Parents union?!?

[Ahava3]

How would you feel if school didn't begin normally in September?

Devastated. I’m working FT. Have worked through covid
The children need to go back, it’s too unsettling too long to be off

Apparently there are lots of scientists stating that children pose minimal risk with Covid and that they are not spreading it either. However teachers unions are putting lots of pressure on the government to either not open up... or do so much more wearily? I have 5 kids at home of different ages... Thankfully we have a happy home... but I see it's really affecting some of my kids a lot... they want to be with their friends!!! Wondering if parents are able to get together and have a say in all this? They are our kids after all?!?

Resigned. It's what I expect to happen and might be better than the constant uncertainty of bubbles being sent home to self isolate because someone's little brother has it and the schools opening up only to close again in a matter of weeks fandango.

I don’t want a group of parents deciding whether or not school opens
This is not a parent lead decision,it need to globally be science based
I don’t want some worried antivaxer or conspiracy theorist parents getting to decide
Quite frankly there’ll be the conspiracy theorists, antivaxers etc who’ll not send their kids in anyway
But this isn’t a decision for parents it’s a public health decision with local and national government

It's not about having a say over our children. It's about what's best for this country and getting the virus under control.

The decision has to be led by science. Not what possibly rather misinformed parents want.

This "kids don't get it or spread it" fallacy just won't die will it?

I think allowing parents personal freedom to choose, rather than force into schools under threat of a fine might actually work.

It was around a quarter at primary school who didn't come in given the option (not sure for secondary) - if everyone goes in en masse I can't see bubbles and covid being contained for over six weeks it's just not realistic - particularly on the run up to traditional flu season and winter pressures.

I hope that schools will be able to open, but it wouldn’t surprise me if they can’t.

And I agree with @SentientAndCognisant, the decisions about whether to open schools should be made by local / national government, not by parents.

Not all parents think the same way, so you'd need multiple parents' unions.

I'm a parent who thinks secondary schools opening full time with no distancing is and I really don't want that.

So I'll be relieved although sad if schools don't open fully - unless we've had a major drop in cases of course (dream on )

Parents union?only if I get to be in the employed group,not stuck with the head tilt worriers and conspiracy theorists

Devastated. My ds needs to go back to school.

I’ll happily sacrifice all other social contact to make that happen.

However teachers unions are putting lots of pressure on the government to either not open up... or do so much more wearily?

Why do you think teachers are unhappy with their workplace not adhering to government guidelines that apply to every other workplace?

Parents might not give a shit but it’s not their workplace.

Hi Ahava3,

I'm a teacher, and I would love schools to be open as normal in September!

Children need consistency and the best possible teaching and learning next term. There is increasing recent evidence from Canada, Israel and Australia that children can and do catch the virus and spread it to other children and adults, even with increased hand washing. Of children catch it, they will need to self-isolate and miss school. If teachers catch it, they will have to self-isolate, and children's learning will be disrupted. If too many teachers are ill at once, then there will not be enough adults to supervise the children, and the school will have to close, again causing disruption to children's education.

Parents and teachers need to work together to ensure that the government is funding the extra cleaning required (it isn't at the moment, and school budgets have been cut and cut again). We need to work together to ensure that the government is researching, funding and putting in place effective testing and tracing and other measures to minimise the spread of the virus and keep everyone in schools as much as possible.

@Ahava3

How would you feel if school didn't begin normally in September?

Angry that the government still hasn't done what's necessary to get the virus under control.

But this isn’t a decision for parents it’s a public health decision with local and national government

This.

@Ahava3 have you seen what is happening in Australian schools at the moment? You may have to change your mind that children pose no risk

@Ahava3

Apparently there are lots of scientists stating that children pose minimal risk with Covid and that they are not spreading it either. However teachers unions are putting lots of pressure on the government to either not open up... or do so much more wearily? I have 5 kids at home of different ages... Thankfully we have a happy home... but I see it's really affecting some of my kids a lot... they want to be with their friends!!! Wondering if parents are able to get together and have a say in all this? They are our kids after all?!?

