Schools reopening - Right to decide as a parent

[DocMia]

Boris Johnson : Parents should have the right whether to send their children back to school in September. - Sign the Petition! chng.it/N76dqb4y via @UKChange

Medically vulnerable children were forgotten about before covid
We were threatened with fines numerous times for dc with serious lifelong conditions and basically called liars and threatened with fines if they were ill. Conditions put on us were
-having to get a gp letter for every absence even if just a cold (gp eventually stopped as said it wasn’t their job plus we were then taking up appts we didn’t need because of the schools insistence)
-taking in medication to prove what dc were on even if not administered in school hours
-consenting to the school being able to speak to consultants whenever they wanted
-having to provide data from a medical device to prove of absences were due to a certain condition as they ‘couldn’t take our word for it’
-threatened with fines all the time
-told that if we wanted to keep them off we had to take them into school first so the school medical staff could do temperature and assess and they would decide not us if our child was too ill

So really for some of us we already know what the situation will be. If you have a child who is vulnerable expect to be threatened with fines and maybe try to save up of you don’t want to de register it’s a terrible situation but not a new one for many families it seems to be there’s no room to accommodate either you’re fine and you’re in school all the time or do everything or you don’t fit into the mould and schools won’t change to make any kind of reasonable adjustment

@Iverunoutofnames

I know a child locally who is being homeschooled because there’s no place for him. They would love a place. You can’t homeschool and keep the school place ‘just in case’. Sadly it’s not fair. None of this is fair. No point looking for a way to make it fair I’m afraid. Homeschool or school. Piss or get off the pot.

Yet in some areas if a few parents opt to deregister now due to Covid this will result in schools being undersubscribed and the school having to make a teacher redundant due to the resultant loss of funding.

seriously people on here have no empathy.

We DON'T have to deregister at this stage. We really, really don't. We can see what happens. We need to do what is best for our children, educationally, socially and in terms of keeping them safe, and that can take the form of an ongoing dialogue with school about arrangements on return.

If we feel the situation is not safe, or infection numbers are rising, especially if we have a vulnerable child or family, it is entirely reasonable to take the child out of school for a bit. It is unreasonable to suggest anything else. Especially given this government's record.

I read a news feed that states everyone must send there children back to school in september and those who don't will be getting fines !!the kids have had way too much time off already so anyone who decides to keep them home obviously arnt bothered about there kids education

to PP, do you not think the situation might be a little more nuanced than that?

Deregistering should be the option for most with exceptions for extremely clinically vulnerable families.

you already have that choice OP it's called homeschooling. you can't expect the school to be respnible for your child's education and hold onto a place for them indefinitely if you're not going to send them.

children need to be in school now not only for education but so they can interact with others and learn essential skills. if you don't like it deregister them :)

I'm horriified by the antagonism that OP is facing from so many people here. If you feel that schools are safe, then send your children in.
There are lots of parents who have children who are immune comromised or who have health issues that would put them at risk. There are also households who have vulnerable or elderly people living under the same roof as school aged children.
It's a comfort to know that children don't seem to be affected in the same way that adults are by this virus, but scientists are agreed that it's early days and we still know very little about Covid. Most of the data we have about schools and children is from a time when the schools were shut and the warm weather allowed us to spend a lot of time outside.
Scientists agree that the virus will circulate at schools, particularly in the UK where there will be no masks and social distancing. That's why they're talking about shutting pubs and cafes because they know opening schools is going to push up the R rate. To most of us that won't be too much of a problem. But to the vulnerable and elderly it could be a death sentence.
This government has already demonstrated that they have very little regard for human life. They have blood on their hands with the way they handled care homes, and it looks like they will be taking the same approach to schools.
Rather than directing aggression at parents who are terrified that their vulnerable children might die, I think we should be showing solidarity. We are almost certain to get another wave of the virus this winter and many more people are going to die. The most vulnerable in society need our support.

Simple. De register your child.
Think I’ll pass on signing that.

You already have the right.

You're petitioning for something that exists.

Take your children out of school and homeschool them if school is that much of a problem for you.

@Trackandtrace if the classrooms are empty, even if there are children on roll they will still get rid of teachers if they can (I’ve worked for 2 academy trusts and 100% know they will save money any chance they can).

DH is clinically vulnerable. Until last week he had seen no one and not left the house since the very start of March. He has had to go back into work. He’s okay with it now as honestly if this is going to be around for a while, it’s just what it is.

How long does a school place need to be kept open. If the virus is around for years, that long?

The risks are absolutely minimal. People are overthinking this massively.

You are free to home educate your child. You cannot expect teachers to be bending over backwards to teach your child remotely due to your own anxiety issues.

to all those saying its simple. would you inject your child with this virus now? Inject them now over the summer hols so that when schools reopen they know that x number of children have already had the virus which will significantly reduce the risk in schools to vunerable pupils and teachers or those with vunerable relatives at home?

Obv you believe the virus poses no risk to yourselves or your children so this seems like an ideal solution right?

