If you think the key worker guidance should tighten up for school attendance please sign this petition

[swooby]

I can see from other threads that people are just as infuriated as I am about the current key worker guidance leading to schools being half full whilst the other half of kids get excluded.

So I made this petition. It basically suggest that:

1.If there is a non key worker parent at home then that family cannot send their children in to school

1. The keyworker definition needs to be tightened. It is currently far too broad and open to abuse.

I just can't get my head around how a non key worker has to home school kids UNLESS they happen to have a key worker partner.

If you feel the same please sign this petition at change.org on the link below:

chng.it/g4Zjg792Gn

Please share the link too

No thank you. You don’t know peoples circumstances.

Meh. I have three kids, two at home, one in school. If DS2 lost his place because DH and I (both key workers) both work from home, then I would have to stop doing live lessons (the content I'm teaching is not appropriate for him) and my marking would become significantly less effective. I quite enjoyed home schooling in lockdown 1, when live lessons were not a thing at my school and I mainly had Year 11 whose exams were cancelled anyway). I would be quite happy to do it again, and would muddle through setting generic work and doing pre-recorded lessons for several groups at a time. It would be the education of the kids I teach that would be affected, and I'm not really ok with that.

This is one of the most ridiculous threads I've ever read on MN.

OP, the curve is flattening, schools are going back in a month or 2. What timeline did you exactly have in mind for your petition and policy making process? lol!

I can't believe you are still pissed off at children of essential workers getting childcare in school. Insane!

@HariboBrenshnio

I get that there's a tiny minority using KW provisions when there is a SAHP but they can't stop the 1 KW role based on that minority. It would impact too many KWs. Whether you believe it to be too broad or not, those roles have been deemed important to the running of the country. I am a KW WFH and I'm also a single parent, so my kids are using the provision.

Your issue isn't with the KW provision, you haven't mentioned you're annoyed at the risk, you just think it's unfair. The issue is with the lack of support from employers for those homeschooling & working. Mutha Pukka is leading a campaign to make furlough mandatory in these situations which would hopefully make it more 'fair'. That's where the government, and your, focus should be. Supporting those at home, not taking away from others.

Exactly this!

I won’t be signing either. I agree with women having to be disadvantaged again by society. No thank you!

Your petition shows that you have no idea of the realities of homeschooling AND wfh when you are the only adult at home. DH is a critical worker and out for the whole working week. I work for an organisation for which I could have critical worker status (a significant bulk of my work relates to assisting NHS, government, local authority with their pandemic response), but I do work from home. It’s just utterly impossible. My children are quite literally abandoned for 4-6 hours a day, usually in front of the telly, whilst I am dealing with work. Work are understanding but our organisation is under pressure and so the work has to be done. Public servant for a government body, so no furlough available.

In the first lockdown we were both wfh (elements of DH job can be done from home, but not all of it), and it was so much easier. We were able to make it so that the children were only on their own for short times, tv was kept to a minimum, and some learning was done.

This time I am at home with a 4&6 year old (one with ASD) who fight, interrupt, shout down the computer at colleagues. I have taken the compromise with school to do part time, but I do think this is essential for our family. It means that we are not actually at breaking point. But it is still very hard on the days when they are at home.

I do think there is a big issue with fathers not doing any homeschool/childcare though, I can see quite clearly that kids are in full time when dad is still wfh. To be honest, that makes it a feminist issue because I am still doing 50% of my work with children around.

I work for the NHS. A lot of my clinic appointments are currently virtual. I can work from home - but for safeguarding and patient confidentiality reasons I cannot work from home if my clinical calls can be overheard. Therefore if I'm at home, my children can't be. If they are at home I need to be in the office.
My y7 is spending 2 days at home because she sits at the other end of the house and gets on with her work with her headphones in. I can also pop out to do home visits when she's here. My y4 has additional educational needs and struggles to access work independently. Their options are either watching TV all day and starting school work when their dad gets home from school at 4 or to try the school work but needing assistance regularly.

If I have an admin day I will keep both kids at home.
I feel so guilty about sending my kids in to school. I'm working 50hrs a week trying to keep my service afloat and I really don't need people telling me that actually I shouldn't be using a school place.

If gov says schools have to be "shut" to reduce infection rates then surely them being this full extends the wave

The statistics don't show they are full?

