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.

VaVaGloom
Yes I agree, I’m just so sad for my 8 year old daughter who saw this. She keeps asking questions and feels totally left out. She’s not wanting to go back because of this as she’s scared her friends won’t play with her now. I’m not disagreeing on the pupils who genuinely need a place but there are plenty of parents who shouldn’t have got a place up and down the country.

Shelovesamystery

What are you talking about? Why are you wittering on about a restaurant? I’m talking about school.

It was easier this time to get place because the keyworker status was so wide. Dh just showed his badge and dc walked in. No questions asked.

@Chocsmyfav

Shelovesamystery

What are you talking about? Why are you wittering on about a restaurant? I’m talking about school.

You know exactly what I'm talking about. You just don't have anything to say to it so make out that I'm "wittering on" instead

In one of my DC's class, we have a mum who sends her child to school as a keyworker joining the streamed group lessons to see how her child is doing at school, a couple times a week.

Shelovesamystery
No I don’t know what your talking about, I’m not talking about a restaurant here, I’m talking about my child at school.

I feel a bit like you do although my kids school has been very strict about who they do have in and most are not.
Am blaming the government not the school. And it makes me very very angry.

@Chocsmyfav

Shelovesamystery No I don’t know what your talking about, I’m not talking about a restaurant here, I’m talking about my child at school.

You said that your sister...... who works in a nursery..... is complaining that parents are sending their DC's into nursery. I was making the point that I...... who works in a restaurant...... would not start complaining that people are coming to eat in a restaurant.

If the nursery is open then parents are doing nothing wrong by sending their DC's in. It's not like it's free either, parents are paying a lot of money for childcare.

Look I agree that this whole thing has been incredibly unfair on lots of children. And teachers should definitely think more carefully before sharing pictures of kids having fun in school with those kids that aren't allowed to come in. But I don't agree with where you are directing the blame. It is not other parents fault that your child has missed out, it is the governments. Don't judge people for doing what is best for their DC's.

Yes it definitely is the governments fault, they should have been stricter, the whole keyworker list, it was so excessive . Every man was a keyworker this year. It was just open to abuse from the start.

I know a family where they twisted the job description of one of the parents so that it sounded like it could come under key worker (even though it definitely doesn't). Their DC's have been going to school throughout. When I first heard about this I was incredibly jealous and got really angry about it. I started complaining about parents who "cheat the system". But I quickly changed my mind and thought "fair play to them". Their DC's being able to go to school isn't the reason that my DD can't go. It's not their fault. They just did what they knew was best for their DC's.

@Chocsmyfav

Yes, I’m also a teacher working in a huge secondary with a heart condition.

I have a friend, single mum, genuine key worker, whose DC have been in school this whole pandemic. Now society definitely needs her to do her job so it is what it is, but... Her DC have had a very different experience this last year to mine. And it makes me feel really upset for my DC truthfully.

I felt a pit in my stomach last week when I saw a photo on FB from the class teacher of DC in school holding up their latest project. They were all fantastic and marked by the teacher. My DC did the same project at home and it was nowhere near the level of quality of theirs (normally it would be if at school). I really felt like I had let my DC down, but I am one person with 3 DC who need me.

More than 60 % of DC's class has been in. I can count 3 times a week on the zoom sessions. They have seen most of their classmates and been taught by their teacher this whole time. There will be a lot of discrepancies with those that haven't.

I agree OP, it's really unfair on the kids who haven't been in. I think they should have either kept numbers really low, or allowed all kids in on a rota basis.

I think it does vary by school though - the numbers attending in our primary have been fairly low. I feel for your DD though if all her friends have been in and now she's got to re-establish those friendships.

Oh well - they are back in on Monday. Best of luck to your dd and all the other kids going back, including mine. I'm sure they will be fine once they settle back in

Think about it the other way too. My child goes to school and is aware that other children are at home having a lovely time with parents that aren't out risking their lives (this is all the time not just during Covid).

how can someone working at the local baguette express be a keyworker?

