How will schools be able to go back in September?

khalessi

s1ippy wrote: »

It's such a shame that Irish school children are missing out on an education because they can't access the BBC materials and their own government have nothing even remotely comparable.

I taught my nephew how to use a proxy to access it but I wouldn't feel comfortable showing a class of ten year olds that

Yup it is a pity. And now would have been a great oppurtunity to roll something out. I know they have that rte classroom but it isnt enough.

iamwhoiam

https://m.independent.ie/life/travel/travel-news/move-to-one-metre-social-distancing-with-staycations-from-june-29-irelands-tourism-recovery-taskforce-39260544.html

They want to delay schools opening to extend the domestic tourist season

Tourism before education ? Good God

beggars_bush

iamwhoiam wrote: »

https://m.independent.ie/life/travel/travel-news/move-to-one-metre-social-distancing-with-staycations-from-june-29-irelands-tourism-recovery-taskforce-39260544.html

They want to delay schools opening to extend the domestic tourist season

Tourism before education ? Good God

It's a sensible proposal from those interested in tourism businesses to maximise domestic spending this summer

iamwhoiam

beggars_bush wrote: »

It's a sensible proposal from those interested in tourism businesses to maximise domestic spending this summer

Its a self interest proposal . Asking to delay back to school so the hotels can profit . I find that shocking actually

beggars_bush

beggars_bush wrote: »

It's a sensible proposal from those interested in tourism businesses to maximise domestic spending this summer

You mean like in places where all those locals didn't want people travelling down to their holiday homes, and now want to greet them with open tills?

kandr10

iamwhoiam wrote: »

Its a self interest proposal . Asking to delay back to school so the hotels can profit . I find that shocking actually

I totally agree with you. That is appalling. The only thing that should inform the reopening of schools is health issues. It cannot be driven by economics. Crazy stuff there.

deiseindublin

Secondary schools weren't back 'til 31 Aug this year anyway, so no delay. If anything, primary would be even later.

Talk about looking for headlines.

deiseindublin

iguana wrote: »

There is a lot of speculation that outdoor camps like Cúl Camps may be allowed to open this summer. I wonder if part of the reasoning for that is a sort of test in advance of schools returning.

Every club in Cork seems to have cancelled their Cúl Camp tonight, talk of PPE and smaller numbers etc, just not a viable option.

Murple

But it's not really a delay to reopening schools. It's delay till the 31st of August which is a Monday. Lots of primary schools don't ever open until the 1st of September anyway.

CruelSummer

Sam McConkey’s article in The Journal today is just ridiculous, schools not fully up and running by November? Get a grip. All evidence now points to the fact the virus is dying out - see recent mass testing in Wuhan and reports from doctors in Italy and the US. There is no data anywhere suggesting we need to only partially reopen in September - which is 3 months away.
Time to plan on reopening fully after the summer holidays. We need to focus on how to have strategies in place to help schools react quickly if they have an incident of Covid:
1. Hot running water for all schools
2. Efficient procedures for testing and tracing
3. Access to hand sanitisers

sideswipe

CruelSummer wrote: »

Sam McConkey’s article in The Journal today is just ridiculous, schools not fully up and running by November? Get a grip. All evidence now points to the fact the virus is dying out - see recent mass testing in Wuhan and reports from doctors in Italy and the US. There is no data anywhere suggesting we need to only partially reopen in September - which is 3 months away.
Time to plan on reopening fully after the summer holidays. We need to focus on how to have strategies in place to help schools react quickly if they have an incident of Covid:
1. Hot running water for all schools
2. Efficient procedures for testing and tracing
3. Access to hand sanitisers

He makes some very good points and offers some suggestions on what actions may be taken to keep staff and kids safe. But no surprise the message here will be 'we need to wait'.
Put simply he is saying that getting back to school will be a slow process and needs to be rolled out safely- the quicker you get rolling the sooner things can get back to full time schooling. anyone who disagrees with that sentiment has they're agenda.

kandr10

I think his suggestions are somewhat comical and show he hasn’t a clue of the pressures facing schools generally. What he mentions are things that have long been discussed on this forum - reduced class sizes, children in pods Of 4-5 for playtime, hourly hand washing with hot water, staggered break times and staggered drop offs. He mentions that it would be good to trial the reopening with smaller groups to see where the pitfalls are, which is sensible. However anyone involved in education would tell you the pitfalls with those suggestions right now - lack of teachers, lack of extra space (a lot of schools not even having sufficient space to teach the classes they have let alone separate out existing groups), and lack of hot water or funding for such. Here’s hoping if that’s what is proposed that all of those issues are provided for. Maybe it would even see schools facilities improve after covid is done and dusted. If it took until November to have a full school population back, I think that’s going.