There has been a scientist who suggested there have been no proven cases of children passing it on. As it’s extremely difficult to prove definitively exactly how it was caught, this claim hasn’t been taken terribly seriously. He was also the same scientist who decamped his wife and kids to a remote Scottish island for lockdown.

We will soon find out the role children have in transmission when schools open in full with no social distancing, masks or additional funding for cleaning or soap with compulsory attendance for previously shielding staff and children.

Don’t expect your schools to remain open for too long-my guess is that they won’t.

It’s a very naive policy of the government really. If they want schools to remain open, they need to protect the staff in some way.

However teachers unions are putting lots of pressure on the government to either not open up... or do so much more wearily?

Wearily?!

Why do parents feel they have a right to dictate to school?

Is there a Gym membership group? A holiday group forcing planes to fly or hotels to be open?

No, they leave it to them to decide the risks and make their own rules in safety and well being.

Every school is different, every lay out, every staff member.

It’s not your call!

Set up your own school if you want to dictate the running if it.

It does seem to spread among kids as it did at this kids' camp in the US among 6- 10 year olds
patch.com/georgia/cumming/nearly-300-ga-ymca-campers-staff-positive-coronavirus-cdc
I'm sure if schools can't open or have to close quickly the government and right wing media will be delighted to blame teachers and unions as always, even though teachers and unions have no control over covid or how it spreads. I'm sure they are sowing the seed for this blame already

Parents don't need a union, because unions are for employees in the workplace. Parents who won't have schools as their workplace seem not to understand that teachers have the right to be protected as much as other workers across the country.

What's surprising is that as schools are the closest to a "workplace" children have to go, more parents aren't demanding proper protection!

If not for their kids' sake, then all those who will be hit hardest when germs are passed around schools and then brought out of them back into the community! This won't stop spreading and increasing until transmission is broken.

@BluebellsGreenbells

Why do parents feel they have a right to dictate to school?

Is there a Gym membership group? A holiday group forcing planes to fly or hotels to be open?

No, they leave it to them to decide the risks and make their own rules in safety and well being.

Every school is different, every lay out, every staff member.

It’s not your call!

Set up your own school if you want to dictate the running if it.

Difference is that its not mandated that we have to attend gyms, fly in aeroplanes and use hotels is it?. We make the decision based on what precautions are being made whether to participate or not. Schools should be no different.

We make the decision based on what precautions are being made whether to participate or not. Schools should be no different.

They aren’t. You are perfectly free to withdraw your child and homeschool.

Concerned.

As wouid any parent, I think, with a DC in years 10-13.

Because what is going to happen about public exams if those years are buggered around? Those going in to years 11 and 13 have already lost a term. And they could all lose a further significant amount if the autumn term is badly disrupted.

Those schools which have adequate or better offsite learning are going to have significantly better prepared pupils (and this isn't just learning to get the qualification, it's to meet the standard that is the normal start point for what they choose to do next)

Sutton Trust published something earlier this year which showed that about 57% of private schools were achieving an adequate or better level, compared with 28% of state schools. That's a heck of a lot of pupils whose schools aren't making adequate arrangements. I don't think anyone has any idea how many more will have adequate arrangements in place for full or partial offsite learning by September (or other start date)

Solo mummy... think it's a bit different... firstly if I was paying for gym membership etc and was not happy with the service, I would say something... all the more so regarding my kids education!!! And I generally discuss the well being of my kids with the teachers (especially for kids with learning difficulties) and we have a relationship... which is not business based, because educating kids and their wellbeing shouldn't be put into the same category.
At the same time, I am paying school fees, and educating my kids at the same time, and unable to work as I have all the kids home. Given the circumstances and the impact on the kids n parents lives, I do think there should be open discussions between parents and teachers regarding what to do. And come September, if schools do not open properly (with reasonable safety measures in place) then I do plan on banding together with other mummies to open our own school. My kids need social interaction... And we all need some structure!

It's baffling that parents want their children and teachers to be at risk and aren't willing to engage in discussions that weigh up the evidence and science.

Go and attend a teaching union meeting.

You'll find that the only discussion that takes place is how to keep the children safe and prevent illness/death. There's no talk of refusing to open schools or plans to overthrow the government,