A petition that calls on the government to allow people not to send their children back to school when they reopen has now had almost 500,000 signatures.
But to many, who were counting down the days until childcare of some kind returned, the outcry about whether schools are safe enough for children to go back to has come as a surprise. It seems to be the new great parenting divide.
The government announced this week that Reception, Year 1 and Year 6 primary schools and nurseries could reopen as early as 1 June, should all their tests be met and the R rate kept down. A government spokesperson said a number of measures, like staggered start and break times, as well as drop-offs and pick-ups, alongside increased cleaning and utilising of outdoor space, would be put in place. There will also be increased testing and staff, and children with family members who are shielding and in high-risk groups should still remain at home.
The aim is that if all goes well, more primary years will return later in June. Secondary schools are being asked to investigate if Year 10 and 12 can have contact with teachers ahead of exams next year, but there are no plans to reopen secondary schools to others before the summer holidays.
And while much of the talk on social media has been about the petition and concerns about whether you’d be fined if you chose to keep your children at home – the parents Grazia has spoken to today have, largely, told us that they were in favour of children returning. Though, tellingly, they didn’t want to be identified.
One mum, Sarah*, told me she felt like she was being shamed by other parents for expressing that she was keen for her daughter to go back to school. ‘The petition about not sending children back kept being passed around all the mum groups I’m on,’ she said. ‘Some people are talking about kids not going back until there’s a vaccination – that could be another year! Both me and my husband have full-time jobs and they’re not getting the education and attention they need at home with us – if anything I think the pressure to do everything is straining the relationship. Of course, you need to do what’s right for your family, and there should be options if you don’t feel it’s safe – the government have said shielded families can stay home. There’s such a low risk for children, that if the children and the family are healthy I think it’s fine for them to go back.’
Jennifer* told us that she felt the conversations were forgetting children like her four-year-old son, who is adopted. ‘ It has taken him years to settle into nursery and for him to feel confident to be left with carers that aren’t us,’ she said. ‘No nursery has meant huge setbacks in terms of behaviour, with huge, angry outbursts, screaming the house down over the littlest things and he has become more clingy and demanding of attention than ever. We’ve also not had a night since lockdown without him waking in the night. After weeks of speaking with our social worker, we have managed to get him into pre-school a few mornings a week because he is seen as a ‘vulnerable child’ and I know that for him and for us too that this will be a lifeline for us until normality resumes. We drop him off at the door wearing masks and do the same at pick up to make sure we are as safe as possible.’
The thought of them not going back until September is really quite worrying – they will be totally out of the rhythm of proper learning by then. And they need their friends
As with everything, it’s not black and white – Julia* admitted feeling torn about whether to send her son to school when it reopens. ‘I am part super excited, part reluctant,’ she said. ‘I am excited for my son to have some playmates of his own age, and for us to have a bit of breathing space, but at the same time I am nervous about sending the most precious member of the household out before we go. I don’t trust the government an inch, but could be reassured it’s safe by my son’s school – if they say they are confident and have measures in place then I will let him go.’
And for parents with teenagers now looking at having to keep their children at home (and socially distanced) until September, there is real concern about what that means.
‘I wish the kids could go back to school,’ said Beth*, a mother of two teenagers. ‘The risk is so low for them. I can’t believe they have chosen to lead with Years 6, reception and 1 though. Once they have done SATs (now missed), year 6 don’t do anything except learn a play. And reception and Year 1 don’t need to be there – kids don’t even start school until 7 in Scandinavia. And these are the kids least likely to understand social distancing. The thought of them not going back until September is really quite worrying – they will be totally out of the rhythm of proper learning by then. And they need their friends.’
* Names have been changed.
READ MORE: Do I Have To Send My Child Back To School When They Reopen Or Will I Get Fined?