15 out of 20 children in ds class

[eeliie]

It's a reception class. So there are just 5 children who cannot attend. Is it this bad in your child's school?

I'm concerned too but it's difficult. I feel powerless. There are kids who are (or actually more often aren't) on zoom sessions (which are too few across the week for my DDs school anyway) and I worry about them. Why aren't they on? When they are on it's clear they've not done the work. They seem they could be vulnerable.

What about the kids that never, ever speak on zoom? Are they ok? Or not? How would the teachers know? The teachers aren't phoning us - maybe they're not phoning anyone at home. There seems to be a lot of reliance on parents to be up to speed and connected to what's going on with their kid (as I said before the only reason my DDs SEN got picked up was through me pushing). What if the parents have problems and can't do that?

Even if we start from the position that every single child in school has a good reason to be there - then there is an unpleasant element of 'well I'm alright Jack'. Don't those parents with their children in school now care that there could be a child just like theirs with crippling anxiety or other problems who if they didn't have a parent who was clued in would basically be abandoned at home now? With no doubt their mental health getting worse as they see all their friends in the classroom while they're languishing, seeing no-one?

There seems to be a very stark difference across schools too - some have a minority of students in. Some have good home provision, others don't.

I have kids in two primaries and one has said that if they have no contact from a child or their parents for 2 days they'll phone the home. Which seems good - but the other primary has nothing like this. How long would they leave it before trying to get in touch? Why isn't this standard?

Well yes, I haven't even touched on teacher safety.

You could say it's rather clever of the Tories - now if teachers don't feel safe in schools and don't want to put themselves or their clinically vulnerable family at risk they'll be tarred as not wanting to do their job for the vulnerable or keyworkers.

When no worker should be expected to work in a pandemic without PPE that is very easily obtained.

Even if we start from the position that every single child in school has a good reason to be there - then there is an unpleasant element of 'well I'm alright Jack'. Don't those parents with their children in school now care that there could be a child just like theirs with crippling anxiety or other problems who if they didn't have a parent who was clued in would basically be abandoned at home now? With no doubt their mental health getting worse as they see all their friends in the classroom while they're languishing, seeing no-one?

I’m a bit confused by this bit of your post @IloveJKRowling. Why make that assumption? I guess I’m in quite an unusual position of having a child at school and one at home (and yes, the one at home is thoroughly miserable, but that alone wouldn’t justify a school place) so of course I care, but all the other parents of children who are in that I’ve spoken to are very grateful and also definitely feel for the families and children who are stuck at home. And how would denying places to the vulnerable children who are in help those whose vulnerabilities haven’t been noticed? Schools will have to be open for critical keyworker parents anyway, so unless the government suspend the curriculum like last summer, there will still be inequality.

I've started this petition on change.org which is in favour of children of key workers only getting a place at school if there is NOT another non key worker parent to look after them, and also for tightening the key worker description.

If you're in support of this then please follow the link below:
chng.it/MkHkgSQ7PL

The problem is swooby the government won't change the definition. They can't afford to. They know by tightening the banding of keyworkers they will have to pay out more money in furlough or support.

I want all kids to be in school by the way. I feel really sorry for those that are vulnerable and aren't going in. Or who's mental health is being affected by not being in. It's all crap. For all of them. And for struggling parents too.
But I'm not sorry for sending in my child when I can. Regardless of people's views on that.

People are too focused on what other people are doing and this pandemic is really bringing out the worse in people. You don't know peoples individual circumstances. We are all in the storm but not the same boat. My DH is a key worker I have 3DC homeschooling. My youngest is in reception has development delays and was borderline for Autism. It has been a consant battle to get to do work, there was alot of pressure to complete work from his teacher and I hit breaking point. I spoke to the school and they asked what my dh did and said hes a keyworker and they told me to send him in on Monday. Two friends who are primary school teachers both who teach reception supported and stated he needed to go back in. My DD and DS1 are still going to be homeschooled. But no one has a right to judge people without knowing the facts nor should people be made to feel guilty.

"Don't those parents with their children in school now care that there could be a child just like theirs with crippling anxiety or other problems who if they didn't have a parent who was clued in would basically be abandoned at home now?"

How concerned were you about all those thousands of children without school places before all of this? Did you even give them a thought?

Sandybanana7 glad you got the support and hope you're doing ok

This lockdown is definitely hitting people harder than the last lockdown.

Spikeyball How concerned were you about all those thousands of children without school places before all of this? Did you even give them a thought

Its not my concern but I won't be made to feel guilty putting the needs of my child first who does have delays and is vulnerable and is eligible for a keyworker space. My other two dc are homeschooled. All were home schooled last lockdown. Nor should anyone else on this thread be made to feel guilty. The lack of humanity towards people during this pandemic is depressing I despair at the attitudes of people.

I think the posters who are trying to make parents of vulnerable children feel guilty for having a school place are hitting a new low.

My main concern is trying to avoid my teenager spending the rest of his life in secure accommodation.

"The lack of humanity towards people during this pandemic is depressing I despair at the attitudes of people."

