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.

@catsarecute yes but in September we hadn’t vaccinated about a third of the adult population - all the ones who statistically overwhelm the hospital! Which we will have done by the times the schools are going back.

@Themanofmydreams

They said 8th March earliest return in England so they need to stick to it!

Yes, they definitely won't go back before.

They might go back later though, and when they do go back, it may well not be all years.

Politicians word their promises very carefully (when indeed they aren't setting out to tell flagrant lies).

NI kids did not return after lockdown last spring; schools 'closed' as normal for a nine week holiday at the end of June and they were off until late August/early September. They also had an extended Halloween break and closed one week early for Xmas. So overall, they have missed quite a bit...fed up as you, OP. We're in for a difficult spring in many areas, as large groups of kids will just roam about outdoors as the days brighten, I'm seeing evidence of that already. Little enforcement where I am.

Because as soon as they let the little darlings back to school, the infection rate will rise again. They need to scrap this school year and re-do it starting in June.

@JackieWeaverIsTheAuthority

Are people really saying they're deliberately neglecting their own children because they've been asked to keep them at home?!

Another one who can’t read.

I assure you I can read. I even taught my kids how to read! At home! All by myself.

I'm not the one whining about not being able 'to teach my child', and 'struggling'.

I quoted someone who used the passive voice to say it was awful how kids were 'being neglected'.

Sadly, some will be. I'm sure they are, but that isn't solely a school's job to prevent.

Most kids, however, are not being neglected; by their parents or a few weeks at home.

I'm really conficted on this. I'm so desperate to get back to teaching properly, in school but if holding out a little longer means that this is the last closure we ever need to do then I think overall it would be for the best.

I'm expecting to be back with all year groups in on the 8th March ( English secondary). I'd love to be done with bubbles etc come September. I feel so sorry for our Year 7s who have no idea what our school is really like.

OP I'm in N.I too and my son is also an only child. I cried when I heard the news, I can usually put on a brave face for him but I genuinely can't today. He's missed almost a year of high school now, there are so many gaps in his education - no practicals in Biology or Chemistry, there are subjects he simply can't learn from home. I think that even more importantly he's missing out on the social interaction that promotes emotional growth. I'm a mental health practitioner, I can't even describe the impact on mental health this prolonged lockdown is having on people.

As much as I'm pro school education I think for the sake of 3 weeks before the 2 week Easter holiday England should follow suit.

DH friend owns a pub and has apparently been told to place orders with brewery from the end of next week as they take 3 weeks to arrive.

@MagicSummer Are you insane? We've been shut in the house for months, last thing children need is to be in school over the summer, they need to be outside - playing with their friends in some kind of normality.
We're facing a myopia epidemic as it is.

as large groups of kids will just roam about outdoors as the days brighten, I'm seeing evidence of that already. Little enforcement where I am.

Yes we’re experiencing that here too. Lots of ASB. Local councillors having a meeting with PSNI and other bodies tonight to try and get a handle on it.

England.

I really don't understand this. It's not comparable until to September. We're going into Spring/Summer so we'll be outside a lot more and able to keep schools much better ventilated, we have much better testing and we have mass vaccination.

I for one would be devastated if we couldn't go back until after Easter - I'm a primary teacher and absolutely desperate to get back, and to get my own children back.

I assure you I can read. I even taught my kids how to read! At home! All by myself.

I'm not the one whining about not being able 'to teach my child', and 'struggling'.

I quoted someone who used the passive voice to say it was awful how kids were 'being neglected'.

Sadly, some will be. I'm sure they are, but that isn't solely a school's job to prevent.

Most kids, however, are not being neglected; by their parents or a few weeks at home.

Oh good, so you do actually know that no-one said they were deliberately neglecting their child. You just decided to make it up.

At all not until!

[quote MyDcAreMarvel]**@sittingpondering* I’ll also be considering ditching the home schooling from March 8 if mine don’t go back, it’s not worth sacrificing my health.* but other peoples actual physical health /life not really a concern of yours?[/quote]
How does me not home schooling anymore impact others’ health if that’s what I decide to do? I said I’m considering being done with the home schooling because it’s having such a bad impact now on me. I can’t carry on working and home schooling solo for much longer. I can’t change if schools will open but I can choose whether or not to do the home schooling.

Year 11 and 13 absolutely must go back ASAP. How can teachers decide grades when they've barely seen these kids face to face in the last 12 months.
They've no direction or motivation any more.

NI here. Delighted my p1 and p3 children are going back 8th March. Dont really see the benefit of taking them out again on 22nd march when years 12-14 are back when mixing between these cohorts is presumably minimal. P6 child gutted his brothers will be back more than a month before him. Schools easter hols are 31st march til 12 April!!!
It feels right to take it in baby steps however, i want this to be the LAST time!!! Having lost my much loved, feisty, independent granny to this virus I would willingly sacrifice another few weeks of school to spare a large chunk of people going through this 💔

There was a doctor on today and she was very clear on her warning . Long covid is affecting a lot of people and in her case she has severe mobility problems which means she can not do her clinical work . She also said this is affecting many people in their 30s and 40s so with this danger and the new variants still being a worry the government are still in a sticky situation . Apparently the teachers unions don’t want to go back to early but Boris does want the schools to go back , but he was criticised before for knee jerk reactions? Don’t forget everyone was screaming close the schools ! They are spreading the virus . But now you are are screaming open the schools !

There is no right answer . Surely you can see that ?

So much more sensible!! No way schools should be back yet!

@Lemons1571 it’s up to the teachers to address it in whatever way they choose. I don’t know how far they do this.

I assume you don't know the ins and outs of how it's taught in school or how misconceptions are ddressed. That's how it's meant to be, because you're a parent. Doesn't mean it isn't happening as appropriate.

Why have so many people taken it upon themselves to shout that they aren't teachers. Nobody said you were. Nobody asked you to be. The education is still very much being facilitated by teachers. Your kids are just at home, with you.

Can't understand the fed up/can't cope/had enough/really struggling/fucked off with this...

Just let your own kids share your space until we're all sure they won't push this out of control again.

I am supportive of this, and would be OK if it were repeated in England. I think that there may have been some consideration of the risk of mixing on St Patrick's Day and it increasing cases.

How awful op. I really really feel for you. We’re in England and I would just shut down in tears if we have to wait as long as you!

If schools are not back on 8th March we are stopping home schooling. They will then have to provide my children with a space at school.

They have given a year, there just kids. They are trapped within this house like prisoners- too cold to spend longer than a hour out at the park. They are seeing no friends, they are alone and getting way too comfortable doing absolutely nothing and getting lazy, they don’t even want to bake and craft anymore- there so past it.

They need to be back at school and I need to get back to work properly- I wont put everyone else (society) before them anymore- I’ve pushed my kids on the back burner for a year, put them second and now no more! Enough is enough! 😡

@effieochondriac

NI kids did not return after lockdown last spring; schools 'closed' as normal for a nine week holiday at the end of June and they were off until late August/early September. They also had an extended Halloween break and closed one week early for Xmas. So overall, they have missed quite a bit...fed up as you, OP. We're in for a difficult spring in many areas, as large groups of kids will just roam about outdoors as the days brighten, I'm seeing evidence of that already. Little enforcement where I am.

I’m struggling to remember when they’ve been in school. They were off from late March to the start of September, then two weeks off for Hallowe’en, then off again since Christmas. Is that right? In 11 months they’ve been in for about 12 weeks?

I'm not the one whining about not being able 'to teach my child', and 'struggling'.

There such a lot of dickish behaviour around at the minute. It’s really eye opening.