Unhappy about primary schools re opening

[Bitterglitter]

Is anyone else unhappy about primary schools being re opened as part of the lockdown easing measures?

I keep thinking about the kids who have underlying health conditions that aren't yet diagnosed.

My DS1 (5) was diagnosed with a benign heart murmur in feb this year. It was only picked up because he has a lot of follow up Paediatric appointments because he was premature. I don't even know if it's an issue as far as covid19 goes. But what about all the kids out there with undiagnosed asthma, diabetes etc?

Primary age kids can't and won't maintain social distance. And they will act as super spreaders too. Doesn't matter how well their parents maintain distance if all these kids are mixing it up in schools.

It just seems crazy when so many parents can continue working from home. Am I being hysterical?

[Cloudiay]

If there are members of staff shielding, could they work from home to provide work to those children in homes where someone is shielding? It would of course depend on staff numbers etc, but it seems very unfair if the expectation is likely to be to teach and also set work remotely. There aren't enough hours in the day anyway (or there weren't when I left, it's worse now from what my ex colleagues have said).

[Devlesko]

modgepodge

I understand I have a PgCE but, Further Ed, I'd have struggled with this too.
I think it's what will happen to those with families still shielding, there doesn't seem to be another way.
Unless they are made to deregister and the shielding group forced into H.ed
Perhaps there could be a halfway like links for resources on the website, not specific lessons but what needs to be covered that term, so parents could work alongside you. Maybe submit work for marking as the rest of the class.

[myself2020]

@Devlesko our school
has switched to full online curriculum. poor teachers are working like crazy, and that is without any kids at school
(no families with 2 keyworkers). Impossible to do “on the side“.
And it still requires a lot of support from home for primary school children.

[modgepodge]

“Maybe the answer is for children to still be on roll, but working from home. So they still get the teacher input, even if it's just setting the same work as the class, with resources downloaded from school website”

My planning when I’m in school generally looks something like this: Teach children to do long division. Page 53 of textbook followed by reasoning sheet.

I could send home a photograph of the textbook page and the sheet, but the way the children actually learn is the sentence that says ‘teach children to do long division’. Putting that sentence in to some sort of video (or finding a suitable one online) or PowerPoint takes longer than you might expect. That’s what I’m currently doing, but I wouldn’t have time to do that if I was also in school all day teaching. The other important part of children learning is me wandering round the classroom while the kids work and noticing that a child has got the first 4 Qs wrong, sitting with them , re-explaining, watching them do another one to check they’ve got it. Marking a sheet they’ve completed at the end of the day doesn’t have the same impact on learning.

I cannot see how teachers can be expected to provide any kind of meaningful online learning AND be in school to teach those who come in. I suspect this may be the expectation though.

[Stuckforthefourthtime]

Maybe the answer is for children to still be on roll, but working from home. So they still get the teacher input, even if it's just setting the same work as the class, with resources downloaded from school website

The Sutton Trust research shows that only a third of children are following online lessons right now. Many parents are already struggling, some due to their own challenges with language or academic skills, others due to balancing needs of multiple children, working from home, or physical or mental health issues. Others are home on furlough and so can manage for now but will not be able to in the long term.

Vulnerable (children at risk, not shielded) children can go in but fewer than 10% are.

If I have the choice and it's a 1 June start, I'll keep my kids off for longer, because we are privileged to have the support and that they are doing ok academically. I'd rather wait until we see kre outcomes from Denmark and elsewhere. However I understand if there's not a choice - because often the children most in need of school support will be the ones kept home, often with families then struggling with conflict, or being cast (further) into poverty. There has to be a balance, we cannot sacrifice the futures of our vulnerable children for this.

[Devlesko]

Maybe the answer is for children to still be on roll, but working from home. So they still get the teacher input, even if it's just setting the same work as the class, with resources downloaded from school website.

[Devlesko]

Home educators, (they don't say school) because it isn't a school environment) do this because they want to, though.
it isn't suitable for all families and being forced into it because of shielding might not be the best choice for that family.

I'm not sure of the answer, but just as you can't force into schools, I don't think you can force out, either.

[iamapixie]

Home schooling is surely the solution for those who are scared?
Schools have to open soon. The risk of Covid to most children is extremely low and to most healthy adults also very low.
If people want to keep their children off school once they are reopened, they must deregister their child and home school them. Many people home school already and there are plenty of resources.
Those concerned about schools opening should start preparing to home school now so that it is not too rushed and stressful once the time comes.
That might also help calm the anxiety around schools opening - anxiety can get worse when things seem out of control. Once parents have home schooling in place, they might feel happier and calmer about other people's different choices.