I do feel different. I don't feel particularly jealous of children who are in school, but that is only because my dc at the moment is coping ok. I may have felt different if my dc wasn't coping, and stuck at home. So, way I see it, it's mostly nothing to do with humanity, but way they express anger against something we can't control. We are all suffering. Some speaks louder than other. But bottom line is we are all worried about our loved ones.

Like I said we all in the storm but on different boats. Who are we to judge. My comment about the lack of humanity is aimed at the vile comments about abortion just utterly vile. My concern is my own dc not Susan's down the street dc. I don't know her circumstances.

I think the posters who are trying to make parents of vulnerable children feel guilty for having a school place are hitting a new low.

I just don’t understand how refusing the place my DS was offered (and no, we didn’t push for it, it was the school that decided he needed it) would help other struggling children who might be flying under the radar. All that would achieve would be one more stressed child, whose hard-won social skills and behavioural boundaries would have regressed again and would take ages to settle back in, for school to deal with when they’re going to have enough on their hands upon reopening.

I find it interesting that those who are openly putting the needs of their DC above others, are accusing people who question this, as having a lack of humanity.
My own concern is not just with my own DC ( who are struggling hugely) but with the huge injustice that this new two tiered education system is creating for many, many children.
The more people who put their children in school when there is a parent who could look after them at home, the longer the schools are going to stay shut for everyone else. I'm not sure how a sahp can be sending their DC into school without taking this into consideration.
I just hope that if we come to a situation where schools are only able to offer part time places to all on rota basis or full time provision to KW/ vulnerable children, enough parents will consider what is in the best interests of all children, not just their own.

There has always been huge injustices in the education system. I am amazed some people didn't realise this.

I think the way the DfE's set this up is deliberately to hope that parents and teachers will turn on each other rather than criticising them and focusing on the needs of ALL children and on the inadequacies of the government. IMO they've deliberately done this - to frame it so people think it's your kid / another random kid vs my kid. So everyone is fighting over the shitty, tiny pie on offer. But why is it like this? It's not in other countries where they have smaller class sizes and more space in general, are allowed rotas, and where they've invested in safer schools for all as well as good technology for all students.

There are a lot of people, like me, who are entitled to a keyworker place but don't really NEED it. But as time goes on and my child suffers more and more with mental health then yes, I may well take up that entitlement (as will others) but that WILL make the school less safe for the teachers and it WILL result in it taking longer for infection levels to subside and it WILL make it less safe in school for the frontline medic kids and more likely they'll have to isolate (and their parents stop working while they isolate).

And pretty quickly we'll be back where we were before.

At a strategic level the government plan (if you can call it that) is utterly shit. Has been all along and they're STILL getting away with it - not funding mental health services for kids, not funding schools to be safer. Their whole plan is divide and conquer (while education in general and other services like healthcare and mental health just get more and more stretched and reliant on goodwill) and they're doing well at it.

There have always been huge injustices yes, but not a situation where some children are receiving an education from an actual teacher and some are basically getting nothing at all

Nope our area states both parents key workers and not working from home

DancingQueen85 you are aware of the various deprived schools out there, I'm a school swimming teacher the amount of children who never been in a pool or know how to swim is straggering. Some didn't even have a swimming costume and the school had to provide them. Where is the justice in that. They don't have the opportunity to do extra curricular activities simply because their parents can't afford it. So don't come here talking about the injustice of it all. Alot of those children will be classed as vulnerable should they get a place at school of course they should. How dare you judge my child or anyone else child right to access that provision.

@Lovemylittlebear

Nope our area states both parents key workers and not working from home

Then your area is not following government guidance and instead making up their own arbitrary rules.

There is a world of difference between vulnerable and those who can’t cope. My DS isn’t coping brilliantly. He’s ok, and we will manage. But is he thriving? Nope nope nope.

And I know that there are many children in schools who could very easily be at home. And there reasons for wanting to be in are quite real, but they are not valid nor fair. There is a difference. I’m really astounded people cannot discern the difference. For themselves or towards others.

I really think there are many very selfish people out there who cannot and will not see the difference.

@Teardrop2021
How dare you accuse people of having a lack of humanity because they are questioning some of the posters on this thread, who have openly admitted that they there is a non key worker parent who could be looking after their non vulnerable child at home. I don't think that is ok and I am entitled to voice my opinion.
You know absolutely nothing of me or my background but yes thank you, I am very aware that children from disadvantaged backgrounds exist in our society. Sadly I don't think these are the children who are necessarily in school at the moment, as they are unlikely to have a parent to advocate for their space.

"There have always been huge injustices yes, but not a situation where some children are receiving an education from an actual teacher and some are basically getting nothing at all"

That was happening long before covid. Thousands of children don't have school places - some of them getting no education at all, some getting a few hours a week of tutoring. Many others don't have full time education. My friends 8 year old was out of full time education for 2 1/2 years and without a school place for a year of that.

@Spikeyball
Why would a child not have a school place? I've literally never heard of this before. Of course you may not get a space at the school you want but surely you would be provided with an alternative