Mother’s distress escalates
A DISTRAUGHT health worker has spoken about her inner turmoil and guilt at having to send her two children to school as she serves on the frontline of the coronavirus pandemic.
“Walking out of the school gates I burst into tears, I waited until I had dropped them off because I didn’t want them to see me upset,” she told the Bulletin.
“Both of my kids had five kids in their class, including themselves. My son only had girls in his class. There was hardly anyone there at pickup.”
“None of her friends are at school so she has no allies and it’s heartbreaking for me to leave them there every single day. She’s nearly in tears every single night saying she’s excluded.”
The mother-of-two said she felt completely torn to do her duty and the job she was trained to do.
“But I’m a mother and that trumps everything. It’s so hard for my kids, they are seeing all their kids play computer games at home all day and they have to go to school.
“There’s also so much pressure from everyone to keep kids at home but the plain truth of it is some of just can’t even if my urge is to keep them at home. It just sucks sometimes,” she said.
“I’m more worried about their ongoing mental and emotional wellbeing because this is going to go on for months.”
Yesterday, Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk said Gold Coast schools would be without students from Monday, as the state’s education system continues to work to limit the spread of coronavirus. She said schools would still be open for the children of frontline workers, that is workers who are required in their workplace.
Early childhood education centres and outside hours school care providers would continue as normal.
One preschool teacher said some Gold Coast long daycare services were accepting school-aged children, similar to a vacation care service.
“This would defeat the purpose of schools shutting down and then put younger children and babies at further risk – not to mention the staff as well,” she said.
“Childcare services are unable to enforce social distancing when running at full capacity or close to … I have a child in care as well and there’s no social distancing being enforced because it is literally impossible. Staff are nervous for their own health and wellbeing but also nervous about not having a job.
“We’re relying on all parents in every service to be completely upfront and honest regarding their health and their whereabouts in order to know that we are then safe to go home to our families at night and that is terrifying.”
Education Minister Grace Grace said teachers, teacher aides and staff would use the reduced attendance at schools to prepare for a potential move to students learning from home.
“Currently we have two weeks’ worth of learning available to students to use at home and that will be constantly updated for as long as necessary,” she said.