Don't 'save Christmas' instead save schools and keep them in person in January (Save Schools = YES)

[SoTiredNeedHoliday]

I feel that our kids have suffered enough and missed out on significant important social and academic periods of their lives. It feels like the PM is 'keeping Christmas' because of fears about his popularity and also because of the 'party' sandal. He should be thinking of the greater good and our lives longer term.
I feel restrictions now for 2/3 weeks and enabling kids to go to school in January is far more important than 'keeping Christmas' and having a lockdown or home schooling in January

What do you think?

Save Schools = YES

playgroup/preschool not playgroup/nursery

Couldn't agree more. I can't understand why some people are so uncaring and even spiteful towards the our children, the most vulnerable people in our society, and our only hope for a decent future.

I think it's a bit much to equate missing a few specific weeks of school with giving up on their whole future, or that not viewing it as the centre of the universe is spiteful.

I'm with other posters, I'd happily cancel all Christmas parties, but I'd prioritise people seeing their families on Christmas above kids going to school in January, especially those with elderly/sick relatives.

I know it's human nature to feel like we must have it worse than everybody else when things are tough but I really don't think it's the case that kids have had it harder than everyone else has, which many parents seem to believe.

I think everything should be done to keep schools open, poor little Arthur should be example enough why.

Save Christmas and schools in January drop isolation for positive cases. Omicron has gone exactly what I expected in 2020 we are all going to get this the only thing that's different between omicron and wild type we have no way of stopping it happening rapidly so we might as well accept that and move on.

And when we ‘all get it’, more of us at the same time than any other variant, when more medical staff are off work than ever before, when more people are in hospital than before, what happens if you get diabetes or cancer or some other illness that requires medical care? Do you think when you’re told ‘sorry, no treatment available at the moment’ you will be able to also ‘accept that and move on?’

And yes, the government shouldn’t have made cuts previously and we might not have been in such a mess, but they did and we are.

No

Christmas was shit for my sister last year, after a year of frontline nhs work, Boris changed the rules at the last minute and her abusive ex made sure she stuck to the rules.
It nearly broke her. I would so worried if her Christmas is cancelled this year.

The older kids on the other hand can learn from home if they are motivated. If they aren't they won't do well anyway. You can learn anything online these days. I don't particularly fancy supervising A level subjects, but they stuff is all available if wanted.

The little ones will be fine.

@HangingOutWithTheSandman

Save Christmas and schools in January drop isolation for positive cases. Omicron has gone exactly what I expected in 2020 we are all going to get this the only thing that's different between omicron and wild type we have no way of stopping it happening rapidly so we might as well accept that and move on.

And when we ‘all get it’, more of us at the same time than any other variant, when more medical staff are off work than ever before, when more people are in hospital than before, what happens if you get diabetes or cancer or some other illness that requires medical care? Do you think when you’re told ‘sorry, no treatment available at the moment’ you will be able to also ‘accept that and move on?’

And yes, the government shouldn’t have made cuts previously and we might not have been in such a mess, but they did and we are.

No scrap isolation for everyone including medical staff. I would risk it's yes the odds of us needing the NHS are tiny (think about the last time you actually needed to see a doctor not just felt rotten) vs the risk to our kids education. If I was vulnerable I would be shielding but I'm not and I'm done prioritising the needs of the vulnerable over my son and us.

@isittheholidaysyet

No

Christmas was shit for my sister last year, after a year of frontline nhs work, Boris changed the rules at the last minute and her abusive ex made sure she stuck to the rules.
It nearly broke her. I would so worried if her Christmas is cancelled this year.

The older kids on the other hand can learn from home if they are motivated. If they aren't they won't do well anyway. You can learn anything online these days. I don't particularly fancy supervising A level subjects, but they stuff is all available if wanted.

The little ones will be fine.

The little ones will be fine.

Not all of them. Not Arthur, who is dead, not my DD who has already got years of Speech and language therapy ahead of her to undo the damage of the first lockdown, and not the case for many many other 'little ones'.

Unfortunately there seems to have been very little support for proper safe measures in the school, no proper ventilation, students themselves often being utterly atrocious to staff trying to keep everyone safe with ventilation etc.
Schools themselves insisting on school uniform instead of allowing dc to wear warm water clothes.
Cp2 monitors ignored. Staff wearing flimsy clothes and insisting on window's closed.
People not doing lat flows, students definitely not doing lateral flows! Students definitely not wearing masks.
Something has to give?
If people want to school open surley they need to make sure their dc are singing from the the sake hymn sheet?

I'm going to stand on the beach waving my hands in the air, shouting at the tide to not come in.

This is the equivalent of writing a thread on MN shouting 'save schools' in the face of the omicron wave.

It doesn't matter what we want. Its beyond our control unfortunately.

The reality is that at least a sizeable number will be forced to close. And this may even be for key worker kids and vulnerable kids because of the current circumstances.

