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

So misogynistic as well

Yep.

@SueEllenMishke

It's quite astounding how so many people have such narrow views.

Absolutely this.
I've been really surprised how many people have been unable to see things from a different perspective.

I'm a university lecturer ( I specialise in women's career development so this topic really bothers me!!) and I teach three days a week. Some days I'm teaching for 6 hours. My DH works at another university and is responsible for the team who support students so is in meetings constantly and dealing with some really distressing situations. Yes we both wfh but on my teaching days it really isn't possible to work and care for a 6 year old. However, I've been told numerous times on similar threads that we should have DS at home and either leave him to fend for himself or let him interrupt us. Or I should move my lectures to evenings and weekends!! Like that can just happen! Utterly ridiculous

Let the haters hate and the moaners moan and bicker on MN while you and your dh carry on doing an amazing job supporting your students. It's a disgrace that you should be made to feel guilty and undeserving for sending your dc to key worker school .

@Reachersloveinterest

Hyacincth on the grounds that I am wfh (as from the start of term. Before that I was in the office 5 days a week, and can be called back in at any time at short notice) and because the school doesn't understand that DH working FROM home is not the same as him working AT home. He is out of the house every day. Also because although DC has additional needs, Covid has delayed his getting an EHCP so the school do not class him as vulnerable. Their criteria for critical worker is basically "teacher or Covid nurse". Someone else said people don't understand other people's circumstances, that's definitely true in our case.

@Reachersloveinterest

That guidance is being made up by your School to limit numbers unnecessarily.

Please challenge this if you are struggling!

Let the haters hate and the moaners moan and bicker on MN while you and your dh carry on doing an amazing job supporting your students. It's a disgrace that you should be made to feel guilty and undeserving for sending your dc to key worker school

Thank you. I needed to hear this ❤️

The rules are clear and apply to all.

One Keyworker and keep your dc at Home “if you can”.

@gamerchick

Never thought I'd see the day where people were campaigning to keep kids out of school.

Twilight zone.

Agreed.

Especially not with Teachers doing the main campaigning!

Especially not with Teachers doing the main campaigning!
I never thought I would see the day when I'd have said we need children at home. It goes against everything I want as a teacher.
Like many teachers, what I have wanted all along is a clear strategy and appropriate provision to open schools as safe as possible for staff, students and the wider community.

@LolaSmiles

Especially not with Teachers doing the main campaigning! I never thought I would see the day when I'd have said we need children at home. It goes against everything I want as a teacher. Like many teachers, what I have wanted all along is a clear strategy and appropriate provision to open schools as safe as possible for staff, students and the wider community.

Some are going too far and denying kw places on spurious grounds though.

Especially not with Teachers doing the main campaigning!

And done from the comfort of their jobs being safe. They're quite happy at the suggestion that if you can't homeschool and wfh or whatever then quit your job/take unpaid leave whatever. It doesn't matter what the knock on effect is.

Maybe those people should just quit if they can't cope going into work. Then it takes the stress away. They can manage on UC or a partners wage instead. Yes it'll have a knock on effect but hey ho.

HyacinthBucketandTwoStraws
I had heard about that.
If I remember correctly though, and it has been a while since I read it, the documents regarding school places did say that people should really only be using school places if there is no alternative because it's important to reduce community transmission. I think that's why some schools are asking about who else is at home.

Don't quote me though because I've read too many DfE documents and they aren't known for having a coherent strategy. Obviously if any schools are wrongly blocking people who rightfully need a place then that's concerning though.

@SueEllenMishke I’m not sure why it’s always so. People think university folk have an easy ride. I guess that what that means is they see the benefit of the general flexibility afforded to some in the HE sector (not all employees, not all departments). My neighbours often commented that my DH sometimes heads in for 0930 or that I always did school pick up. What they didn’t see was the general long hours culture, the travel, the weekend and evening work. I recently left HE for another part of the public sector, and am amazed at the way everyone downs tools at 5pm, save for a small handful of mostly senior staff. My issue is that this means that all calls/meetings (of which there are many, at least 75% of my working time) have to happen at set times. I had much more flexibility in the academic sector but worked just as hard.

I think the problem is your petition seems to come from a very basic place of ‘It’s not fair!’ rather than any actual concern about containing or slowing the pandemic.

It’s shit for everyone. Maybe some more than others but I don’t think the solution is to make it shitter for everyone just because you’re annoyed about what you perceive as piss-taking.

Like another OP said, it’s clear a lot of people don’t know how a lot if things work. Tech, finance etc ARE essential to keep the world turning.

At a school near me they are deliberately turning a blond eye to guidance and tacitly encouraging as many parents as possible yo just send in the kids. Much easier than remote teaching. Last count nearly 80% had taken them up on it.

