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

I'll be signing as plenty of parents are taking the piss at my sons school

lockdown impacts on R rates that should say.

Ah I see. Thank you for clarifying. I was also going to add that many children come under the "vulnerable" category too. Hence there are so many children in school this time.

[quote marbellamarc]@breadwidow I was trying to establish whether it was attendance or other factors that you were unhappy about. But you have now clarified.

Personally I'm not a fan of tighter restrictions. I don't have a problem with support or childcare bubbles but don't use them. Lockdown impacts on behaviour don't take into account human behaviour.

Can I ask your age bracket & your dcs age? [/quote]
Why? Are you trying to find out who I am or something.

The definition of a keyworker is so broad this time that the majority in school actually are neither in Education or the NHS

But we do need supermarket & transport workers, care workers, police etc to work.

I can see why people take it if they can.

But one benefit if a strict cap at our school is that the bubbles are very small, looked after by TA and teacher can concentrate whole day on online learning.

Some are dcs at a selective private school so definitely not SN and parents definitely have the money and resources to home school. The home schooling provision is very good.

Others as far as I know have no SN, they are all quite close friends and it's never been mentioned when talking about school. They are close enough friends where it would probably be talked about if there was an issue. I am a teacher myself and have spoken at length about the education of their dcs and seen them in action so to speak, very unlikely.

Why? Are you trying to find out who I am or something.

I think it's very disingenuous to argue for something that doesn't have an impact on you.

Like I said I have no issues with support bubble & wouldn't advocate to close them because I recognise they can be needed.

Should say I don't have nursery age children. My kids are primary school, home schooling at the mo.

I missed that. Of course so nursery closures don't impact you.

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.

Just because you don't follow the argument doesn't make it untrue.

All the research is showing that women's are being disproportionately impacted and that women are taking on the bulk of childcare and homeschooling.
While I agree that it's wrong and unfair it doesn't mean it isn't happening. The pandemic has highlighted that these structural inequalities still exist and that there are still societal expectations around the role of men and women in the workplace and at home. These need addressing but that takes time.

@marbellamarc

Why? Are you trying to find out who I am or something.

I think it's very disingenuous to argue for something that doesn't have an impact on you.

Like I said I have no issues with support bubble & wouldn't advocate to close them because I recognise they can be needed.

But that's the point, it does effect everyone else. Normally I have the attitude, each to their own, and don't pass judgment. But in this situation these people are potentially making the risk and number of cases higher, meaning schools stay shut for longer. It effects everyone else too. It's a matter of social responsibility.

I actually qualify for a place as a KW. My life would be sooo much easier if I put dcs into school for 2/3 days a week to get my work done uninterrupted, I would have to get up early to do it and then work evenings and weekends. But it didn't sit right with me. I am cross as many have taken the opportunity as an easy option rather than doing the right thing.

• wouldn't have to.

Ok. But I've said up thread that I have primary school kids so I'm affected by this. They are in y1 & y4 and I'm late 30s. I'm also technically a key worker, but kids at home because I'm wfh, DH also wfh (not key worker) and my job is quite flexible. I've also said up thread that I understand that there are kw jobs done from
Home where you cannot work with kids around, my job is not one of those.

Do that give me enough skin in this game?

@studychick81 sounds like you are in very similar position to me.

@SueEllenMishke

www.google.co.uk/amp/s/amp.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2020/dec/10/covid-working-women-pandemic-childcare-issues

Exactly, I don't want other women to lose their jobs.

@studychick81

I think this partition isn't for those mid wives and KW who genuinely need a place. That's fine, no one is disputing that. It's for the people taking the mic who are potentially risking schools staying closed longer and rates not reducing as much as they could as well as the health of teachers and staff members.

In my own circle of friends I know some who genuinely need a place. There is a high take up in dd year as many parents are doctors and work for the NHS. That's fine.

