‘I think schools are doing best they can with the guidance’
PARENTS TELL OF FEARS AND CONFIDENCE IN CLASSES DURING COVID
CHILDREN have been back at school now for a few weeks, which has coincided with a rise in coronavirus cases across the country.
While there’s no official data to suggest schools reopening with restrictions in place has been a driving force behind the increase, schools across Leicestershire have reported dozens of cases, forcing classes and year groups into isolation.
To see how parents were feeling about the situation, the Mercury asked parents how they were feeling about the number of cases and the restrictions that have been put in place.
The results of our survey are below.
How has sending your children back to school gone for you so far?
It was a mostly positive response among parents, with 40 per cent of parents saying, despite worries, everything had worked out. And 31 per cent of the parents who responded said there had been no issues at all.
However, a quarter of parents surveyed said the children are home again. Four per cent of parents said they had decided not to send their children back to school at all.
One parent said: “There is no such thing as Covid secure. Viruses spread in schools. I will not endanger my children and would like the option of online learning. Class size too big, aerosol spread ignored, no extra funding, no effective testing. Schools need to close now, to reduce spread and needless deaths and long-term symptoms.”
Another parent was concerned about the emotional impact the break from school during the early part of the pandemic had on children, and was one reason they had not sent their children back. They said: “I believe it’s having a bigger emotional impact on the children stopping and starting, chopping between routines, therefore will not be sending my child into school anymore. It is a free for all with very little change.”
For many, their concerns did not lie with the children, but the parents when picking their children up. One parent said: “The selfishness of some parents refusing to follow guidance, like ignoring parking restrictions, is leading to safety concerns for the rest of the public.”
Another said: “Parents need to socially distance themselves from each other more with no hugging or close chatting in the playground when seeing other parents they know.”
How do you feel about the size of the bubble your child has been put in?
The results were a pretty even split between those who thought the social bubbles were working well, and those who believed bubbles at their child’s school were too large and the virus would affect too many children if there is a confirmed case.
Only four per cent believed the bubbles were too small and may not necessarily include all the children who have had contact with a confirmed case.
One parent said: “I don’t think mixing children in bubbles from different postcodes is good idea.”
Another said: “The bubble does not make sense as they spend 18 hours outside school. Online study is the safest option.”
However, there was some positive feedback for schools, with one respondent saying: “I think schools have done their best in what is a very difficult situation. The government could have done more to help them.”
Since schools have gone back, several have had to isolate pupils or send classes home because of coronavirus. What is your reaction to that?
There has been concern among parents, teachers and politicians about the number of cases at schools - however, according to the survey, parents were not surprised this had happened.
More than half were also not too worried about them. Just two per cent said it had led them to withdraw their children from school. One parent said: “Schools need to be open where safe, for the sanity of the kids.
“I do think my child’s school is trying to do the best they can with the guidance they have, but think the guidance is about three weeks behind times.”
Do you think the restrictions are affecting your children’s education?
This question also split the parents evenly. Slightly more parents believed the restrictions are not affecting their education. But one said: “All work done during lockdown has been made redundant. I’m one of the rare few who completed all work throughout, yet none of it has been taken into account and my son has been held back based on pre-lockdown progress.”