[quote Flamingolingo]@SueEllenMishke I’m not sure why it’s always so. People think university folk have an easy ride. I guess that what that means is they see the benefit of the general flexibility afforded to some in the HE sector (not all employees, not all departments). My neighbours often commented that my DH sometimes heads in for 0930 or that I always did school pick up. What they didn’t see was the general long hours culture, the travel, the weekend and evening work. I recently left HE for another part of the public sector, and am amazed at the way everyone downs tools at 5pm, save for a small handful of mostly senior staff. My issue is that this means that all calls/meetings (of which there are many, at least 75% of my working time) have to happen at set times. I had much more flexibility in the academic sector but worked just as hard.[/quote]
Absolutely.
There can be quite a bit of flexibility but not every day or all year round.
During the first lockdown my teaching had more or less finished so we just about managed with DS at home, this term is different.

Also, COVID has created so much more work for everyone in HE ( as it has for other sectors). Preparing and planning online learning is very time consuming and pastoral responsibilities have increased significantly. Students are going through the same things we are and they often turn to their personal tutor for support.
I wouldn't want my 6 year old to hear some of the issues my students are coming to me with and I'm pretty sure they wouldn't appreciate being interrupted by a small child.

If employers avoided running meetings between 9-3 until Easter and schools supplied the work in advance so working families could do home schooling at weekends/early mornings then things would be much easier. Instead, all that seems to be happening is an acknowledgement that it’s tough from all parties, but no meaningful solutions.

I’m not bitter, but I expect if there’s a bounce back in the economy in the coming years then non key worker parents currently criticising the decisions of key worker parents won’t be happy with paying more taxes to make things better. There will be cuts to the public sector in future just like there always is, and we will have to deal with that when the time comes.

Instead, all that seems to be happening is an acknowledgement that it’s tough from all parties, but no meaningful solutions.

This is absolutely my experience.

If employers avoided running meetings between 9-3 until Easter and schools supplied the work in advance so working families could do home schooling at weekends/early mornings then things would be much easier. Instead, all that seems to be happening is an acknowledgement that it’s tough from all parties, but no meaningful solutions.

I can't imagine those with no childcare issues would be impressed with being asked to schedule meetings before 9 and after 3.....

My DH has meetings scheduled all day with multiple groups of people between 9.30 -5 tomorrow with maybe a hour's break.... can you imagine having to schedule those meetings to take place after 3. It just wouldn't work.

The keyworker places exist because the government wants to make sure that there are enough people to fill the keyworker roles. They will not introduce rules that will effect that. They might be concerned about the overall numbers in school if they think it is causing the virus to spread but they will have the data for that. "Unfairness" will be a much lower priority.

@camelfinger

If employers avoided running meetings between 9-3 until Easter and schools supplied the work in advance so working families could do home schooling at weekends/early mornings then things would be much easier. Instead, all that seems to be happening is an acknowledgement that it’s tough from all parties, but no meaningful solutions.

I’m not bitter, but I expect if there’s a bounce back in the economy in the coming years then non key worker parents currently criticising the decisions of key worker parents won’t be happy with paying more taxes to make things better. There will be cuts to the public sector in future just like there always is, and we will have to deal with that when the time comes.

I think there is something in this. Would work if the number of meetings was slashed dramatically. At least 50% of the meetings I attend are a complete waste of time (the issue could have been dealt with in an brief email).

In order to facilitate home schooling I have my calendar blocked for some of the afternoon. I'm still managing to fit meetings in.

In a brief email fgs

I think there is something in this. Would work if the number of meetings was slashed dramatically. At least 50% of the meetings I attend are a complete waste of time (the issue could have been dealt with in an brief email).

This doesn't work for all sectors or jobs.

In order to facilitate home schooling I have my calendar blocked for some of the afternoon. I'm still managing to fit meetings in.

Lucky for you having that level of flexibility

If employers avoided running meetings between 9-3 until Easter and schools supplied the work in advance so working families could do home schooling at weekends/early mornings then things would be much easier. Instead, all that seems to be happening is an acknowledgement that it’s tough from all parties, but no meaningful solutions
There's something in this.
I don't think avoiding meetings 9-3 is realistic, but I do think that remote learning provision should not rely on every child having access to a device and/or parental involvement all day. Schools who do that, in my opinion, are showing very little regard for the fact that many families do not have that capacity at home and are already juggling a lot.

There's many ways to run remote learning, but I would say there would be a window of live content (if appropriate for the school context) that is communicated in advance. Around that, students can be directed to pre-recorded materials or signposted to other learning materials that can be completed around home life.

Then there would be an understanding from employers that although meetings can take place during the day, employees are supporting home learning so they could block off certain parts of their day. It involves everyone cutting each other some slack though.

DSs school is doing a fabulous job. We get the work on a Sunday evening. There are two 'live' lessons per week at the same time /day so we can plan in advance. The rest of the work can be done flexibly.

I wish people would just mind their own business!! You never know what's going on behind the scenes in other peoples lives!

It's a difficult one. I am a keyworker and therefore my children are in school. My husband is a construction worker and therefore is not officially a keyworker (he's a critical worker) but cannot work from home and is self employed. If he needed to stay at home we would lose our house because he is the main bread winner. However I also see it from the other point of view. I work in a school and often have children telling me that they have a parent at home but are in school because mummy/daddy is a keyworker. In the first lockdown we had 16 children in total at school,this time we have 105 so people are definitely pushing the boundaries this time round.