Todays u-turn from DfE, key workers working from home should NOT send kids to school

[Esmerelda01]

In case you've not seen.

Could cause a lot of people issues on Monday

www.theguardian.com/education/2021/jan/09/school-guidance-for-children-of-key-workers-changes-again?CMP=twt_a-education_b-gdnedu

ITS NOT ABOUT WHAT IS BEST FOR YOU ITS ABOUT WHAT IS BEST FOR EVERYONE AS A WHOLE, IF THERES A PARENT AT HOME THEN THE CHILD NEEDS TO BE TOO. END OF!

Not if the parent at home is the main earner and cannot supervise/home school (to allow the lesser earning parent to go to work). A consultant or lawyer working from home is not going to quit her job or take unpaid leave so her husband can keep working part time as a hospital porter. On his salary alone how do they pay the mortgage, bills, secure decent futures for the kids and put food on the table? Either they use keyworker places to cover the days he works, or he leaves his job in the NHS.

Do you really think families will sacrifice their income, home and children’s futures for the good of society?

@HikeForward

That’s no different to a family with two workers neither key workers.

Generally the more well paid and senior an employee is, the more autotomy and flexibility they have over their diary. I know many many lawyers, accountants, other professionals who are making homeschooling work despite being in main breadwinner roles

@Anonandonandonandon seriously, just do what is best for you and your child, don't mind a fuck what anyone else thinks, it's none of their business. You don't have to justify anything to anyone, if the school is happy to have you child and you are happy for him to attend and will make your working day much easier, then send him. These threads on MN are getting ridiculous now.

[quote Jetatyeovilaerodrome]@Anonandonandonandon seriously, just do what is best for you and your child, don't mind a fuck what anyone else thinks, it's none of their business. You don't have to justify anything to anyone, if the school is happy to have you child and you are happy for him to attend and will make your working day much easier, then send him. These threads on MN are getting ridiculous now.[/quote]
Probably not best for the child though if the get covid or pass it to one of your family members. What's best in nearly all cases is for the child to be at home if they possibly can, obviously not if they are vulnerable, or parents are out at work.

There are SO many children in school that I’m considering pulling my 5yo old out

And this is the problem. An actual real critical workers who is critical to the COVID response, is considering not sending their child because the school is full of those who bend the rules...

probably not best for the child though if they get covid and pass it to one of your family members. What's best in nearly all cases is for the child to be at home if they possibly can, obviously not if they are vulnerable, or parents out at work

This!
Obviously apart from those who are special, are covid immune or just can't be bothered in general to try and work out flexible options with their partners and employers to support keeping their child at home where its safer for everyone. No one at all said its easy because it really isn't, but there does seem to be some arrogance from some posters that because they are entitled to a school place due to loose rules by the government that they shouldn't try and work out some kind of compromise.
If this new varient is as highly contagious as they say its unlikely that many children will be in school long before the bubbles burst anyway and then no one is in school at all regardless of keyworker or vulnerable status. Reducing the amount of dc that attend reduces the likelihood off bubbles closing and those who do actually have to work out side the home from taking time off in the peak of the pandemic.

My point was that no one should base their decision about what to do with regards to schooling their child on what people on Mumsnet will think.

That’s no different to a family with two workers neither key workers

It’s different because the Porter is needed by the NHS for the covid response. Hospitals are desperately short staffed (including lower paid jobs like porters, security guards, healthcare assistants, IT staff, ward clerks).

If he can’t work because his wife is the breadwinner and can’t supervise kids without jeopardising her job, and school has denied them a place because wife is WFH; the NHS loses another desperately needed member of staff!

probably not best for the child though if they get covid and pass it to one of your family members

What if a child has recently had confirmed covid so is immune and can neither catch nor transmit the virus? A lot of children of keyworkers have already had covid.

Why on earth do people believe if you've had Covid before you're immune?! YOU'RE NOT!!!!

@Nicknamegoeshere

Why on earth do people believe if you've had Covid before you're immune?! YOU'RE NOT!!!!

You have an unknown quantity of immunity, could be months, could be years. I don't think it's unreasonable to want normality back if you've already had it.!

A study released in July suggested Covid antibody levels fall over a period of three months, in some cases becoming undetectable. Research has also suggested that the speed and scale of this decline may differ between men and women. The level of antibodies produced, and the length of time they hang around for, seems to be linked to the severity of the disease.

@HikeForward

ITS NOT ABOUT WHAT IS BEST FOR YOU ITS ABOUT WHAT IS BEST FOR EVERYONE AS A WHOLE, IF THERES A PARENT AT HOME THEN THE CHILD NEEDS TO BE TOO. END OF!

Not if the parent at home is the main earner and cannot supervise/home school (to allow the lesser earning parent to go to work). A consultant or lawyer working from home is not going to quit her job or take unpaid leave so her husband can keep working part time as a hospital porter. On his salary alone how do they pay the mortgage, bills, secure decent futures for the kids and put food on the table? Either they use keyworker places to cover the days he works, or he leaves his job in the NHS.

Do you really think families will sacrifice their income, home and children’s futures for the good of society?

I'd expect him to take leave or give up his job, surely the lawyer is making enough to not want other people to risk their lives to provide their childcare. Two parents no excuse. It's the sp with no help with childcare and vulnerable children who should be allowed to attend schools and nurseris.

The way I see it is that people should not be attempting to secure places that they would "like" but don't actually "need". The more children that go into schools the more likely it is that the children of critical workers will catch and transmit it to their parents. Not only might the critical worker get sick themselves, but even if they don't, they won't be able to do their job. This in turn impacts us all. We all need to do what we can to minimise this possibility.

I'd expect him to take leave or give up his job, surely the lawyer is making enough to not want other people to risk their lives to provide their childcare.
Two parents no excuse.
It's the sp with no help with childcare and vulnerable children who should be allowed to attend schools and nurseris

@GypsyLee

Oh yea, course a solicitor and main bread winner will give up they job in order to hone school their children for a few weeks/months.

As if someone is going to sacrifice an income like that for the ‘good of society’ 🙄

Folk don’t even help themselves, flouncing the rules here there and everywhere.

I think “he” in this case was referring to the hospital Porter, not the lawyer...

@ceeveebee

I think “he” in this case was referring to the hospital Porter, not the lawyer...

I'm sure porters don't only work school hours either so could ask for only evening or weekend work for the time being . Its tough but you'd think the NHS would be the most flexible as they can be with their staff to reduce community transmission. I know its not always that simple to change shifts etc but its certainly an avenue people should explore between them rather than just dismiss it altogether

I'm sure porters don't only work school hours either so could ask for only evening
or weekend work for the time being. Its tough but you'd think the NHS would be the most flexible as they can be with their staff to reduce community transmission. I know its not always that simple to change shifts etc but its certainly an avenue people should explore between them rather than just dismiss it altogether

Porters work shifts, but with so many off sick with covid or isolating I don’t think working only evenings or weekends would be permitted, he’d be expected to cover whatever shifts he’s on the rota for, including daytime shifts. Same if he were a nursing assistant or worked in the hospital canteen or as a ward clerk or cleaner.

My point was, if mum is a full time lawyer and dad is a part time hospital porter, they are likely to prioritise her job as it pays the bills. Dad could leave his NHS job and home school the kids without risk of the family losing their main income.

But do we want porters and other lower paid NHS staff leaving their jobs in a pandemic?

If the kids got keyworker places due to dad being a critical worker, it would allow him to work his shifts, provided mum had flexibility to drop off and pick up the kids most days.

This wasn't really a u turn was it? Our school always approached it that a school place was absolute last resort