The Isle of Wight Council is appealing to parents and carers to consider their childcare arrangements during the national lockdown.
Islanders are being asked to consider carefully if they should be sending their children to school and whether it is possible for them to stay at home.
During the first week of lockdown, Island schools reported attendance rates of between 15 and 35%.
Councillor Paul Brading, Cabinet member for children’s services, education and skills, said everyone must remember the purpose of the latest restrictions – to stay at home to minimise the transmission of the virus. He said:
“All Island schools are open for face-to-face teaching for vulnerable children and children of critical workers.
“They have carried out risk assessments and implemented measures to create a COVID-19 safe learning environment. However, we all need to remember that the purpose of the national lockdown and being required to stay at home is to minimise the transmission of coronavirus.
“I do appreciate the challenge of being able to work and the need to look after children. On behalf of our schools, I am appealing to parents to consider their childcare arrangements during lockdown.
“For example, if one parent is a critical worker, could their partner work from home or stay at home to support their children to remain at home as well, and access remote learning from their school?
Article continues below this advertisement “Clearly, we do want to make sure all vulnerable children are in school during this time but, in terms of other children whose parents are critical workers, we are keen that a balance is struck between enabling those parents to get to work and keeping the numbers of children in schools to a minimum.
“By doing so, not only will we be helping to reduce the spread of infection but we will also avoid putting additional pressure on the NHS.”
Critical workers at this time, are defined by the government as those whose work is critical to the coronavirus and EU transition response. Children with at least 1 parent or carer who is a critical worker can go to school or college if required. More detail is available on www.gov.uk/coronavirus.
Under the current national lockdown restrictions, childcare providers and early years education settings are open to all pre-school age children.
There is a family in Warwick Street, Ryde where the parents send one child to school but not the other. Neither parent are “keyworkers”.
keyworker parents is not the only reason children might be attending school.
have a look at the full list, should be easy to find with google
No they shouldnt go.its more important some learning is missed! Than bring covid home.people cant go too work and a roof over your head is way more important
IF a grown adult, CAN’T educate their OWN children of young years, then those people must be too unintelligent to have children.
Hardly rocket science, but it does mean putting the phone down, and giving YOUR children time; therein lies the problem.
Ray of sunshine You. You clearly not in this position if You think it’s easy. We have excelled massively technologically since I was at school. They have to learn everything We learnt and all the advancements since. The amount of information is overwhelming. Also, try to be a better role model And practice kindness.
Nurserys are open.
Disgraceful use of those poor staff as 21 st century cannon fodder! Sign the petion online and close them. For everyone’s sake.
Old school, fully agree. YOU bred it, YOU look after it, should be the order of the day. Too many ‘want a kid’ but then ‘want to work’ as it is easier and less tiresome than ‘having’ to look after what YOU created.
Hits hard when they have to care for their own child 24/7.
Always happy so long as ‘they’ are not put out and someone else is tending their lifestyle choices. Caring nothing of the risk their clones are spreading to vulnerable adult teachers and class assistance workers.
Many are not really Mothers, just young women, who lacked the use of contraception, a ‘huge’ difference and easy to spot in my ex employment. Glad I am out of it now.
Agreed on all points, the good ones stand out a mile. As do the lesser.
Cant win. Stay home and look after kids, Youre a scrounger… Go to work so shouldn’t breed ? Expected to work, teach, run household, pay bills, shop and still be the tower of strength and the most important, love. Astounded by how judgmental and lacking in empathy. The very thing that defines us from all other species.
No i don’t think kids should go back to school yet as it is the one of the worst places to catch covid19
One minute it’s send your children to school, the next minute it’s don’t send your children to school. This countries leadership has been lost