No school for us til 9th April at the earliest. Royally fucked off now.

[WeAreFromThePlanetDuplo]

Announcement just made for NI that most kids won't be going back to school until after the Easter holidays, and there's no guarantee of that. So fed up.

@canary1

Woolf is keen to stay working from home, and to hell with the well- documented harmful effects caused by lockdown to the children. Can’t argue with stupid.

I'm not actually working from home, as a huge percentage of kids are in during national lockdown and that needs staffing.

I'm supervising mixed groups and teaching classes online. My classes (most of the older ones, able to stay at home alone) are, on the whole, working from home and doing well.

Sorry, message didn't post.

NI school holidays were 1st July - 1st September, no school at all fo 2 months like every year so it's not a long an absence as you are presenting.

I can see that many people are exaggerating the effects, and even the factual length time.

As I said earlier, my year 11s have produced loads and come on leaps and bounds despite not seeing each other. Because their learning isn't really about all the others shoved into the room to make it cheaper.

Just because your year 11s are coming on leaps and bounds, does not mean all are. Yes, people exaggerating are not helpful, but equally this minimising of children who are struggling is equally unhelpful. And there are a large number of children suffering whether you want to see/acknowledge it or not.

I hate hearing people hark on about keeping the old/vulnerable indoors so that the rest of us can get on with our lives because the majority of us will be fine. Equally, I hate people stubbornly insisting the schools stay closed because some children/parents are coping fine. We have a duty of care to protect our children's mental health as well as the vulnerable in our society, and shouldn't have to sacrifice the wellbeing of one for another.

It's not an easy problem to solve I grant you, but simply insisting we carry on as we are, pretending that some children are being massively effected isn't helping. I personally feel allowing some years in before Easter is sensible, but feel for the children having to wait again. Particularly as each time our policians have been "guaranteeing" that schools would be open after Christmas, after one week homeschooling, after half term, before Easter, oh no wait after Easter. The goal posts are constantly being moved and people are rightfully and understandably frustrated with that.

There are also major discrepancies between the quality of online learning and teacher feedback across different schools. Some schools are doing fantastically, others just aren't up to scratch at all.

Although at least you’ve stopped going on about dc not missing two terms. Just because it doesn’t fit with the picture in your head which oddly has forgotten that dc have been home so long.

Feeling for your kids does not equal fuck everyone else.
Having a vulnerable person in your life does not trump anyone else’s feelings with regards to their own children.
Discussing your fears for your children in what is supposed to be a parent friendly space does not equal you spending the holidays regaling your children with tales of how shit it is having them at home.
Don’t like children equals don’t expect anyone to be interested in your opinion with regards to schools.
There is always somebody worse off, let people feel their feelings.

God this thread. Just to add summer holidays - yes we had a lovely summer holidays thank you - but you do realise we had hardly any restrictions then compared to now? I'd be thrilled to be back in the summer holidays.

What we can do here now is walk from our home to exercise we are not able to drive. It's been pissing down all week. I've done what I can to make it a bit of fun but they prefer to be home schooling to see all their friends.

You tell me whatever "mum of the year" super fun free stuff you've all been up to and it
Pretty sure we'll have done it multiple times over lockdown 1 2 or 3.

People are entitled to be not enjoying this experience.

@ThePenIsBlue

And in some cases the NHS is overwhelmed, surgeries have been cancelled because theatre's are being used for ICU patients and staff have been deployed to ICU. They've had to increase the number of ICU beds in many hospitals and when you increase the bed numbers you also need the staff for those beds. (NI have more than doubled the amount of ICU beds they have normally)
If we didn't have all those people in ICU with covid then the staff would be able to do their normal jobs.
Bare in mind this is also with a lockdown in place, so if we didn't lock down then of course it would be much worse.

Of course people care about people dying from other preventable deaths and this is why we are trying to use lockdowns to lower the impact of covid on the NHS so the people in the car accident can get a bed in hospital ! If we lower the number of covid cases in hospital then we are able to move those staff back to their normal roles and open up those services again !

Just to mention, in response to those who think that anyone who wants schools to go back now was in favour of them shutting in January:

I have never, ever been in favour of them shutting even for a single day at any time since Covid struck. So there's no hypocrisy here.

Schools should have stayed open for all pupils, all the time. If people choose not to send their children to school, home education has always been a valid option.

@savethewales

Can’t help but think people are painting a rosy picture of their children playing out after school and socialising with their peers; when in reality they’d be at home on screens playing with their friends. Would be interesting to see how many people were kicking off about schools not closing in January?

SD hasn’t been relaxed in England even over summer so they can’t really play with peers anyway unless from 2m away.

[quote gallbladderpain]@ThePenIsBlue

And in some cases the NHS is overwhelmed, surgeries have been cancelled because theatre's are being used for ICU patients and staff have been deployed to ICU. They've had to increase the number of ICU beds in many hospitals and when you increase the bed numbers you also need the staff for those beds. (NI have more than doubled the amount of ICU beds they have normally)
If we didn't have all those people in ICU with covid then the staff would be able to do their normal jobs.
Bare in mind this is also with a lockdown in place, so if we didn't lock down then of course it would be much worse.