Homeschool them. Unenroll them and homeschool them.

I imagine some will be delighted if top oversubscribed schools have spaces open up they can move their own children into.

If people want to keep their children at home, are they still expecting the school to provide online learning for them?l be l be t

I will be back teaching my class full time next week so won't be able to do that

@YinuCeatleAyru

we already have that right. we have the obligation to educate our children, that can be via sending them to school, or otherwise. anyone who isn't happy to send their child to school can deregister them and home educate. if lots of people choose this then all schools will be undersubscribed and there will be plenty of places available when you decide to restart school.

this is a silly petition as it doesn't even mention the implicit point - because the right it is asking for already exists, obviously what the petitioner wants is the right to hold on to a school place indefinitely with no intention of using it, but as this isn't stated in the petition wording, the whole thing is pointless.

I agree. I haven’t read the link. We should not be letting Borris get off lightly and enable him to pass the book. Unless of course it’s like the above poster has said.

@Danglingmod

I'm wondering if posters think that all extremely clinically vulnerable students should just deregister and give up their school place stat or whether the govt should be persuaded to make allowances for them rather than force them back to school?

I know that our students with cancer diagnoses and heart conditions will be facing this exact dilemma (or their parents will) and I absolutely don't mind spending extra time catching them up where possible (as, obviously, we do I'm normal times).

I don’t think most posters meant that category of people to attend school obviously. However there probably will be a lot of people with anxiety about sending their kids back to school which is totally understandable. This does not mean parents should be able to send their kids to school when ever they feel good and ready as this is what happened not so long ago with the school kids. Parents were then shocked when a school place couldn’t be made available when they decided they would like their child back to school again.

We shouldn’t have to de-register, we should be able to decide whether we deem it safe and go from there. I’m shocked with all the comments, it disappoints me that there are so many horrible comments #bekind why do people get personal. Support each other, give advice. Don’t get so personal, we’re in this together.

@DocMia when will it be safe though? Parents are aware there is a risk! I for one would feel terrible if anything tragic to my child as I’m making the choice to send him to school... as I sent him to the hub. Don’t assume this is an easy choice for a parent. Some people literally only have 2 options though there’s a bigger picture. It’s not just about education for the child. School is also a big part of childcare too!

I don’t think most posters meant that category of people to attend school obviously. The government clearly do though. They're all expected to go back. Children like my DC are forgotten about. I have to choose whether to send him in, or be fined. How is that right?

@RedDeadQueen what does your GP think? What’s their medical opinion on it? It’s a really tough call I can’t deny. Without a vaccination there is always going to be a risk.

@DocMia you can decide. But you have to de-register and home school. I don’t understand what you think the other options should be for you?

Obviously vulnerable children should be excepted.

@Bananabread8
I don’t think most posters meant that category of people to attend school obviously
But that category of people are expected to be back in September.

are they still expecting the school to provide online learning for them?
Schools will have to have online learning prepared, for children out of setting for Covid related reasons (self isolation etc), that is in the goverment guidelines.

Children are not being supported to learn at home if they were shielding they are expected in as are the teachers...
Oh well. If we all deregister maybe there will be smaller classes but also thousands less for the school per year. Year groups will have to be combined. So it will affect your children too.
They will get less funding on census day.
And if parents arent happy they are not going to just lie down and deregister. Why the heck should they? They will say the kids are ill. Or they have been in contact with cases. Or returning from quarantine areas.
Or be told to go in.then start coughing. As honestly while the gov (and other parents) dont give a crap and are ignoring rules or making ridiculous ones why do you assume other parents with ill children will.
That is without the shitstorm that will happen when these children do get ill. As it can hardly be argued enough was done. So that will be multimillion lawsuits. Schools and workplaces have a duty of care.

Re the bubbles for shielding dc unfortunately i dont think that would work from another point of view too. Many parents would claim they needed this. But unfortunately some shielded people have been/having to? Go to work through peak. Im sure some will be in pubs. Some have been flying abroad. . You literally cannot assume anyone is following rules or being sensible. (As it is only suggested anyway). What might work would be a group where is clearly makes sense to be 'allowed' to wear masks. Or even just for eg from aug shielded people are expected back in work and same for teachers.

What is clear though is that parents are not going to be careful to avoid their kid catching it and passing it on to others vulnerable children and parents.

Bear in mind too that while you think you have no underlying conditions apparently the 40y health cheack finds loads of issues high bp/diabetes/heart issues etc.

The most vulnerable in society need our support.

Which is why kids need to be in school - kids are more vulnerable from abuse and neglect than the virus, lots of parents sadly do require the threat of fines, and the threat of educational welfare involvement to make the effort to get their kids to school, some kids need the school lunch, some kids need the chance to talk to a teacher without their parents listening in.

By enabling parents to simply not bother to send in their children, these are the kids that are at risk. De-registering the child, or if so vulnerable they can not go out, medically absent, gives the parents that option without providing the negligent or abusive parent the chance to just not bother with their kids.