Schools will inevitably either close because the government have no option because cases are just so high or cases will be just so high that schools won't be open because there will be insufficient staff.

I agree RIPWalter

Saying ‘ the little ones will be fine’ is disgraceful minimisation of the clear harms caused by school closures

@RedToothBrush

I'm going to stand on the beach waving my hands in the air, shouting at the tide to not come in.

This is the equivalent of writing a thread on MN shouting 'save schools' in the face of the omicron wave.

It doesn't matter what we want. Its beyond our control unfortunately.

The reality is that at least a sizeable number will be forced to close. And this may even be for key worker kids and vulnerable kids because of the current circumstances.

Schools will inevitably either close because the government have no option because cases are just so high or cases will be just so high that schools won't be open because there will be insufficient staff.

100% and not only that but these threads pop up time after time after time.

Insufficient staff will be a temporary thing present throughout society - schools, hospitals, pharmacies, shops, all manner of businesses.

World of difference between that and taking a societal measure to shut them completely when such harm to children is now clear and known

The latter would be abhorrent.

The little ones will be fine.

My son is Y2. They've been particularly badly affected.

Its stuff like not being able to sit and concerntrate for more than 5 minutes. Most kids would learn it through reception and year 1, but because they haven't had the time in school many haven't. Thats causing disruptive behaviour which is affecting all the kids in the class. Too much screen time with apps which feed short attention spans doesn't help.

They also have many who are massively behind where they should be for reading. That has an affect on all the other subjects because if you can't read enough by a certain point it makes teaching harder. That again affects the whole class.

Its stuff like not being able to have swimming lessons.

Its stuff like not having social skills which are up to what would normally be expected.

Its stuff like handwriting being far behind where it should be because they've not had as much practice compared to a normal year.

After school its noticable how much more 'wild' certain years are compared with previous years and its a direct result of lockdowns. They just aren't as disciplined in the same way outside the home.

This is happening even in the better schools. Its noticable and being replicated across the country.

So yeah 6 and 7 year olds are little but still absoluetely stuffed.

Meanwhile toddlers aren't as advanced in terms of their language development as a result of not being as exposed to people generally.

@canary1

Insufficient staff will be a temporary thing present throughout society - schools, hospitals, pharmacies, shops, all manner of businesses.

World of difference between that and taking a societal measure to shut them completely when such harm to children is now clear and known

The latter would be abhorrent.

Yep I agree

BTW I say this as a parent of a child who hasn't missed a beat on work set and has done everything, is exceeding expectations and is doing well socially and hasn't really been affected by lockdowns in any where near the same way as his peers.

Its still affecting him, if only because of the indirect impact to his friends.

@isittheholidaysyet

No

Christmas was shit for my sister last year, after a year of frontline nhs work, Boris changed the rules at the last minute and her abusive ex made sure she stuck to the rules.
It nearly broke her. I would so worried if her Christmas is cancelled this year.

The older kids on the other hand can learn from home if they are motivated. If they aren't they won't do well anyway. You can learn anything online these days. I don't particularly fancy supervising A level subjects, but they stuff is all available if wanted.

The little ones will be fine.

My little one was not fine thanks. Do you know what it's like for an only child to be completely isolated from peers his own age for months?

The little ones are definitely not fine - seems a very trite statement considering what we know now.

All ages need school for their own reasons.

@Imdreamingofapeacefulxmas

Unfortunately there seems to have been very little support for proper safe measures in the school, no proper ventilation, students themselves often being utterly atrocious to staff trying to keep everyone safe with ventilation etc. Schools themselves insisting on school uniform instead of allowing dc to wear warm water clothes. Cp2 monitors ignored. Staff wearing flimsy clothes and insisting on window's closed. People not doing lat flows, students definitely not doing lateral flows! Students definitely not wearing masks. Something has to give? If people want to school open surley they need to make sure their dc are singing from the the sake hymn sheet?

This.

My kids are quietly shaken up by the worry of the pandemic … I would sacrifice many things for them to be able to at least go to school and have that normality and access to being a child .

No. Its not all about children. Many people look forward to Christmas, a break ar the end if the year.

@Whammyyammy

No. Its not all about children. Many people look forward to Christmas, a break ar the end if the year.

Children's education is pretty important as they'll be the ones paying for our pensions.

I disagree, I think it is natural and appropriate for society to put their young first. It is the natural order if things.
So many selfish adults about

Children's education is pretty important as they'll be the ones paying for our pensions

I didn't say education wasn't important..it just doesn't trump everything else.

Both my children are on very lengthy waiting lists for medical conditions that I am worried about and there is no likelihood they'll be seen soon. Even more so now. I would happily have them out of school for a few weeks if it meant there was even a minute chance that wait could be shorter.
Not everything in childhood development is about fucking education.

To put it another way, I am MUCH more concerned about the state of the NHS than schools.