Shameful treatment of children

[CottageGardener]

Taster days cancelled, work experience cancelled, sports days cancelled, exams cancelled, fetes cancelled, extra curriculum activities cancelled, end of year school assembly cancelled, transition day cancelled, trips cancelled, proms cancelled, the list goes on....

For a virus that 80% of the population now have antibodies for. The kids will never have a chance to do some of these things again. SHAMEFUL.

My local large Secondary school is holding a 1 week transition activity week for the new year 7's again this year - in August, as they did last year. Wonder how many worried parents will prioritise their children attending that over going on holiday!

I'd love that and would send my child. We'd go on holiday at a different time 🤷🏻‍♀️

Holidays are also important, I look forward to being shot down for saying that

@Lostinacloud

But that’s not the case anymore *@wingingit987*.

It is mind blowing to me that we are worse off this summer with cancelled events, businesses still closed or restricted to a 50% trading space and practically no overseas holidays than we were last summer when we didn’t have the hallowed vaccines.

I'm not disagreeing with you things should've relaxed but do we really want everything to disappear a end to masks and social distancing then end up in shitsville again in a few months time.

Losing a loved one is fucking hard. Losing a loved one during a global pandemic is one of the worse experiences of my life. So yes the kids may suffer for a little while longer even though a massive amount of things are now open.

Schools are loving not doing all the extras? Really? I’d rather do those extra things than everything we’ve had to contend with during this Covid year.

Where I work the school day has been extended by 30 mins due to staggered drop off. This part of the day still needs planning and assessing adding up to way more than the 2.5 hours extra a week. Every week we also need to plan high quality remote learning in case a class needs to isolate. Can’t use last week’s plan as it needs to mirror what the children are doing in school that week. This takes a lot of time.
We’ve also had extra intervention sessions to run due to covid catch up. These take place I am already packed day. I would much rather do a concert, a trip and sports day than this alongside having to wait for children having covid tests not knowing if they’re positive and we’ll be asked to isolate and switch to remote learning at the drop of a hat.

The secondary schools have had to do the exam boards’ jobs for them alongside their orb jobs with the TAGs which no doubt they’ll get a load of flack for whilst the exam boards keep all the money they’ve been paid.

It has been a massive increase in workload and stress for the last year (like other work places) for no extra money yet we’re loving not doing the extras.

Message in response to @Flinstones comment.

Sounds like some folk on here are contemplating having their kids done 😬

Since when has all this been cancelled then? Is it only certain areas?

DS’s Yr6 prom, Yr7 transition day and 10 day summer school at his new secondary is still going ahead as of this morning. We’re in the South East.

He went to his first post Covid birthday party on Sunday too.

As for “think of all the things they will be able to do in future” - when? Because by the next school year there’ll be more winter pressures / a fifth wave / a new variant and children probably won’t be vaccinated. So what’s different to now? Or are we waiting until next summer, until a third school year has been messed up?

I have to admit that's my worry it will be another school year affected.

I have to admit I think pupils and teachers got fucked with the exams this year - it was extremly stressful a month of assements for the kids then the teachers had to make and marshal evidence which is all on going.

I'm also worried some things both inside and outside school will be gone for good - I get that's not universal - does seem to way things are looking here.

Totally agree op! South east - 5 cases and they shut secondary for 10 days for 1600 kids, wtf!
My 17 yo - exams cancelled, work experience too, my 13 and 9 golds - less effected but still plenty of distruption.

I agree with you OP. I wonder if the repercussions will be felt for years to come in regard to their emotional and mental health.

A friends (adopted) child missed his secondary transition last summer. She's had terrible problems since and now has a school refuser.

@motherrunner

I have an almost 10 year old and almost 7 year old. At the moment they only difference in their lives in that they’re not together for breakfast/after school club as they’re now in bubbles instead of all years together in one hall.

DS - goes to football training, swimming, running and Beavers each week
DD - goes to football training twice a week, dance once a week, swimming, running and Brownies.

Neither bothered about sports days or end of year assemblies and such. They’re glad we can go camping again and looking forward to their holidays this year. School events aren’t the be all and end all of all childhood memories.

Let see if you are saying the same thing if your 10 year olds Y6 leavers trip / leaders party and assembly is cancelled next year. Incredibly easy to say what you have said when you have a 7 and a nearly 10 year old ffs

@LycraCladLucy

Since when has all this been cancelled then? Is it only certain areas?

DS’s Yr6 prom, Yr7 transition day and 10 day summer school at his new secondary is still going ahead as of this morning. We’re in the South East.

He went to his first post Covid birthday party on Sunday too.

Great, but many schools have decided to cancel

@dingit do you think that is solely down to missing transition?

@OnTheBrink1 I know my children and they honestly go with the flow. Want they want us to see their grandma who is a nursing home. They haven’t seen her since February 2020. Both of them have had residential weeks cancelled. They just accepted it. I don’t know if it’s because DH and I are teachers that we just tell them to get in with it, but they honestly do. Also DH and I are secondary teachers so don’t really get excited about primary events, maybe this has rubbed off on our children.

Lots of phone typos there - apologies!

Children coped years ago before these events were a thing. Now they are made to be a huge thing. If there wasn't such a hype about them (usually by the adults) and they didn't happen many children would just get on with it and not mind that they are not happening.

I know some are happy with dc missing out and always will be. But not everyone and at some point soon this becomes the wrong decision.

Not everyone is..

Agree OP.
People on MN love it though. Save the grannies u murderer!!! STAND BACK!

You are completely right and some people’s reaction to this still going on is disgustingly selfish! They have sacrificed enough but now there is a vaccine that most the vulnerable have had there is no need to carry on doing this to our children! It’s like the vaccine has made no difference. Our children must come first from now on they should not have their futures ruined any longer!
Since lockdown started my daughter has been suffering with anxiety and I found she has been self harming. I was hoping things would settle so she could finish the last half term at school and now she has been sent home to isolate because someone has tested positive...this is the third time it is ridiculous! There is a vaccine and yes some people may still die but I’m not sure people realise 1600 people die every day...we cannot prevent death!! I’m so angry today honestly I’m done!!

'People on MN love it though. Save the grannies u murderer!!! STAND BACK!'

'Save the grannies' being a typical example from the 'enough is enough' wailers, hand wringing because poor bubz has missed his leaver's assembly.

Hospitalisations are staying low though, fingers crossed we can all go to nightclubs again very soon. Tense times.

Worse for young adults. They were even banned from seeing both parents if divorced and no in person education for a year that they are being charged for!

Not to mention still paying for accommodation @motogogo. I agree Uni students have had a rough deal.

Children coped years ago before these events were a thing.

I'm early 40's many of these things were around when I was at school - proms end of sixth form , trips even some transition stuff and end of primary/secondary events.

My children have been stoic - but it's been two school years - it looks iffy for next year being normal.

My kids GDP are double vaccinated, as our we their parents and most parents we know have had least one most two doses now. Rates are really low where we are - still no where near normal - I do get why but I do wonder when it will all stop.