[Mumto2two]

As a parent of a child in the highest risk group, we face possible extension of the existing 12 week shield, which incidentally, affects the entire family..and potentially not having this lifted until a vaccine is found. However, that’s a choice we will have to weigh up with an element of pragmatic rationality, and I like many others we know in this position, are keen to get our children’s lives back to some degree of normality. It’s also become quite apparent from the many irrational comments I have read and heard throughout this past few weeks; that it’s the people who have least to worry about, often worry the most. Nothing in life is guaranteed, all we can do is make our own assessment on what risks we are comfortable with, and having some form of official guidance on this, can only help towards keeping society on broadly similar tracks.

[LIZS]

I think many of those saying they won't now will cave to social pressure. Their dc friends going to school, out having fun, having to turn down invitations or going on trips. Fomo could eventually override concerns, especially if there is no rise in cases a few weeks on.

[Greenpop21]

Depends where you camp obviously!

[myself2020]

@Greenpop21 10 untraceable people sharing facilities including cooking snd shower is epidemiologically speaking way worse than 30 perfectly traceable ones doing the same.
The worst spreader events have so far been weddings, birthdays etc, not work and school!

[myself2020]

@LavenderLilacTree i disagree. quality of life is most important. and for many kids, that is going down rapidly- being in long term prison (potentially with abusive parents and siblings)is a substantial risk, compared to a relatively low risk

[Greenpop21]

I get that. School has potentially tens to hundreds of contacts daily. Camping with friends has far fewer contacts. Teachers can’t keep 30 kids distanced etc, a mum can with a few.

[myself2020]

@LIZS i don’t think they will. loads of people on other threads have already stated they want to visit family and friends, go camping etc. but school is apparently too dangerous...

[Quartz2208]

@lavenderlilactree

But that assumes that by the time June comes the biggest risk to lives is Coronavirus which if the lockdown has worked may not be true.

[LavenderLilacTree]

Lives are more important than anything else. Kids going back to school will result in an increase of cases and people will DIE.

[Greenpop21]

Well, we were asked to measure the classrooms to see how many we can fit in with social distancing last week. The answer is 5!

[Chillipeanuts]

Yes, not much point otherwise?

[LIZS]

Those saying they will keep their dc out of school, will you also maintain current lockdown levels even if restrictions are eased. So no playgrounds or parks, trips to beaches, theme parks, libraries, shops, garden centres, meeting family or friends etc for an indefinite period?

[Hippofrog]

I can’t see how kids staying home can go on long term. Yes more parents could be at home due to furlough and redundancy but how many of those parents are in the right frame of mind to teach their children? Stress depression and anxiety will be affecting so many parents, those parents shouldn’t have the added pressure of educating their children as well. It could tip some people over the edge completely.

[Mumto2two]

It’s great for those who have been able to continue their working lives at home, but it’s a serious ‘me in my bubble’ mentality to assume that this is remotely the case for most. Half the population are on the government furlough scheme...and many have no jobs to return to at all.

[Quartz2208]

It just seems crazy when so many parents can continue working from home

But we are WORKING from home. I manage to fit in 9-11 with DS and get as much done as I can but then I have to work. Neither me or DH are keyworkers but we are both in jobs that have become busier due to COVID 19 so need to work.

We are managing and they are just about keeping up but it isnt ideal for either of them

[Moondust001]

It just seems crazy when so many parents can continue working from home

Really? An awful lot of parents have never been able to work from home; and many employers are accepting huge short term dis-benefits to their business in order to let others work from home. There are also costs to employees in working from home - not just the obvious ones of increased home costs but also the risk of health coming from many people working at home in conditions that would never be allowed in offices!

It is also absolutely impossible to work (anywhere) and also do childcare - unless you happen to the the teacher. Flexible working arrangements do not include adding "look after my child as my primary concern" to your job description. Anyone who doesn't want their child to return to school is free to resign or take unpaid parental leave.

[Chillipeanuts]

“If they have to go back, then they have too or the fines will start. It's either that or home ed.”

Would hope the usual rules won’t apply in these circumstances. We took our youngest out of college 2 weeks before settings were closed because of asthma risk and my husband needing to shield. College were extremely supportive, provided work by email, authorised absence and assured us of a place, however long it took,
I imagine this will continue at the other end. There are too many children with health issues or vulnerabilities in close relatives to even think about fines.
I am worried that we’ll end up with a two-tier state system though, with vulnerable children effectively penalised through no fault of their own.