Because if their workplace is open, they aren’t entitled to furlough, therefore need to work?

I think sometimes you need to be impudent. We sent dc to school because dh had keyworker status this time. I got myself vaccinated even though I am not vulnerable. If it's within the rules why not?

Sorry posted too soon... however the government should have looked at how many of these food establishments really needed to stay open and what was essential.

@Thefaceofboe

how can someone working at the local baguette express be a keyworker?

Because if their workplace is open, they aren’t entitled to furlough, therefore need to work?

Many of the homeschooling parents also had to work, not everyone was furloughed. "Need to work" is not equivalent to being a key worker.

@Thefaceofboe

how can someone working at the local baguette express be a keyworker?

Because if their workplace is open, they aren’t entitled to furlough, therefore need to work?

Just because your workplace is open doesn't make you a key worker. I work in a factory and despite not being able to work from home I am not classed as a key worker because what we manufacture is not essential.

18 out of 28 in my daughters class have been in. Don't get me wrong - back in Jan I was fed up of it, we are both keyworkers but managed to juggle it so we kept our child at home and when you see others taking the mick it cant help but grate a bit. I too know one of the families really well, the mum is a keyworker, but the dad was furloughed! They told me they were sending their child in "because they could".

BUT...you know what? Im over it. My kids KNOW that we did the right thing, that they are loved and looked after with all the schooling Ive done with them and even better - those kids have all been in, in their millions across the UK and cases have still fallen!!! So I feel more confident about sending mine back and they will appreciate it all the more.

OP, so sorry your DD is upset by this. I can well imagine it - it's not an age where a child can rationalise it and understand - she just sees the unfairness and feels left out. TBH I'm surprised that school were so tactless as to send out photos of bloody WBD if most of the class were in!

I know we shouldn't judge and quite rightly, we don't always know the personal circs of some families who have children in school. Anecdotally though, I know of a few really blatant piss-takes. Someone I met blithely told me that after the nightmare of homeschooling during the first lockdown, there was 'no way' she was going to do it again (she has some extremely wayward spoiled kids!) and so she'd asked school to take them. She is a SAHM and her husband works for a private engineering company. Apparently deemed a keyworker this time around.

It's all very well to say 'ah but they're just doing it for the sake of their children! We'd all try to get ours into school if we could' - well no actually. Some of us aren't that fucking selfish.

On the other hand I've got kids in my class upset because they had to go to school, and didn't get to join in on all the Teams stuff.

Covid has not been fair.

I have eyes and know a lot of these parents personally and I can tell you most aren’t entitled to a school space.

Lots of the parents at school know me personally, but don’t know my children are adopted and entitled to a school place because they have additional support needs arising from early trauma. If you knew me and my kids you wouldn’t see that because their needs aren’t immediately apparent.

There are kids in foster care, who have unseen disabilities, who have very adverse home circumstances etc etc that you won’t necessarily know about - even knowing the parents.

My two have been in part time throughout and frankly I don’t give a shit about the opinion of people who don’t know our circumstances and would judge in the way you have.

It’s really upset me seeing children in school when my dd can’t attend. The social learning she’s missed out on - I’m worried if she’ll catch up, if she’ll be included once she returns. Virtual assemblies which prioritised answers from classes in school and which centred on the importance of laughing with friends for health and happiness - yes, really - made me wonder if school realise my child has been almost 3 months now without socialising with peers.

I was so worried I got in touch with the class teacher to explain my worries. She was lovely. They are prioritising play and games when they go back. Hopefully all schools will do the same. I really hope going back is good for your daughter, but I agree there has been a lot of insensitivity about the different experiences everyone is having. An 8 year old doesn’t need their face rubbed in it.

Thanks to everyone who commented and your positive posts. Kids are back to school next week or the week after in Scotland. I’m back to work, which I can’t wait. Good luck to all the children going back, get back to a bit of normality.