Of course people care about people dying from other preventable deaths and this is why we are trying to use lockdowns to lower the impact of covid on the NHS so the people in the car accident can get a bed in hospital ! If we lower the number of covid cases in hospital then we are able to move those staff back to their normal roles and open up those services again ![/quote]
Didn't schools used to be essential services?

Of course schools are essential services, but they are not more essential than healthcare right now and of course its right that we prioritise people's access to healthcare !

I guess it varies but our kids' school have been pretty diligent. Education is still happening and schools are still open, even though not every child is inside the building for the school day.

Givemenovocain precisely- schools should be regarded as critical to our society. Not an optional extra, which is what those in favour of continued school closure want. Currently we see fit to shut schools- so we should also shut other essential services like police, firefighting, prison, food supply.... and the NHS!! It’s very depressing to hear of people who promote this idea that schools are optional.

Fingers crossed Boris does the same. I'm trashed about it

@canary1. School is optional. Education is compulsory.

Waves at OP and other NI folk. I'm in East Co. Antrim. Do know around 10 people who have had it and recovered; including a 97 year old relative in a care home.

Beyond fucked off with the whole thing now. Wish Covid panic would go away.

Eldest is in P7. Don't get me started on the AQE farce and this will rumble on and I'm not sure what way the high school applications will pan out. I expect many angry parents ringing Nolan in around June time.

Next child is in P4. Very outdoorsy child into horse riding etc. All hobbies stopped for the foreseeable. I can see my child fade before my eyes. Tearful, weepy, misses friends so much. Falling behind with school work as so much sent home is busy work and she isn't progressing with the meat of things like division, 3d shapes etc. I try to help, but don't feel like I'm making that connection where it's sinking in.

I do want schools to open, but can see the rationale behind not rushing to open them, and understand this. What I am most annoyed about and feel most hurt about is the attitude from so many adults and those in authority that the kids are way down the priority list and should just be put on pause. Their thoughts, fears and needs are not on the radar.

Also, toddlers? No tots groups here since Spring 2020. No provision at all. Where the fuck have the HV gone?

But, I am rambling now. Head is in bits.

Anyone in NI near East Antrim give me a shout. Would love to meet up - socially distant and well sanitised, of course.

@canary1

Givemenovocain precisely- schools should be regarded as critical to our society. Not an optional extra, which is what those in favour of continued school closure want. Currently we see fit to shut schools- so we should also shut other essential services like police, firefighting, prison, food supply.... and the NHS!! It’s very depressing to hear of people who promote this idea that schools are optional.

Education can be done remotely and teachers are delivering the curriculum and Ofsted are still monitoring it. The services you mention simply aren’t comparable.

I genuinely don't think you can remote teach R, Y1 and poss Y2. I have a Y1 and Y3 and the difference is astounding.

Our kids are missing so much. I do think if it avoids another lockdown it's worth it for a few more weeks. However, those who are sailing through homeschooling are few and far between in my reality.

Surely there's a middle way. Week in week off. More testing. More buildings. Outdoor school. Forest school. Open schools on farms.

Or at least let a 5 year old play with another 5 year old a few hours a week inside. That would make such a difference.

I genuinely don't think you can remote teach R, Y1 and poss Y2.

Exactly. Obvious to anyone with half a brain cell.

Icecreamandcandyfloss sure, education is going great remotely, and the widespread evidence of the damage caused by school closures is not worth bothering with. Why reopen schools at all, in fact? Again, can’t argue with stupid.

Or at least let a 5 year old play with another 5 year old a few hours a week inside. That would make such a difference.

People should just do this. I certainly am. It’s absolutely inhuman what’s going on.

@flowerycurtain

I genuinely don't think you can remote teach R, Y1 and poss Y2. I have a Y1 and Y3 and the difference is astounding.

Our kids are missing so much. I do think if it avoids another lockdown it's worth it for a few more weeks. However, those who are sailing through homeschooling are few and far between in my reality.

Surely there's a middle way. Week in week off. More testing. More buildings. Outdoor school. Forest school. Open schools on farms.

Or at least let a 5 year old play with another 5 year old a few hours a week inside. That would make such a difference.

for those years, surely all of that. Mitigations, space and so on would make a huge difference. We have seen very little of that in the UK. You're quite right.

@flowerycurtain

I genuinely don't think you can remote teach R, Y1 and poss Y2. I have a Y1 and Y3 and the difference is astounding.

Our kids are missing so much. I do think if it avoids another lockdown it's worth it for a few more weeks. However, those who are sailing through homeschooling are few and far between in my reality.

Surely there's a middle way. Week in week off. More testing. More buildings. Outdoor school. Forest school. Open schools on farms.

Or at least let a 5 year old play with another 5 year old a few hours a week inside. That would make such a difference.

I would disagree. It absolutely takes more effort to remote teach a younger child because worksheets and online learning just does not work for that age group. There are many opportunities for learning in that age group though through their day to day play and practical activities.

My YR hasn't attended school at all this year and has been taught phonics and how to read at home, they are not falling behind their peers at all academically. Yes they probably will struggle a little to get settled into school routine and socialising with peers, making friendships etc but that will happen and to be honest a lot of young children struggle with seperation anxiety and settling in at school age even in a normal year.

I seriously do not understand people wanting kids to stay off longer !!!! Maybe read stories of more and more kids self harming etc !!!! I hope they do go back in March enough is enough