Deeec

I agree cruel summer plans need to be made now for September by the Department of Education. There needs to be a plan for schools to reopen in August/September and also a plan for home schooling if opening schools is not viable at that stage. My fears are that schools will be going on summer holidays at the end of June. Nothing will be done on this over the summer holidays. If plans are not in place by then schools will not be able to put the necessary plans in place by the end of August. Parents will just get an email from the school at the end of August ( probably 2 days before scheduled reopening) from the principle saying they cant reopen and cant home school because they are still discussing what plans to put in place!

mirrorwall14

With any kind of social distancing rules 1m or more there is no way we will fit students in the classrooms. The only way I can see to have them all back at class would be to pod the class group whatever size that is then stagger their breaks and designate them a room. That causes big problems for secondary schools but at least if we knew now then we could plan for it. I could see option classes like music being suspended in that case though for the moment which would completely suck

ETA: I teach in a school with >700 pupils. We are absolutely bursting at the seams and the corridors/stairs aren't even wide enough for 1m social distancing. The canteen benches do be packed to the rafters. In our usual operation, I don't know how you could avoid shutting the whole school down if you got a case because the building is so tight that everyone mixes trying to get around

Sammy2012

My brother works for another government department and he was telling me that they have 85 sinks in his office block and they are currently installing 85 mixer taps to each sink to help with handwashing. I was telling him we have 7 sinks if you include the classroom sinks and have no hot water for approx 90 kids. Well we do but it has to be turned off because its scalding. In my classroom, which I've been in for 12 years, I've never had hot water.

Iused2likebusts

Zahir Bitter Cellist wrote: »

Group sports can train as of next Monday so I don't see much difference if they make some tweaks.

I think if the weather is good then it could be kept outdoors anyway, probably limit to smaller amount of bookings and each group is usually separated by age. So in theory a small group of kids playing/training together outdoors.

The problem (as it always is with mainly outdoor activity camps) is the reliance on the weather. If its bad what happens then? There would have to be a contingency that doesn't involve all the separate groups congregating in the clubhouse together.

It could be done but needs a bit of planning and extra coaches too.

The FAI and Im almost certain the GAA arent allowing teams to train till July 20th. Im training my sons team in groups of four all socially distancing for the last 2 weeks. It has nothing to do with his club officially and it cant be at his clubs ground. While keeping the 4 boys apart and getting them to have a kickaround, you will have beside you on the green games of chasing going on, wrestling between boys, other boys playing football that isnt socially distanced.

wirelessdude01

I think you will find individual county boards and indeed individual clubs deciding not to allow their grounds to be used for Cúl camps. Once this gains some traction I suspect that an official announcement will be made that none are being run this year.

As I have already said numerous times on here the SFAI have already said they are allowing nothing until schools back at the earliest. Whether the guidelines allow it or not that is their position.

seamus

I'm amused about "hot water" continually coming up here. You don't need hot water to wash your hands effectively.

So long as soap is used, hot water does not clean your hands better than cold.

iamwhoiam

seamus wrote: »

I'm amused about "hot water" continually coming up here. You don't need hot water to wash your hands effectively.

So long as soap is used, hot water does not clean your hands better than cold.

