What is the impact on children of the months of school closures in your view?

[MTBer2021]

It seems there's a huge range of views on this and partly depends on how much your child's school is offering and whether or not there's an adult at home to spend time supervising home learning etc.

I am surprised that some well educated parents I know are so relaxed about the impact on their young children of months of school closures. People whose child would ordinarily never miss a day of school other than due to genuine illness (no term time holidays etc) but who seem very relaxed about how the current situation won't mean their children fall behind at all.

There are some people endlessly saying that children are so resilient and how in other countries they don't even start school until age 6 or 7 so there's nothing to worry about..... and there are also those who are desperate to get kids back maybe before it's even safe and teachers who worry about kids who are doing little to no home learning for various reasons.

There are ways to manage home learning for some and I know some kids are happier at home than at school but is it really a popular and informed opinion that the current situation will have no lasting impact on kids and can all be easily remedied when schools open (whenever that is) and with no specific catch up programme?

Thankfully there’s more on the side of dc in the media - who work in the area to debunk the they’ll all be fine mantra

People dismiss on here. But it’s not the case

@Chaotic45 DS14 is the same.

The school provision this time is very good, so this is not a moan about teachers or schools. But he's lost all the joie de vivre he regained back at school last term. He lost all the weight he piled on in lockdown one when back at school so I'm hoping he doesn't put it in again - and yes we do force him out for exercise and don't have many treats in the house, but it's not the same as two hours of sports per day and football all weekend.

I just want the government to get on with vaccinations as quickly as possible- thankfully they are - and once covid rates down to an acceptable level, get them back in before they open pubs, leisure centres or anything else.

We're in Scotland so doubtless they'll use the slightly shorter term to not open for non exam years - but he will be next academic year and what happens then ?

There is more on schools in the media, but a lot of it is contradictory. Yesterday there was a story in The Times about how primary schools are safe and could return after half-term - fucking great! But then this morning, also in The Times we get this shit:

The prime minister suggested that schools could reopen first in English regions with a lower infection rate. Reception, Year 1 and Year 6 pupils in primary schools, and those sitting GSCEs and A-levels are expected to be the first to return under plans being drawn up by Gavin Williamson, mirroring the first national lockdown last year.

So the same year groups that got to go back last year will again be prioritised with everyone else left stuck at home. If primary schools are safe, why the hell can't all year groups go back????

Just announced. After half term there will be more delay to school re opening