But- I know of many who simply do not need a place.
A SAHM who's DH is a judge so probably entitled through that. Only has one DS.
Another who is an accountant for a non essential business and DH who works for an internet provider both WFH. DSs plenty old enough to work alone same age as my DS and has live lessons provided all day.
Two solicitors, one WFH PT taken up a place. Describing the place as much needed- but IMO no more than anyone else trying to work and home school too. The rest of us are just getting on with it.
Another who works in a government role but DW is part time WFH in higher education in a non facing role. DS plenty old enough to work independently.
Another who both WFH in financial/coding roles and both dcs old enough to work independently. M

It's those people I will sign the petition for, nor those genuinely needing a place. There roles are no more important than anyone else's, there need not to struggle with working and home schooling is no greater than anyone else's. It's selfish, they are doing the easy thing because they can.

It's amazing how you know the detailed ins and outs of all these jobs to a degree that you can pass judgement on their ability to WFH and homeschool.

I'm sick to death of people assuming you can WFH and look after children and homeschool. It's just not possible in many, many situations.

But in this situation these people are potentially making the risk and number of cases higher, meaning schools stay shut for longer. It effects everyone else too. It's a matter of social responsibility.

I think the key word is potentially. We don't now the back story of everyone who is attending so I don't think you can make the judgement on social responsibility.

I personally think it's a matter of social responsibility that as many vulnerable dc as possible attend school & was pleased the criteria was extended.

@marbellamarc

Should say I don't have nursery age children. My kids are primary school, home schooling at the mo.

I missed that. Of course so nursery closures don't impact you.

Not necessarily true. The pandemic affects me as it dies everyone. If there are community outbreaks centred around nurseries that impacts me as (1) I could possibly get ill (catching it from someone who got it via a nursery) and (the more definitive impact) (2) the r. Rate may not reduce enough to ease lockdown restrictions in early March meaning schools closed and life restricted for even longer. I hate lockdown. I hate the restrictions. But the only way to end them is to get infections and hospitalisation down.

So we should go in harder for shorter amount of time. Vaccines are being rolled out. The lockdown won't be forever so better to make it an effective one rather than half arsed.

What about a petition saying that everyone who wants a place at school for their child should get one?

I actually qualify for a place as a KW. My life would be sooo much easier if I put dcs into school for 2/3 days a week to get my work done uninterrupted, I would have to get up early to do it and then work evenings and weekends. But it didn't sit right with me. I am cross as many have taken the opportunity as an easy option rather than doing the right thing.

You're fortunate you have that flexibility with your job. Lots of people WFH still have to work standard office hours, attend meetings at times dictated by others etc......

[quote marbellamarc]@SueEllenMishke

www.google.co.uk/amp/s/amp.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2020/dec/10/covid-working-women-pandemic-childcare-issues

Exactly, I don't want other women to lose their jobs. [/quote]
It's very worrying.

I don't think it's so much about needing two key worker parents- because in lots of families the key worker parent could earn far less than the non key worker parent. So it's best financially for their family for the key worker parent to stay at home with their child- and so the country loses lots of genuine essential key workers like nurses, teachers, early years staff etc.

I do think that children shouldn't be allowed a school place with one key worker parent and the other parent not working at all (vulnerable/ SEN aside or course.)

Do that give me enough skin in this game?

You are arguing for a more a stringent lockdown but have stated

They are in y1 & y4
but kids at home because I'm wfh
DH also wfh
and my job is quite flexible

It's easy to remove other people's privileges when they don't impact on yours.

I'm in similar situation to you except for nursery child & recognise my privilege by having older dc, a flexible job, no issue with wfh, job security, etc.

@SueEllenMishke

I actually qualify for a place as a KW. My life would be sooo much easier if I put dcs into school for 2/3 days a week to get my work done uninterrupted, I would have to get up early to do it and then work evenings and weekends. But it didn't sit right with me. I am cross as many have taken the opportunity as an easy option rather than doing the right thing.

You're fortunate you have that flexibility with your job. Lots of people WFH still have to work standard office hours, attend meetings at times dictated by others etc......

Yep, me too. I have to attended zoom sessions at certain times, normally late afternoon. Sometimes DH takes time out of his working day to cover this, but this causes me even more work as dcs don't bother doing much and he doesn't bother doing it properly so I have to make up the lesson afterwards. Then sometimes we use iPads for the dcs if home schooling has finished- which I absolutely hate having to do. Then extra time outside set times I work too which is the prep for these timed sessions. No different to others, yes it's a stress, yes I have cried many times, yes this week my mental health has taken a hit, I almost emailed the school to put them into KW club this week.