Are you running a similar campaign for children under 5?

@RingingRose

This is one of the most ridiculous threads I've ever read on MN.

OP, the curve is flattening, schools are going back in a month or 2. What timeline did you exactly have in mind for your petition and policy making process? lol!

I can't believe you are still pissed off at children of essential workers getting childcare in school. Insane!

I had a long, grumpy post to put as I'm another key worker who earns less than my DP so was typing what I've written before, but lost it and can't face writing it again! So basically what Ringing has said! At this stage of the shit show you're still wanting to complain about others provision?!

It all smacks of sour grapes & a feeling that you are missing out. I
said in Sept the numbers would not be as high as predicted because the majority of parents wouldn't what their dc to be more exposed &/or would prefer to teach at home rather than TA supervision in school.

The narrative that the majority of kids who are in have a SAHP who is lazy is BS.

As a teacher I understand the frustration. Schools are much busier than during the first lockdown meaning more adults are in school and a greater risk to the community. However, I think you’re putting pressure in the wrong place. Government should be telling employers to cut workers some slack. The onus should be on employers to allow more home working, to allow more flexible hours, and to be appreciative that anyone with DC at home will have a dip in productivity. If employers changed, people‘s working habits would too. I simply can’t blame parents in all of this. On the days I wfh I have my DC with me but they are KS2 & KS3 with no SEN. If they were younger or had additional needs I would really struggle.

And yes to women losing their jobs. My sister is using a place this time. Last time she only worked 2 days a wk so could juggle. Now she has gone 4 days a wk because of the workload to support the team. Her DH can't homeschool/supervise 3 under 6 & earns way more than her so it's not his job that would go.

@Jessicabrassica

I work for the NHS. A lot of my clinic appointments are currently virtual. I can work from home - but for safeguarding and patient confidentiality reasons I cannot work from home if my clinical calls can be overheard. Therefore if I'm at home, my children can't be. If they are at home I need to be in the office. My y7 is spending 2 days at home because she sits at the other end of the house and gets on with her work with her headphones in. I can also pop out to do home visits when she's here. My y4 has additional educational needs and struggles to access work independently. Their options are either watching TV all day and starting school work when their dad gets home from school at 4 or to try the school work but needing assistance regularly.

If I have an admin day I will keep both kids at home.
I feel so guilty about sending my kids in to school. I'm working 50hrs a week trying to keep my service afloat and I really don't need people telling me that actually I shouldn't be using a school place.

I really don't think the OP was intending this towards people in your position. It's when the job is 100% type that things seem much more problematic

But I agree with other sentiments now on this, seems too late. But I have a lot of sympathy with the OPs frustration on this: there were lots of news reports of schools being full plus on top of that you may be aware of people using the provision when it wasn't really needed. This made many of us scared closures would not work and our kids would be off school even longer. This looks not to be the case now but it's still not certain

@swooby

No-one I know who is homeschooling and works has taken time off work. They're all struggling along doing both. Either kids in front of TV whilst they work. Or doing the 12 hour day shift of childcare and homeschooling then an evening shift at home to get the work done.

So I guess I don't follow the argument that the covid nurse would have to stop work to homeschool when there's higher paid partner at home. Why wouldn't the partner suck it up? It's hard, I get it, but it's what everyone else has to do if they aren't married to a key worker.

I feel similar. Here a lot about the non kw parents not behind able to work and I think of my single mum friend who is having to manage both wfh and hone schooling. Her job is not critical but still busy.

there were lots of news reports of schools being full plus

None of the reports focused on all schools & it was exactly the same during the first lockdown with news reports of high numbers.

you may be aware of people using the provision when it wasn't really needed

I just think it's really hard to know this. Even if you are friends with someone you wouldn't necessarily know if they were vulnerable because people don't tend to advertise it.
Of course some will abuse the system but the majority.

