Why on earth are so few parents signing the petition to reopen schools?

[canary1]

I am disgusted that children are shut of schools currently. The priority seems to be opening non essential shops and football. Our children are being failed. I am wondering why on earth are so few signatures on the petition to reopen schools? We should be matching on Westminster, not taking this! I can see less than 5000 signatures....

petition.parliament.uk/petitions/305525?fbclid=IwAR04Yrc7kx38uURQ5doNMonlw72-od2RoDXUClyrJdmcnpcVZSckqC2eaFs

My children are facing at least 5.5 months off school. One has SENs which would not have been provided for as a "vulnerable"/ keyworker place. He wasn't invited in as he hasn't had a diagnosis long enough to get an EHCP, and an EHCP can't happen in the midst of this chaos.

The government has ballsed this up massively.
Y2, 3, 4 & 5 not getting the time that the younger years and y6. Plus their teachers are now compromised by being stretched to cover the bubbles of half classes.
KS3 seems to have ceased to even exist.
Y10 barely getting tutorial time, largely not with specualist teachers.
Y11long forgotten about.
Y12 as y10.
Y13 as y11, plus will be stitched up by barely any university provision.

As an age group, u25s are paying the highest costs for the least health benefit in avoiding the virus.

Because we feel it’s too soon to open schools and that it is too risky for pupils and staff alike?
Because it’s already chaos with three year groups in and there just aren’t the staff and isn’t the space to open them to more children safely?

Welsh schools are opening next week. They’re only able to offer three sessions before the Summer holidays. Our school is offering 3 sessions from 9-12am.

I’m not sending mine but that’s not the point. The point is that it just isn’t safe yet.

@formerbabe

Mine aren't, sorry

Smug much...why bother commenting?

Maybe trying to explain why they didn't sign the petition 🙄

duh much

Agreed, stompythedinosaur

And I would also say that only 25% of DS' classmates have gone back, so clearly lots of other parents don't think it's safe to all be back yet either.

The point is that it just isn’t safe yet

Children are at very low risk. Roughly 88% of deaths are in people aged 60+.

A lot of teachers are shielding or have vulnerable family members. A lot of students are the same. While we have distancing rules it's not feasible to open, and not safe.

I have two preteens and am fortunate that I can work from home, and I do understand it must be very difficult for people who need to go out to work. But I can't see how schools could open safely at the moment - say they have only 2/3rds of teachers able to come in, and say they have to limit class sizes to - eg, 15 - then it's not doable logistically!

Plus a lot of children wouldn't go back, so the school can't start teaching new stuff as lots of students would miss that and they'd all be at different stages.

The online learning thing won't work either - as some children aren't doing any work (no parental supervision or zero engagement) and some don't have easy access to tech - whereas others are keeping on top of it. So it would be hard to expect all students to have the same level of learning when they do eventually go back.

I think we all have to accept these are unprecedented times, and sadly, some children's learning will suffer. Once things return to some semblance of normality I hope schools will be able to put things in place to address the gaps - but health has to come first, right now!

Children are at low risk of death, yes. But we're still discovering more and more long term effects of the virus on people's health.

And anyway, my children's father is extremely vulnerable, so they haven't gone back.

Oh the drama!

Op kids will be ok, it’s a tiny tiny chunk of their lives.... they will be ok

My son is fine at home, we give him plenty to do. Maybe teachers and non teaching staff don’t want the contact?

I wasn't aware of any petitions tbh. I will sign the one linked OP and any you decide to start. Totally agree with everything you've said

OP I could not agree more and have signed. Thanks for sharing.

Signed

BogRollBOGOF- just to let you know I am currently going through the EHCP process for my daughter during the pandemic. The council are still carrying out assessments, although they are happening remotely, with a caveat that they were undertaken during Covid-19. Ive been well informed and kept up to date. Don’t know how it will go but just to let you know the option is there.

We surveyed the parents at our school and the majority said they felt it wasn't safe yet.

My son is fine at home,

That's good, mine isn't though.

I, as a rule, don't sign petitions, especially ones that aren't particularly clear in what they are wanting. I have pretty much given up my girls having any school time before end of term (I've managed to wrangle a day a week for DS) and tbh I am not sure the diluted version of what they will get is worth it. What I want is come September some degree of normality.

My son is fine at home, we give him plenty to do

That's not the point. This is hugely isolating for many children. Lots of parents on these boards have children who are really struggling, despite having "plenty to do".

The thing for me is, I can think of a time when this Tory government has ever wanted to keep people from work. Quite the opposite in fact. They’d have people doctors have said are incapable of working back to work if they could it seems.

So I can only assume they have a very good reason for keeping schools from fully opening and therefore keeping some parents out of work.

Like a PP I would also sign a petition for standardised remote teaching though. And more funding to allow schools to open safely sooner.

Because maybe not every family round the country is represented by the rather vocal ones on MN? 35% of eligible pupils have chosen to return to my school. Many families of my pupils are treating this as an extended holiday. I'm not saying that's necessarily a good thing but there are a lot of parents who think like that.

@7ofNine

Most schools in England are already open. Schools in Scotland are on summer holidays.

Not yet they're not.

When Government guidance states I can still only see family and friends in groups of no more than 6, outside and maintaining 2 metres social distance, why on earth would I believe it is safe to fully reopen schools at this point. Not to mention the fact that China is now experiencing a resurgence of the virus in Wuhan.

Scottish children are on their summer holidays? Back on August 11th. So they probably don’t want to sign a petition that doesn’t apply to them.

I don’t get the drama. Teachers will help all children catch up, all children are in the same boat. The playing field is level. It’s not like children in the West Midlands are being expertly tutored and those in the London are being ignored.

School will start back and children will learn.

(Added caveat that vulnerable children should have care provided through summer, but that’s not a Covid thing. And I guess key worker children should also have help.)

This is new:

www.theguardian.com/education/2020/jun/17/government-to-fund-private-tutors-for-english-schools

There’s also this one:

www.usforthem.co.uk

Teachers will help all children catch up, all children are in the same boat. The playing field is level

Don't be ridiculous. Some children are doing no work, some are doing lots. Some have highly educated parents, some don't. Some have internet access and a computer, some dont. Some have loving supportive parents, some dont. Some were already behind and will now never catch up.

Sorry @Jingstohang when do Scottish school holidays start then?

Schools are workplaces too, children are there with adults. Those adults could be people who have recovered from Cancer, they might be carers for elderly parents, they might be immune compromised themselves for a numbers of reasons. And I am not just talking about the teacher, I am talking about the TA's, the cleaners, admin etc etc. If we need to have social distancing everywhere else in society and people are losing their jobs as a result of social distancing eg factories, airline industry, hospitality etc how can we send kids to school with no social distancing. Yes I agree it is tough at home with kids, and trying to work from home is a nightmare never mind homeschooling etc but we have to think of everybody in society. We are living in a real life pandemic that the health experts are still trying to understand and learn about.