Is Grandson's School being unreasonable?

I've never done a PCR test, but my partner has. He was tested on a Wednesday morning at a drive-in place and the results came back at about midday on Friday. The turn round time was only just over 48 hours, but it affected three working days.

My autistic daughter used to cough as a stim

Maybe due to his Suspected Autism mum needs to do it at home. I'm sure she's not purposely trying to take the longer option

Doing it in the car with strangers could be very traumatic and overstimulating for him.

My 2 year old covers her mouth and nose and screams at the sight of a swab now. Any swab. You don't even need to be moving towards her.

The home testing method is much much longer than drive though. They are turning round Drive through pcr tests in under 24 hours here although obviously it may vary area to area.

trisher

Sarnia

The school can't have it both ways. If they put these rules in place, which are sensible, given the amount of Covid in schools, then they can't complain if a pupil misses some school time because they are complying with the schools rules.

The school are not trying to "have it both ways" they are asking for a child to be tested when he is coughing. A test can be done within 24 hours. An attendance of 66% means this child is missing almost 50% of school. That's about 2 days each week. Even if he had to do a Covid test once a week and stay off 24hours until he had the all clear he still wouldn't have such low attendance.

It's about 12 days since the beginning of term. If he's had four incidents (OP didn't say how many) and each one is three days, they soon add up at the beginning of the year.

For goodness sake!
If their school asked one of my great grandchildren’s parents to have these tests done so regularly on their children, I think they would be told to supply transport and escort for him or her to a testing place!!!

Dd3 has had a snotty email from the head of her children's school. Since the start of this term there has been noro virus in the school and covid. The children have been sent home twice each (with a cough) and had to do a test which, as others have said, took 3 or 4 days to come back.

They both had brilliant reviews with their class teachers.

We have had multiple PCR tests done at the drive through centres. Only one came back within 24 hours. More recently they have been closer to the 72 hour mark.

Sarnia

The school can't have it both ways. If they put these rules in place, which are sensible, given the amount of Covid in schools, then they can't complain if a pupil misses some school time because they are complying with the schools rules.

The school are not trying to "have it both ways" they are asking for a child to be tested when he is coughing. A test can be done within 24 hours. An attendance of 66% means this child is missing almost 50% of school. That's about 2 days each week. Even if he had to do a Covid test once a week and stay off 24hours until he had the all clear he still wouldn't have such low attendance.

The school can't have it both ways. If they put these rules in place, which are sensible, given the amount of Covid in schools, then they can't complain if a pupil misses some school time because they are complying with the schools rules.

Gwyneth

I thought school children did lateral flow tests not PCR tests? With LFT you get the result within half and hour.

LFTs aren't appropriate if the child already has symptoms.

Nannan2

And i agree with Bibbity- the school can't have it both ways, and surely they must have other kids in school with asthma, who often have coughs-They can't keep them all out if they've had negative LFT tests, surely??

If the child already has symptoms, LFTs aren't appropriate. If the school is demanding he has PCR tests, it must accept the consequences.

I thought school children did lateral flow tests not PCR tests? With LFT you get the result within half and hour.

Nannarose wrote a super concise summary about child education at age 5.

BTW, at 5, I think all he needs to do is to be reading, drawing, doing activities he likes, with people talking to him about numbers etc.

I don’t think, many schools have attendance officers now, things have changed considerable over the last few years. My daughter and three other people I know work in four local schools, they only require lft tests, not PCR.
hybrid1000 your GS’s Mum could ask to see his records via a subject access request, SAR, to see what medical information they do hold, to at least see if it’s correct.
I wish you luck in resolving this difficult situation with your family.

Sorry Nannan, predictive text changed your name.

Nanban, we can agree to differ and I respect your opinion. However, in my school, there was a difference and our experiences have been different. That is to be expected. Where are you posting from?

I spoke both a teacher and a parent.
We had an attendance officer who chased up the unauthorised absences.

By everyone working together, a better outcome can be achieved.

My GS was diagnosed aged 2 as having a "paediatric wheeze" doctors today don't usually use the term asthma until 6+. He has had around a dozen PCR tests all of which have proved negative and has missed very little school and then only as a result of other symptoms such as a high temperature. So actually it is perfectly possible to test and maintain attendance. The school are simply doing their job and protecting other children and staff. His low attendance is the result of the chosen method of testing.

You could always stock in a couple of PCR test kits as they have a good shelf life.and then if they request it from school you already have it, can do it immediately then child can return straight away if its negative.

And i agree with Bibbity- the school can't have it both ways, and surely they must have other kids in school with asthma, who often have coughs-They can't keep them all out if they've had negative LFT tests, surely??

Backedintoacorner - It's because each time that the School says he needs a PCR, she goes online to request a Home Test Kit, which according to her, takes 2 days to arrive, then has to be posted back to them, and then takes 2-3 days to get the result.

But from what you just said, it sounds like she would be better off taking him to an actual testing site which would reduce the amount of time he is Absent for.
I am sure there must be a PCR Testing Site near her that she could take him to.
I will look into that and let her know.

I've had this problem all my youngest sons life(he's now 18) he was born very early with lung disease, on oxygen 18mths- and chronic asthma all his life- he was always off school in winter mostly, often 2- 3 wks at a time if he got really ill, and he's now having to re-do his previous college year, so he can do his course- it does NOT make a difference either,Marydoll, even if its been AUTHORISED due to illness- it still goes down and down against attendance- at one point my sons was down to 23% - even though they knew he was truly ill- he isn't as bad this year so far (?) but largely i think as he had pneumonia jab last year, and has flu jab every year, and still wears a mask etc. But his asthma was regarded as severe and uncontrolled by his neurologist who put him on the shielding list last year also.College make them all do LFT tests regularly and don't need the PCR tests unless LFT shows positive.Its same in schools as far as I've learned from my Grand kids.

Backedintoacorner

Why is he missing 3-5 days each time? PCR tests are turned around in less than 24hrs in most cases now.

DC sent home for test last Tuesday, test slot at 5pm, results in (negative) at 8:45am the next morning.. barely missed a few hours school

Ours are very much the 72hour side. They've said demand for them is through the roof here.

hybrid, same thing happened with my wee granddaughter.
A year old, persistent cough, being sick and screaming, but my DIL had been dismissed as a new mum, who was overreacting.

On one of our childminding days, she was very ill, but I couldn't get an appointment for her, so marched up to the health centre, not my own, so knew no-one and asked to see someone.
The receptionist took one look and got a very shirty GP, who was most annoyed at me for walking in off the street..

After examining her he agreed that she was very unwell and I had been right to insist. Once I explained about the family history and my concern, he totally changed his attitude and said she was too young to diagnose, but he too was sure she was asthmatic. My youngest son was diagnosed as a toddler.
She was referred right away to the children's hospital, where she has been receiving excellent care ever since.

I am a bit of a wimp about some things, but when it comes to my family I will fight tooth and nail for them.

Why is he missing 3-5 days each time? PCR tests are turned around in less than 24hrs in most cases now.

DC sent home for test last Tuesday, test slot at 5pm, results in (negative) at 8:45am the next morning.. barely missed a few hours school