So it looks like we're being prepared for children not to go back until after Easter

[choosingcrumble]

www.thetimes.co.uk/article/children-face-months-at-home-as-schools-stay-shut-until-easter-wp5ltpm82?fbclid=IwAR1l0gRSzuJLIv508reRmBEojbYfoGOsWwe3_pBFmKpA4EbI1IgC5dKC2uE

I suspected it wouldn't be until then, let's just hope that it doesn't stretch into the summer.

@Nellodee - I completely agree with you and have written to my MP about this this morning.

I support lockdown and have always complied. However it is completely inhumane to not allow primary children any peer interaction for what will be 12 weeks. Younger children cannot even really access other forms of communication like zoom or phone calls. I strongly feel that children should be allowed to meet one other outside post February half term.

But being able to access some education via tech is amazing. We could have had this pandemic in the 80 s or 90s what then?

Primary aged dc need to concentrate on the basics only, English, maths and reading. Everything else will fall into place if they concentrate on those.

It has been looking like this for a while. I've applied for two months unpaid leave (can't be furloughed) because I just can't limp on that long doing everything. I know it's not a good move in career terms but ... I. Just. Can't. Do. It.

Luckily I can afford to lose the money and hope things are better after Easter.

LickEmbysmiling mines just started high school and although he got good support at primary, they never had a chance to sort out much extra help at high school due to the pandemic. He has to be at the computer for Microsoft teams lessons, most of the day. He struggles to keep up sometimes and doesn't always understand what he has to do without help.

@justanotherneighinparadise this is a huge problem. Remote provision at DD's school is an absolute disgrace, and shows no sign of improving, despite buckets of robust feedback about it. How can we accept this for our kids?

Wasn’t there some propaganda recently about blended learning being a great success?

Seems unlikely given the time needed for any longitudinal studies.

CeeJay81 the reasons they can't just repeat the year is a year if no school leavers is no good for further education, colleges, unis. Then in turn employers would have a year of no graduates. It would need to be permanent change. And the early years won't have capacity for an extra year of kids.
Kids in primary schools should make up the lost learning, just the way kids learn, going back over stuff, revision, etc.
The issue is more in secondaries.

If its possible I hope they can repeat a year. If everyone does it no one loses out and it takes the pressure off.

I’m so angry, this is unacceptable for our children. It’s also going to make the divide between those who have been able to go into school and those who have not so much wider.

@Whatdidisay

Formerbabe Because vaccinating the teachers will not stop the community spread which is why the schools are closed.

Yep and at some point we need to start prioritising children. That time is now. Children are really suffering at this point...no one seems to care or take this seriously.

Play grounds are open, round my way packed with dc?..

Don't dc mix there?

I was a sahm and mine always found a pal to play with or interact with.

Agree. I can’t believe that so many care so little about children’s development. By the end of Feb most of the vulnerable will have been vaccinated. If they also vaccinate teachers, then schools could reopen.

Many countries have had schools closed since March 2020. I only realised this the other day on Instagram with Sarah Michelle Gellar- lots of us states haven't opened all year just home schooling.

@justanotherneighinparadise

Wasn’t there some propaganda recently about blended learning being a great success? If they can push the dogma that our children are still in education and thriving at home it puts that subject to bed for a while.

Sod the fact that many parents are dying on their arse to make home schooling happen. Forget about the children who can’t work independently or don’t have the personality to cop outside of a schooling environment. If they can prove that learning is available to children and those children can access it, they can keep the schools shut as long as they please.

I don’t know about propaganda and blended learning phrase seems finally to have died a death - people realising numbers don’t work.

But yeh I think this but with kW V stats

When you say open for them everyone else is non story

Former, what can be done in a pandemic, I can't understand what people expect, I really don't!

@MissEspresso

If this is the case, I think one of the first things we need to see is a loosening on restrictions about seeing other people outside, particularly for children.

