Schools

[Chocsmyfav]

I know this has been done prob ten times before but I’m just venting as I’m quite annoyed. I have just looked at a few pictures of my daughters class on the teams website. Nearly all her class is sitting smiling away, all her friends she’s made over the last few years. Primary 4 Scotland. Now my knowledge is it’s two keyworkers per household or single parents and vulrnable that gets a space. Is it heck!! Before anyone jumps on the vulnerable bandwagon, I know quite a few of these families personally. I’m not saying some aren’t but not the whole feckin class. I have struggled myself this lockdown. I know the kids are going back in a weeks time but I’m annoyed as my daughter was sitting crying asking why all her friends were sitting laughing in a photo and she’s left out. The whole system was totally unfair the way they done the keyworker job. Fair play critical workers but how can someone working at the local baguette express be a keyworker? Unreal and I’m not bashing jobs, I have a min wage job myself. Sorry I’m havering on, but I’m so angry with the whole thing.

It does seem that your school has interpreted the rules quite liberally

Mine are at secondary but I was quite shocked when I drove past the local primary at the end of the day at how many were coming out. It looked like a normal day when mine went there. I was thinking it must be hard for kids who aren't in.

I have deliberately not drove past because of this with my kids. But when she saw the photos on teams she got quite upset. There must have been about 10 photos of her class smiling and laughing for world book day. She’s struggled the past year because of shyness. She has 2 close friends so I’m worried she’s lost them as the two friends have been in to school the past few months. I’m a worrier, I can’t help it. I’m just angry about the whole thing. The school place keyworker thing has been totally abused by some parents up and down the country. How can a child get a space and not get because of their parents job? I’m not saying critical workers, they are welcome.

Totally understand your frustration OP. I was ok knowing kids were in school but when my school started putting pictures of the kids having a lovely normal time (no distancing) doing PE, sitting in a full lesson it really hit a nerve, particularly as in England you can only exercise outside with one other person outside your household so prevents the primary kids homeschooling from seeing any friends since December!

Especially when there are kids in school who have one critical worker parent & a SAHM parent. School shouldn’t put up the pictures then you don’t know what they are missing.

School reopens for my primary DC on Monday and I will be so glad for them to be back with friends, getting a full curriculum (not just what I can cajole them into around my work). Will be nice for the feeling of resentment to go (not for the majority of critical workers children or vulnerable children that are in school but for towards those fee people who have taken the piss in taking a place).

*Few people who have taken the piss

Tell me about it, over half my daughters class have been in this whole time inc all her best friends, even when 1 parent is full time wfh and the child is definitely not vulnerable (i know them well). Pretty much all the parents where 1 can get keyworker status have sent their child in :-( my daughter is now worried her friends will have made new groups and she's scared to go back on Monday in case she's left out.
She's 4 so i'm trying to reassure her things will be ok and her friends will play with her, despite the fact i'm a little worried too.
Roll on Monday! her teacher has an easy fun filled day planned thankfully to help them all bond again.

Boarding school parents and also parents where one lives abroad and the child flies between the two alone to do the contact visits may like to know the new regulations are out - see www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2021/223/note/made
Health Protection (Coronavirus, International Travel) (England) (Amendment) (No. 9) Regulations 2021

"Regulation 8 amends Schedule B1A so as, primarily, to add the following categories of persons to those in relation to whom the provisions of Schedule B1A are modified:

unaccompanied children, where it is not reasonable for a person with responsibility for the child to reside with them in accommodation designated by the Secretary of State for the purposes of Schedule B1A; and

children (and those who were children on the 1st September 2020) who arrive unaccompanied from countries listed in Schedule B1 for the purposes of attending boarding school in England. 

Regulation 9 amends Schedule 2C so as, primarily, to extend until 26th April 2021 the point at which private providers can begin to provide tests in relation to arrivals required to obtain a managed self-isolation package. It also introduces a requirement for private providers to notify the Secretary of State of the number of tests they sell each day and the date on which the individual who has purchased the tests will arrive in England. "

In my youngest ds class theres probably been around 20 in school throughout in contrast to my older ds theres only been 2 in. It was hard for my youngest to see most of his friends in the background on teams meetings and questioning why he's stuck at home and they're not (hes 5 so not as easy to explain). We are all looking forward to Monday let's just put it that way!

You don't know everyone's circumstances inside and out, so for your sanity it's best not to judge. Families and children can all sorts of hidden reasons to you or I as to why their children are in school.

I know that in ds school, they have had 50% of the class in on some days and I know for a fact that some of the children aren't classed as key worker or vulnerable children. They have said at his school that if you can't get your child to engage in homeschooling then you can send them in, there has definitely been in increase in numbers over the last few weeks.

marieantoinehairnet
I am aware every case is different and there’s kids who genuinely need a space, I’m not talking about them. There has been an awful lot of parents taking the piss here. Why should my child feel isolated and missing and sad because of someone who knows how to work the system? I have eyes and know a lot of these parents personally and I can tell you most aren’t entitled to a school space. My sister works in a nursery and she’s said the same thing, she’s actually put in a complaint about the number of children who’s parents shouldn’t be in. So she’s risking her health because lazy parents don’t want to look after their own children.

I don't resent parents who got their kids a place when they really shouldn't have. I'd have done the same myself if it was possible.

