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?

@DancingQueen85

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

Again, DS is not having active teaching, he is simply doing the same work that he would be doing at home, that he won't do at home because he is at home and not at school.

DancingQueen85 of course people lack basic decency judging folk without knowing the facts commenting on neighbours dc. They don't know who's vulnerable only the teachers no so yes how dare people like you judge. Someone said they should have aborted their dc such a disgusting comment. Youre ironic comment about I don't know you're background could be said for alot of posters who are sending the children no one should justify to anyone why but the school.

It's when no mainstream school will take the child and all the special schools are full. Or the child's needs may be seen as being too great for any local school. For my friend the only way past this was to take the local authority to court to force them to provide something. A process that took nearly a year.

Atalune as you despise my parenting and think I'm selfish I'm not sure you will answer me.

But why is it my responsibility to make it fair for other people's children? I actually don't mean that in a goady way. My reasons are real and valid. I understand that there is an unfairness to it. And if my daughter couldn't access the provision I would be angry too. But she can. Me not accessing it doesn't mean (at least at our school) that someone else is missing out. To make it fair for someone else's children you want me to deprive my child of something I can genuinely access. Why would I do that? Again I'm sure you will say I'm selfish, I probably am when it comes to my daughter. I have no problems with that.

FYI I couldn't tell you have many kids are in my children's schools its not my business why they are there, my focus is solely on the benefit of my childre. Two will be homeschooled and my youngest who has delayed development and was borderline on the spectrum for Autism will be attending school on the recommendation of the school and I won't feel the littlest bit guilty for it, especially as this is backed by two school teachers.

Splodgetastic

(We should be asking questions about why they are so many children whose parents are financially, physically or mentally unable to provide for them. This pandemic has been quite an eye opener. Maybe we should support people who can’t manage to look after their children not to have children in the first place by allowing easier access to contraception and abortion or more public information. Maybe we should clamp down on employers effectively taking subsidies to low wages from the state in the form of tax credits to families. Maybe lots of things. But 75% of children shouldn’t be at risk of being at home with their parents*

This is comment I'm talking about the lack of humanity. People saying others should have aborted there own kids. People don't ask to fall on hard times, facing redundancy in a pandemic losing childcare from grandparents etc. The poster should be utterly ashamed to make such a vile disgusting comment and made on a parenting forum of all places!

Well said at @atalune

From what I can work out there are between 8 and 12 children from DD's class still attending- but they're having to join with another class so generally around 20 children in the room each day.

Yes this really winds me up. REALLY does. It varies school to school I think.

I don’t think many of DS’ classmates (reception) are in at all, I know of one little girl who goes 4 days a week, her mum is a nurse and her dad a keyworker, not sure what he does. The mum keeps the little girl home on her day off, good on her.

My brother and sister in law are both teachers, but both WFH most of the week, and are sending both their children in full time, not just the days they are in school themselves (no SEN for the DC). And couldn’t believe it when I pointed out they shouldn’t be, they claimed they couldn’t do their jobs while the DC are at home. Well I’m sorry but who can?

I can’t believe how many SAHP are claiming spaces...

@Bopahula. The simplest way for me to say is that if we all do as we please then we have no society.

The social contract is what holds us together. And when people act in their own self interest the social contract breaks down.

A really clear and relevant example is how Japan has coped with the pandemic.

Similarities-
Island
Densely populated
Ageing population
Distinct culture

Where we stray
Social rules and group think- Japan has very clear rules and expectations of the “group”. The group supersedes the individual.

And how has Japan copes- around 6000 deaths total.

So I have no doubt you’re acting in good faith for your child and want the very best for them. I do too. But I also know that “no coping” and being vulnerable is different. And if everyone who sends their non coping child in, we have a problem.
We have a problem at a small local level and we have a problem on a much larger scale too.

So I think your choice, and it is your “right” to make that choice and falls within the “rules”, I think your choice is very selfish and wrong.