I would love to see all children in at least one day a week in small groups.

Yes and yes!
This is what my dc need - some time with other children. I would be very happy for youngest to go in weekly for some outdoor time with peers if that was made possible.

I was thinking that it's a shame schools can't be given the opportunity to use their own initiative. So possibly a secondary school could have a rota system to bring groups of children in to do an outdoor PE session or something - small bubbled groups - once or twice a fortnight just to get children out of the house and seeing their peers

Logistical nightmare though!

@LickEmbysmiling

But being able to access some education via tech is amazing. We could have had this pandemic in the 80 s or 90s what then?

Primary aged dc need to concentrate on the basics only, English, maths and reading. Everything else will fall into place if they concentrate on those.

Lick do you work in a school or more enthusiastic parent?

Children have been put the the bottom of the pile just like they were in the 1st lockdown. Given that the Government said that schools would be the first to reopen, do we assume that all shops and restaurants will be also staying closed until schools go back, whether that is May/June or even September?

I really hope the government make a proper announcement about this within the coming days. Many parents are holding out hope for a return to school after half term or in March and it's cruel and unfair to prolong the uncertainty. I want them to confirm that schools will be closed next half term and assure us that they will do absolutely everything in their power to reopen after Easter. I also hope restrictions on socialising outdoors can be loosened in a few weeks so that children can play with friends (the rule of 6 would work).

It’s a two tier system currently.

In my children’s school the KW and vulnerable children are being taught by their class teacher the curriculum using the facilities in school and enjoying socialising with their friends. TAs are also in making the ratios amazing!

The children who are home are following the same curriculum except they’re not. Out of my friendship group we’ve got one family not accessing live lessons at all. They are going their own thing completely. We have parents who are both WFH doing important, professional jobs. Their children are dipping in and out of the work but mostly watching TV and keeping out the parents way. Then we have another family who have had to involve the shielding grandmother who has no idea about computers at all. So they are doing baking etc. Three other families are completely involved as both have at least one parent who is a teacher and understands the curriculum and can explain work to the children.

So it’s not a case of children out of school learning the same as children in school. It’s very much dependant on the parents and their ability to make it happen alongside the children and their ability to understand and concentrate.

@CeeJay81

I may get flamed for this but I think kids should be deferred a year. In many European countries they don't start till 6/7 so it would bring us in line with that for new starters, so not a massive deal. The amount of school kids are missing this year it's so unfair on them. My kids are both behind, one is dyslexic and struggles with comprehension. How can they say kids have completed the year when they have barely been there.

Couldn’t agree with more deferring a year would be the best plan they already missed 5 months last year if they miss another 5 that’s far too much to catch up on .

There won't be space in schools for deffering a year.

[quote littlestpogo]@Nellodee - I completely agree with you and have written to my MP about this this morning.

I support lockdown and have always complied. However it is completely inhumane to not allow primary children any peer interaction for what will be 12 weeks. Younger children cannot even really access other forms of communication like zoom or phone calls. I strongly feel that children should be allowed to meet one other outside post February half term.[/quote]
Reinstating the rule of 6 outside would make such a difference. Outside transmission rates are so low. Much lower than the risk of indoor bubbles, workplaces and supermarkets. TBH though I expect people will start to arrange outdoor meets when the weather is better anyway. I don't blame them at all. Playing with other children is absolutely essential to child development. Teenagers also need to see peers in order to develop into well-rounded, independent and capable adults.

@SeahorseoramI because you still have to have the 50% keyworkers in full time? So you’d have all them plus half of the homeschoolers in at any one time - 75% of the school. I guess the government think those numbers are too big.

I have three school aged children at home including one with special needs and they are coping ok, I think for only children it’s a whole lot worse.
I think if I were a parent of an only child I would buddy up with one good friend( of the child) and allow contact minimising risk as much as possible. I think denying children any real life contact with any peer over months is too detrimental.