It's shit for everyone . As a woman I'm trying to concentrate on appreciating that every other parent is wading through this shit show in their own way. Women have been massively impacted by this. All of us. My pet hate is people thinking that critical work is not being done at home. Like others have said I cannot WFH on confidential sensitive calls with a child present. There isn't enough safe office space for me to work from so I have to do the majority of work from home. This week I dealt with the aftermath of a child death informing devasted workers who had worked with the family, suspending staff for alleged serious safeguarding behaviour including interviewing the person and having to ask explicit questions of a sexual nature and discussed how to keep a suicidal young person safe . The conversations are two way and I have to use words that my child could understand but would be completely inappropriate for him to hear. I also don't think bereaved parents want to hear my child playing in the background. Last time round he was at home with me and it became apparent it wasn't workable very quickly . That is why I sent him in this time. No other adult at home to care for him so I've no choice unless I resign and presumably end up losing the house as won't qualify for benefits. Can't be furloughed as public sector funded. It's not a competition but I appreciate others have it harder and/or equal levels of shit to manage.

Oh & not to take away from the fact that it's a very challenging time for parents juggling work & school. It's so hard!

@marbellamarc

And yes to women losing their jobs. My sister is using a place this time. Last time she only worked 2 days a wk so could juggle. Now she has gone 4 days a wk because of the workload to support the team. Her DH can't homeschool/supervise 3 under 6 & earns way more than her so it's not his job that would go.

What if the DH was single parent or your sister not a key worker? Then dad would have to work and home school. Many are doing this so to hear (getting up at ridiculous hours to work before the kids get up, or working late) 'her DH cannot manage his work and the kids' is annoying.

@nogooddeedgoesunpunished that's awful. I also agree that just been able to wfh doesn't mean you don't need a place.

My GP is wfh.

Wfh also reduces spread if less people in work & using public transport.

What if the DH was single parent or your sister not a key worker

But they are not though. Her husband wouldn't be able to be a single dad & work the hours he works without some form of childcare provision. If he didn't have twins or the kids were older then maybe.

My sister is a midwife. You would rather she reduces her hours or gives up work because its also hard for others?

@marbellamarc

there were lots of news reports of schools being full plus

None of the reports focused on all schools & it was exactly the same during the first lockdown with news reports of high numbers.

you may be aware of people using the provision when it wasn't really needed

I just think it's really hard to know this. Even if you are friends with someone you wouldn't necessarily know if they were vulnerable because people don't tend to advertise it.
Of course some will abuse the system but the majority.

I saw no reports of schools being 'too full' last lockdown. This time it was the subject of 2 newsnight reports I saw but a guardian article, plus my kids primary school did 2 separate appeals asking parents to please keep kids home in early jan. In one letter and on video from the head teacher they spoke about school being nearly four times fuller than last time. They didn't do any of this last lockdown. Stats reflect it too: nationally 21% of primary school kids are in now compared to only 4% last time. That's more than a five fold increase.

In terms of personal knowledge, I don't know about any abuse of system at my kids school but in terms of other friends and aquaintences:
One is using it as DH key worker, she is sahp
One is using it every day as she works in nhs policy job (non clinical) from home 3 days a week. Kids in school on her days off. DH not key worker
One is civil servant like me. Husband also civil servant. Both jobs done from home. Employer offering flexibility too.

@VashtaNerada

As a teacher I understand the frustration. Schools are much busier than during the first lockdown meaning more adults are in school and a greater risk to the community. However, I think you’re putting pressure in the wrong place. Government should be telling employers to cut workers some slack. The onus should be on employers to allow more home working, to allow more flexible hours, and to be appreciative that anyone with DC at home will have a dip in productivity. If employers changed, people‘s working habits would too. I simply can’t blame parents in all of this. On the days I wfh I have my DC with me but they are KS2 & KS3 with no SEN. If they were younger or had additional needs I would really struggle.

You are probably right here. I also think this needs to be focussed on employers of fathers in particular!

I’m not signing. I believe a big reason more kids are in school is simply because less people are on furlough this time around. Me, for example. I’m a key worker who was furloughed last time but can’t be furloughed this time.
Plus last time, some key workers tried to manage with kids at home (doing sensitive calls with clients while kids were in the house etc); this time round, they’re taking up the school place they’re entitled to.
Things are tough enough for parents right now without demonising or being suspicious of them.

I saw no reports of schools being 'too full' last lockdown

There were definitely reports over fears over numbers & high attendance during the first few days. Just like now it all settled down.

Anecdotal evidence is pointless, my LB has very low attendance.

Stats reflect it too: nationally 21% of primary school kids are in now compared to only 4% last time. That's more than a five fold increase.

An increase makes sense though & no those stats do not show that schools are full or represent the earlier news reports.

Kids in school on her days off

Different schools insist on different attendance patterns.