. Get on with it. You can either sit on your backside and complain it's not fair or get up put your big girls pants on and make the best out of whatever situation you are in.

For some people it's just getting through the day with everyone in one piece and that's ok but stop bloody whining. Noone is living the life of riley at the moment. Get bloody on with it and stop being self pitying and martyred.

@GWLTM

I’m a teacher and that’s honestly been my experience this week!

Thank you so much....you will have no idea how much that will have meant to your children’s teachers 💕

Ffs

Why are people acting like Martyrs with self education, it requires very little the kids are doing it online with virtual teacher supervision/assistance it requires little effort from parents this time round, our kid is so busy just getting on with his lessons like he would at school (in fact better no friends to distract him) that the only difference from normal school is that we cook/feed him ourselves at lunch time and see him during the break.

This is piss easy unlike the first lockdown where you had to create lessons and teach yourself because their where zero systems in place and some things we cant teach because we dont know but your suppose to attempt to try.

Im guessing the parent moaning now just sat on their arse and didnt teach their kids anything those first 3 months or so because if you find this new far better system with actual teachers hard you clearly didnt put in the effort to do it yourself the first time.

We can't have everyone at school!

@justanotherneighinparadise

Please stop telling people to count their blessings. It’s as tired as ‘stay safe’.

Should we continue to endorse the complaining then? Unless you are incredibly privileged with enough cash for a highly educated live in nanny - and good for them if they do) then we're all in this same shit-show together.

We either complain or we just get on with living. It does us all good to remember those who are in utter dire straits and telling people to 'stay safe' may be false platitudes to you, but it's a sharing of decency for others.

You do you I suppose but I sign off every lesson with 'take care and stay safe' as I want each child to know that I recognise the times we are all living in.

If it is well organised by the school and a child has access to wifi and a device, remote learning can be a good education (at least for years 2 and above). It is working well for my Year 2 this time. The teacher is in school with the keyworker children teaching all of them at the same time (some in person, others on zoom). Teacher is marking the work etc. online/answering questions. I honestly feel the teacher is trying her utmost to make sure all her pupils progress, whether they are there in person or online.

We have basically moved to blended learning, some children are there in school, others at home.
I don’t think the resentment of who gets to go in and who doesn’t, is worth it. A really good primary school knows their families and who needs to be in. For example, my neighbours, both doctors redeployed to Covid wards, have hired a nanny and kept their children learning from home. However, another family with 4 children including a small baby have sent their older 2 children to school although the mum is on maternity leave, they are not poor etc, live in a house and have tech. The school have decided those children can be in and the school will have their own reasons for knowing what is best and why those children need a place.

We are a family who would qualify for a school place but are currently keeping our older 3 learning from home. As the provision is better this time, I am just about coping for now.

@mam0918

Why are people acting like Martyrs with self education, it requires very little the kids are doing it online with virtual teacher supervision/assistance it requires little effort from parents this time round, our kid is so busy just getting on with his lessons like he would at school (in fact better no friends to distract him) that the only difference from normal school is that we cook/feed him ourselves at lunch time and see him during the break.

This is piss easy unlike the first lockdown where you had to create lessons and teach yourself because their where zero systems in place and some things we cant teach because we dont know but your suppose to attempt to try.

Im guessing the parent moaning now just sat on their arse and didnt teach their kids anything those first 3 months or so because if you find this new far better system with actual teachers hard you clearly didnt put in the effort to do it yourself the first time.

Exactly! I have to teach and cater for my 3 children. Fgs!

We can't have everyone at school!

I didn't think we did?

I am a teacher. We can send our children to keyworker provision. However this weekend we have decided that the risks (in our area) are simply too high. I will still be going into school (SEND provision) and working face to face (and online) with vulnerable children. But my own kids will be being supported by my non teacher DH who is full time WFH.

The size of the key worker bubbles added to the size of bubble in my own workplace is simply too large. I might be able to send them in - and yes they love it and need the socialisation - but it is just too risky for us at the moment.

Keep them home and keep them safe OP

Why isn't this thread in the Coronavirus topic?

@ElizabethP141 I hear you. Have these from me

Unless you have to because of work or other difficult circumstances, I fail to see why anyone would choose to have their child in if they don't need to.

Grow up op. Your dcs have a big advantage over only children, who see none of their peers - scholastic learning isn’t everything. Or children with no tools and area to study. Or children in abusive households.

Are you for real. Just stop feeling sorry for yourself

Key workers, have to go to work to help keep the country going, retail staff, nhs staff, water company staff etc. Not every key worker can work from home, hence the requirement for schooling. Must admit I think it should only be provided if both parents are key workers but that’s another story

And the kids won’t be at school learning like normal, they will have sheets to fill in line those at home, in smaller schools they will be in one class with one teacher. Read other posts on here.

This is an unknown pandemic, a life lesson to us all, a reality check that actually we do live in a fragile environment and it’s how we handle it that matters, it’s how we explain this to the kids ( and accept it as adults) that’s important and foot stamping and ‘it’s not fair’ is not handling it.

This has been very telling for me, lots of people bashing the Government, but then not following rules as they don’t think they need to, lots of people only thinking about themselves, not the bigger picture. We have not had as such strict lockdowns as other country’s but my god have we whinged and moaned.

As regards your kids, how much extra work do you do with them anyway? Just ramp that up with books from the internet, or start if you don’t

But just stop moaning

@Greeneggsandquorn

We are both key workers (frontline nhs and police), both last time and this time the school provided the same work for those in school as homeschooling. We send our children in only on days when we are both working but if the school were not providing the opportunity to do the same work as those homeschooled they would have no education at all those days ( unless we started home schooling a 6 and 8 year old at 7pm?). This isnt fair and it is rubbish I get that but I find it so sad that whilst I am working in a and e you begrudge my children any kind of education and support

No one is begrudging your child education and support. I’m glad your children are getting their education.

@wonderup

We can't have everyone at school!

I didn't think we did?

Well listen to the press reports!

@wonderup

We can't have everyone at school!

I didn't think we did?

So what does OP want? Because everyone will be at school nearly if OP and others like her want to send their kids in along side the current children.

As a healthcare working. Working on covid wards. With 3 children and been a single parent I am finding it increasing hard to bite my tongue on these boards recently.