The reason warm water is advised is because we tend to wash our hands for longer if its warm . Washing in cold water makes us less inclined to stay the 20 seconds

timmy_mallet

mirrorwall14 wrote: »

With any kind of social distancing rules 1m or more there is no way we will fit students in the classrooms. The only way I can see to have them all back at class would be to pod the class group whatever size that is then stagger their breaks and designate them a room. That causes big problems for secondary schools but at least if we knew now then we could plan for it. I could see option classes like music being suspended in that case though for the moment which would completely suck

ETA: I teach in a school with >700 pupils. We are absolutely bursting at the seams and the corridors/stairs aren't even wide enough for 1m social distancing. The canteen benches do be packed to the rafters. In our usual operation, I don't know how you could avoid shutting the whole school down if you got a case because the building is so tight that everyone mixes trying to get around

The pod idea has gaping flaws as well... What if siblings are in different pods? Renders both pods a pod. What if kids from two pods share a bus. What if a teacher has a child in another pod. The list goes on.

wirelessdude01

seamus wrote: »

I'm amused about "hot water" continually coming up here. You don't need hot water to wash your hands effectively.

So long as soap is used, hot water does not clean your hands better than cold.

Hard enough to get kids to wash hands anyway. If the water is freezing cold, as it generally is in a primary school where there is no water then the children just slash and dash. No proper washing done.

skallywag

seamus wrote: »

I'm amused about "hot water" continually coming up here. You don't need hot water to wash your hands effectively

I am also confused as to why hot water seems to have entered the mix, I have no idea where some posters are getting this requirement from.

Schools have already gone back where I live, and my kids are back in school for the last few weeks. The class is split in two basically, so they go in only for half of the week. All going well so far.

daydorunrun

seamus wrote: »

I'm amused about "hot water" continually coming up here. You don't need hot water to wash your hands effectively.

So long as soap is used, hot water does not clean your hands better than cold.

Its because this thread only deals in problems not solutions.

SusanC10

Did Joe McHugh say that the Plan/Roadmap for reopening schools will be published next week ?

iamwhoiam

https://www.irishtimes.com/life-and-style/abroad/irish-parents-on-schools-reopening-abroad-it-has-gone-suprisingly-smoothly-1.4269774


Irish parents abroad whos children have returned to school .

Sierra Oscar

iamwhoiam wrote: »

https://www.irishtimes.com/life-and-style/abroad/irish-parents-on-schools-reopening-abroad-it-has-gone-suprisingly-smoothly-1.4269774


Irish parents abroad whos children have returned to school .

We'll all be wondering why the Leaving Certificate had to be cancelled and couldn't be held in July as planned. It's looking like everything will be up and running by the end of this month.

Schools will be open in September, teachers better get adjusted to that reality fairly sharpish. Public sentiment is wearing thin, something the Government clearly recognises considering they are about to effectively abandon the entire roadmap they set out a few weeks ago.

History Queen

iamwhoiam wrote: »

https://www.irishtimes.com/life-and-style/abroad/irish-parents-on-schools-reopening-abroad-it-has-gone-suprisingly-smoothly-1.4269774


Irish parents abroad whos children have returned to school .

That's a really interesting read. Will be interesting to see how we adapt.

History Queen

Sierra Oscar wrote: »

We'll all be wondering why the Leaving Certificate had to be cancelled and couldn't be held in July as planned. It's looking like everything will be up and running by the end of this month.

Schools will be open in September, teachers better get adjusted to that reality fairly sharpish. Public sentiment is wearing thin, something the Government clearly recognises considering they are about to effectively abandon the entire roadmap they set out a few weeks ago.

TEACHERS DON'T WANT SCHOOLS TO REMAIN CLOSED

Sammy2012

Sierra Oscar wrote: »

We'll all be wondering why the Leaving Certificate had to be cancelled and couldn't be held in July as planned. It's looking like everything will be up and running by the end of this month.

Schools will be open in September, teachers better get adjusted to that reality fairly sharpish. Public sentiment is wearing thin, something the Government clearly recognises considering they are about to effectively abandon the entire roadmap they set out a few weeks ago.

I'm hoping that school will be open fully in September! Cant wait to go back to school.

seamus

Sierra Oscar wrote: »

We'll all be wondering why the Leaving Certificate had to be cancelled and couldn't be held in July as planned. It's looking like everything will be up and running by the end of this month.

It still might. The DoE said the Leaving Cert would be held as soon as is possible for those who want to take it.
I'm assuming at this stage that the exam papers are already finalised (or very nearly), so there's nothing stopping the exams from being held once a distancing protocol is in place.