We asked the Birmingham Updates audience on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter whether they would feel safe sending their children back to school, or whether they would continue to homeschool them.
The results of the poll were around 30% saying that they would send their kids back, and 70% saying that they would continue to homeschool them out of fears that the Governments plan to open schools are too hasty.
It was announced that it would be up to individual schools to decide whether they were to reopen – and it is this uncertainty, a level of indecision, which is making parents fear for the safety of their own children, which is certainly not something to second guess.
Despite announcements that schools will undergo strict safety measures, many parents express concerns that it will not be enough to keep their children safe at school. Whilst children are statistically the least affected by the virus, fears that they will then spread the virus to other family members now that the lockdown has begun relaxing are a top concern.
Some commenters note however that without the childcare a school provides, they are unable to return to work. This seems like a particularly pointyent area of discussion – as some may not want to send their children back to school, but instead feel like they have to in order to earn the money to provide for their families.
Similar studies have also found that an overwhelming majority of people would still however prefer to continue to homeschool their children until we have more information about how the virus’ infection rates develop in the coming weeks – with scientists warning government ministers that it is perhaps too early to raise the lockdown out of fears of an even stronger second wave.
Will you be sending your children back to school? Let us know. If you have any stories that you would like us to share, get in touch. Email us at features@updatesmedia.com