I think that a parents job being the deciding factor of whether a child is entitled to go to school or not was awful and should never have happened. It should have been open to all (with rotas when necessary) or to vulnerable kids only. One job may be more important to society than another but both are equally important to parents trying to pay the bills and put food on the table. And all children are equally entitled to receive their education at school, the parents job has absolutely nothing to do with that.

I did explain to 5yo DD that some kids are still going into school and that, unfortunately, life is just not fair. She was upset, she has wanted to be in school this whole time. Thankfully she is back on Monday.

This is not my experience at all. My DS is in p6 in Scotland and of the 31 kids usually in his class (thank you SNP) there's only 1 child attending. I'm a key worker but my DH is (unhappily and struggling to) work from home short term so my DS is at home. They are going back on the 15th and hopefully things will feel normal again soon.

And if you feel your child is isolated, luckily here kids under 12 can play together so perhaps they need to try and meet friends after school and at weekends.

I’d say half or more of my foster kids classes are in.
I send them too so I’m not judging - but lots have been in.

@Chocsmyfav

marieantoinehairnet I am aware every case is different and there’s kids who genuinely need a space, I’m not talking about them. There has been an awful lot of parents taking the piss here. Why should my child feel isolated and missing and sad because of someone who knows how to work the system? I have eyes and know a lot of these parents personally and I can tell you most aren’t entitled to a school space. My sister works in a nursery and she’s said the same thing, she’s actually put in a complaint about the number of children who’s parents shouldn’t be in. So she’s risking her health because lazy parents don’t want to look after their own children.

Your child is feeling isolated and sad because the government closed the schools. The government set the criteria for who was allowed a place in school. Stop blaming parents who are just doing what is best for their DC's and family. The government could have devised a rota system so that all kids could have got 1 or 2 days a week in school.... but they didn't. They could have set up outdoor lessons so that all kids could have had some sort of interaction with other kids..... but they didn't. At least in Scotland primary age kids aren't counted in numbers that are allowed to meet so they have been able to go for walks/the park etc with other children. The English government could have done the same..... but they didn't, leaving primary age children even more isolated.

I honestly can't blame parents for doing what is best for their DC's. I'm perfectly capable of looking after my DD but if I could have got her a place in school then I would have because it would have been in her best interests.

It sucks. But there are very many reasons a child might be judged vulnerable or a parent deemed a critical worker that you don't know about. Blame the government for making the rules and the schools for interpreting them in the way they have, not parents who are in the main trying to do what they believe is the best thing for their children.

It's just yet another case of people blaming each other rather than looking at the government and questioning where they fucked up and what they could have done better.

I feel that the government has let my DD down and isolated her. I certainly don't put the blame on her school or on other parents.

So she’s risking her health because lazy parents don’t want to look after their own children.

Oh please, there’s so much more to it than that.

Jealously will ruin your life

OverTheRainbow88
Really? Get a grip. My sister has health problems of her own and she’s in every day looking after children. Not just her, there are plenty of teachers in the same boat. The amount of kids that have been in school has been ridiculous. As another op says, there should of been a fairer way of dealing with this. Maybe all kids in on a rota in small groups. I’m certainly not jealous, I’m angry and annoyed for all the children who are missing out in so much. Thankfully they are back soon.

Well tbh, I am glad that my children weren't in. Being a teacher, I know it is hard but I think you are wrong to judge. You have no idea how many families meet the criteria or how. We didn't have to many keyworkers in the school that I teach either.
There were also plenty that didn't get a place originally but you have to remember maybe it was opened up to more because of the P1-3's going back which meant more spaces open for those in P4-7 who didn't get a space could now get one - hence more children being in.
What is the point in complaining now anyway? Everyone is back a week on Monday.

@Chocsmyfav

marieantoinehairnet I am aware every case is different and there’s kids who genuinely need a space, I’m not talking about them. There has been an awful lot of parents taking the piss here. Why should my child feel isolated and missing and sad because of someone who knows how to work the system? I have eyes and know a lot of these parents personally and I can tell you most aren’t entitled to a school space. My sister works in a nursery and she’s said the same thing, she’s actually put in a complaint about the number of children who’s parents shouldn’t be in. So she’s risking her health because lazy parents don’t want to look after their own children.

It's not a simple as "lazy parents" and you can't know everything about everyone, as I said, best to not judge

BTW I'm probably one of your "piss taking parents" - you look at me or my kids you see no vulnerabilities, however what you don't see is my husbands job, my job, one my children's mental health issue due to the last lockdown, fragility... I've learned a lot during this pandemic and the main thing is not to judge, it doesn't do any one any favours, just makes you bitter

It is literally your sisters job to look after small children, that is what she is paid to do. If she feels like that is now too dangerous a job for her then she has the option to quit and find a different job. She isn't forced to do that particular job. She (and you) can't just blame the parents for using a service that is open and that they are paying quite a lot of money for. They are perfectly entitled to do that.

I work in a restaurant. When they finally open I'm not going to just start complaining that people are...... shock horror........ coming to eat in a restaurant. It is my job to serve them. If I feel like doing my job is risking my life then I will find another job, not start blaming the customers for doing something that they are perfectly entitled to do (and also pays my wages).

Yes totally agree there should have been rotas and keeping in contact outdoor sessions.

@Fortherosesjoni70 for me the point is that maybe teachers / schools will see this and if this scenario happens again (heaven forbid) will remember that it's pretty tactless to put up pictures online of the children in schools having fun, crafting with friends, as parents struggling to homeschool and children sitting at home alone find it demoralising to see.