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.

@soupdragon absolutely, thankfully our school at the very least has dealt with the lack of devices. However, no amount of devices is going to help if you don't have the engagement from school.

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It's life at the moment. I am a TA in my freezing classroom everyday supervising children on laptops doing the same work as your children at home. They get to socialise but that's the only advantage. 2 bubbles burst in the first week back. FYI my 4 children are at home at the moment.

Also I think it is tricky for some children in school. Some are OK sitting in front of a screen doing their work all day. Some are finding this very difficult and could ideally do with working to a different timetable.

I've had a real deep think about this "keyworker" thing the last few days.

I'd often wondered if there's an element of jealousy after I heard someone speak in an interview the other day.
He pointed out that whilst the advertising executive may do a vital job for their company it isn't actually vital for the country.
these workers are often private sector and paid more and I've always felt there can be an element of feeling superior to public sector workers.

So it's not always that their job isn't important to their family finances etc and the legitimate concerns for their family but that it must be quite difficult to accept all these low paid public sector employees are actually considered more important than them?

DD was out of school most of last year because we had just moved, and school admissions didn't operate at all between March and mid September. It wasn't fair that she had no educational provision at all, so presumably everyone else's child should have had their school place taken away to make it fair?

On the other hand, we did have a garden so we could go outside, though presumably we should have stayed inside given many families don't have a garden - and it isn't fair that we could go outside and they couldn't...

I would rather my children be safe at home then mixing at school.

They aren't getting an education anymore than yours mostly the teachers are doing childcare so their parents can work!

There's irrational, there's hysterical and there's way over the top .

Then there's this -- Because teachers and support staff don’t deserve to die doing their job

@Jaypreen

There's irrational, there's hysterical and there's way over the top .

Then there's this -- Because teachers and support staff don’t deserve to die doing their job

That’s called Mumsnet

Oh my goodness, what a whinger. Life isn’t fair, get over it.

DP and I are both key workers. From March 2020 I had 2 days when I didn’t work. Want to swap OP?

DP and I are both key workers. From March 2020 I had 2 days when I didn’t work. Want to swap OP?

Lol, yes this.

Hmm... I’d quite like my dd to be at home in her warm bedroom, safe from coronavirus transmission, doing her online lessons, rather than in a freezing classroom with half the school, doing the same online lessons. Not sure I’m seeing the big educational advantage

This is such a selfish attitude to have. (Non) news flash, true equality is a myth.

DH and I work full time, and now homeschool DS while trying to keep a 1year old entertained. It's hard. I'm absolutely tired, but I can't switch off and sleep at night because I've so many things running through my head. But with DS at home, I've learned so much about his learning style, his strengths and weaknesses, etc. I am happy to have everything as it is right now, with the hope of things getting better in the not too distant future.

Just look around MN, people want different things for their children. There is no one group of people who are 'winning'. Some are complaining of too much work, others feel as though they have too little. Some have remarked that my son is too young for the amount of work set, but I would disagree. My nephew (sake age as DS) has been sent into school but there are only support staff there to look after them. His mum is now wondering why she sent him in when my brother is wfh, she only works PT, and they are in a very high prevalence area.

For every one of these threads there's another screaming that schools should have closed earlier, or never reopened at all.
"Why don't my children deserve an education?" You could ask "why did I lose my job and income" or "why can't I afford to stay in my home". News for you OP, not everyone is getting what they want right now.

@itsgettingweird I don't know if that is necessarily the case. I'm a public sector worker who can WFH. If I couldn't I would be classed as a KW and get a letter etc. On the other hand I have a friend that works for one of the high-earning private utility companies. She is able to WFH but is regardless classed as a KW by her employer. We both agree that our roles are of equal value to the country, but the way employers have interpreted KW is different.

@itsgettingabitweird I do agree that this is a common problem, though, public sector workers are not valued.

As per usual, it is impossible to please everyone. We had to use the school KW place last time because all other childcare was closed. It was horrendous, they weren't even allowed to independently work on their home school stuff so every single day I was off, I had to home school. No family downtime at all. My MH still hasn't fully recovered. Just to clarify, the school staff were fabulous, I mean the situation was horrendous.

This time, childcare is open. If DC went to school, they would still be going to childcare after. So we have opted to use childcare FT instead as it doesn't sit right with me to use two settings. There are a lot of kids going into school this time so I feel I am increasing everyone's risk by sending them to school. Yes I worry I am doing the wrong thing, we are back to home school hell for one. DC are missing out on time with their teachers and friends (they are all in their own classrooms with their own teachers). We are back to death by Twinkl worksheets, again nothing interactive (obviously because the teachers are caught up with the KW kids). But what can you do? Everyone has to try and do what they think is The Right Thing, whatever that might be. No point getting angry with other people and definitely no point in being angry with the school. Realistically we are actually of little risk to anyone as we all had covid (I work with covid patients) and DH and I have been vaccinated, but it still doesn't sit right with me to send them to school when there is another option.

There are lots of jobs going in the care sector OP, why not apply and send your kids to school as you'll then be a deserving key worker. You would run the gamut of getting Covid or your kids picking it up at school and passing it to you though but at least you won't have reason to moan about having to care for and educate your children in the middle of a national pandemic.

My children are at school and they are not doing any learning, I've started a thread about it as I don't think it's fair. My dd is 10 and watching TV, playing outside and colouring all day. Teacher said on line learning it's for children at home only, they are there 5 days a week. It's making me feel guilty being at work.

We have had loads of social care staff have to go off work because of covid. There were shortages anyway, covid has made it far worse. So yes, if people want a key worker post so they can send their kids to school, we could do with the help. 👍

@Frenchcroissant that is completely unacceptable. My DS is at school and is logged into online learning like the rest of his year group, there is a teacher/TA to supervise them and help those with additional needs. I dont understand why this isn't an option.

Obviously it's great there is somewhere safe they can be whilst you are working but unlike the OPs situation, yours is genuinely unfair.

I am sick of these threads.

What a tit

I think it’s pretty horrid how many have given the op a hard time. There is clearly a divide in many schools where key workers kids are being taught and sub standard remote learning for many others . That’s not the case in every school but from what I hear from my parent friends round here that is what’s happening

This is creating a 2 tier society within state schools and the stretching of the critical worker status is taking the mickey. I have heard of investment bankers and wine traders (directly from them) that they have got their kids into school.

I am lucky because my children get a full day online learning from their school but this is only because we pay for it. It’s still hard as they are so young and need the supervision but guess what I just work this weekend too and evenings to catch up and accept sometimes I will be a crap parent to them. I could also get them in under the guidelines but I won’t as these places should be for front line workers that cannot wfh in my opinion. Everyone else who is doing it is pretty selfish.

It’s crap for all parents, most children are finding it very difficult . Yet so many people think they are unique and have this right to send kids into school and drag the lockdown on for longer . Do your bit and don’t be selfish!