@Spikeyball
I don't doubt that this is an issue but presumably for comparatively only very few children compared to the amount that don't currently have a school place.
@Teardrop2021
For someone who keeps on saying that they won't be made to feel guilty and don't care what other people think you seem to be getting very upset about this. If the school have identified your child as needing to be in then I'm sure they have good reason to be there. It is the people self identifying their children as vulnerable and pushing for a school place on the basis that they are struggling that I have issue with. The vast majority of children are struggling, should they all be in school?
I hadn't read the comment about abortion but clearly that is an awful thing to say.

Not coping can mean many things. Some children's "not coping" puts them and their families seriously at risk.

That's a good way to look at it. But surely everyone to some extent acts in self interest? And it's a case of morals if we are into people thinking that something is wrong despite it being allowed.

For me, my morals apply firstly and foremost to my family. There have been times action by governments haven't benefitted me and no one has been "supporting" my family with that despite it being morally wrong, as their self interest was elsewhere. Which I get.
But now I'm not prepared to sacrifice something my daughter can do which is a huge benefit to her (and me!) . Wrong and selfish to you, I get that. But for us, correct and the right decision.

We won't agree on this, and unless the rules change dramatically I will be able to send her in, which I will continue to do so.

But I also know that “no coping” and being vulnerable is different.

Surely that depends on why the child is not coping and how that manifests itself?

I'm not getting upset, I find it appalling how people have become so judgemental and quite frankly vile throughout this pandemic in all honesty and to the point of turning on each other. Most people aren't like this Irl but on MN it seems a rifle with reporting,commenting on food parcel provisions for school dinners, school places etc. My whole point in my posts was explaining the reason why my child is attending and why people have no idea the reason behind that, its not up to them to police or make petitions its got zero to do with them.

sockwomble I think we both know the difference.

And of course I've very much entitled to my opinion and entitled to disagree with the comments on this thread.

"I don't doubt that this is an issue but presumably for comparatively only very few children compared to the amount that don't currently have a school place."

So you think because they are in a minority it makes them less important than the children that are missing a few months now, children who have a school place to go back to.

Why are all the teachers saying it too dangerous then? They all seem to be teaching classes of around 30 according to the posts I've seen on here

@eeliie

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

Bad? You think it’s BAD that kids are in school?

Redbrickwall, of course it's good for children to be in school, but it's bad for reducing spread, so the school can actually open as normal for all the 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.

The problem is that parents are not just being asked to look after their children at home; they’re being asked to oversee their education and learning to the same level as if the child was in school because the government haven’t suspended the curriculum. THAT’S why the definition of vulnerable children has been expanded; why (some of) the children who are in school are actually being taught; why there’s a “two tier” system happening. If it was like last summer, when the children in school were playing and doing crafts (in primary at least) and there was much less pressure on the parents and kids at home, we wouldn’t be having this conversation.

For what it’s worth, I agree that the government didn’t want to close schools at all, and the current situation is them giving the finger to the public and teaching unions who wanted them shut.

spikey is quite correct that there are dc denied a school place for extended periods of time (several months), often many times throughout their schooling. My ds was one of them.

Now in his final year of secondary education (online) I remember those times when he was home with me 24/7 from the age of 6, because he was excluded. DS has ASD.

The impacts on my ability to work outside of the home were and still are very damaging. Never mind the negative impacts on ds's mental health.

So, I really do sympathise with all those parents and dc that are now in the same position due to Covid - please remember this happens to some families without Covid, who feel an even greater isolation as it is not part of a 'collective' experience.

@spikeyball

Of course they aren't less important on an individual level but collectively the issues of couple of hundred or thousand children is not as pressing as something that is effecting millions. Also it seems completely irrelevant to this thread. Perhaps it might be best to start another one if this is specifically something you want to discuss/ raise awareness about

@Mrsfrumble
This is true. But essentially everyone who is working is going to struggle to educate their child, so should school places be allocated to all working parents? I think this is also where people are getting so upset to hear that sahp are sending their children into school. They actually have the time to attempt to educate their kids and yet they are still using a school place.
From my personal perspective I'm actually not that worried about the education side of it, I think my DC will be able to catch up, although I appreciate this is not the case for everyone at all. It's the social side of it which my DC are struggling with. Young children learn through play, they are meant to be socialising with others their age. It is seriously detrimental to be denying so many this opportunity