Covid in Schools

wirelessdude01

scrubs33 wrote: »

https://twitter.com/lichamber/status/1321400265770209281?s=21
Wagons being circled in FF? Minister doing an unbelievable job according to some. Ive seen a couple of these on my timeline so clearly its on instructions from head office

What is coming that they are trying to get ahead of are my initial thoughts?

History Queen

wirelessdude01 wrote: »

What is coming that they are trying to get ahead of are my initial thoughts?

My thoughts exactly.

8k71ps

wirelessdude01 wrote: »

What is coming that they are trying to get ahead of are my initial thoughts?

[url] https://www.google.com/amp/s/amp.rte.ie/amp/1174494/ [/url]

wirelessdude01

8k71ps wrote: »

[url] https://www.google.com/amp/s/amp.rte.ie/amp/1174494/ [/url]

I'm thinking that isn't it. Something with a bit more 'bite' has to be coming down the lines.

Bobtheman

Asti ballot passed.
Doesn't mean a strike after mid term but gives negotiation muscle.
Asti standing committee must decide to use or not use ballot.

wirelessdude01

Bobtheman wrote: »

Asti ballot passed.
Doesn't mean a strike after mid term but gives negotiation muscle.
Asti standing committee must decide to use or not use ballot.

They must also read the mood music of the members who didn't bother to vote. They will need to be brought along if any industrial action is to be effective.

khalessi

https://twitter.com/MaireLineen/status/1321516245276151815


This is getting more notice

Bobtheman

wirelessdude01 wrote: »

They must also read the mood music of the members who didn't bother to vote. They will need to be brought along if any industrial action is to be effective.

I disagree. They didn't bother their arse. You don't vote you can't complain. Same as GE

Bobtheman

I doubt it Will be a prolonged strike because of the inate lack of balls in the profession. Literally.

solerina

Bobtheman wrote: »

I disagree. They didn't bother their arse. You don't vote you can't complain. Same as GE

Totally agree, anyone who didn’t bother to vote had their chance to air their views and didn’t !! No need to consider their wishes now

wirelessdude01

Bobtheman wrote: »

I disagree. They didn't bother their arse. You don't vote you can't complain. Same as GE

I'm saying that if you want something to succeed then you need buy in. 60% of 40% is a small number overall. You need bigger buy in. This is coming from someone who would be considered a militant, loudmouth at my branch and district meetings. Especially at branch level I'm a pain in the ass of my CEC rep.

khalessi

As an aside, have you seen the update to the Covid tracking app, which allows the tracker to be paused. THe accompanying description mentions guidance updates for close contacts in healthcare and education settings!!

Imagine encouraging principals to tell staff to turn off covid tracker while at work

Smacruairi

wirelessdude01 wrote: »

I'm saying that if you want something to succeed then you need buy in. 60% of 40% is a small number overall. You need bigger buy in. This is coming from someone who would be considered a militant, loudmouth at my branch and district meetings. Especially at branch level I'm a pain in the ass of my CEC rep.

The ones who didn't bother voting will just go along with what they are told. There is little to no evidence to go against that logic so.

Bobtheman

wirelessdude01 wrote: »

I'm saying that if you want something to succeed then you need buy in. 60% of 40% is a small number overall. You need bigger buy in. This is coming from someone who would be considered a militant, loudmouth at my branch and district meetings. Especially at branch level I'm a pain in the ass of my CEC rep.

I don't think there will be much industrial action. The department will likely adjust close contact definition.
As to the equal pay issue I can't see more than 3 days action though if you really wanted progress you'd **** schools for a month but the current membership are afraid of their shadow. Remember in 1986 we got a lot from a strike in the middle of 20% unemployment.
But you will hear bS about you got to have public opinion on your side. Jesus wept.

gaiscioch

khalessi wrote: »

https://twitter.com/MaireLineen/status/1321516245276151815


This is getting more notice

Your instincts are correct here. This is really the big story and Emma O’Kelly has been hinting at it for the past week or so: the situation in schools is considerably worse than is being reported. On Monday she reported here how schools were having to follow up with the HSE to see if a student had been confirmed as positive. That whole article should make any teacher nervous as there’s clearly a policy to give as little information as possible to the schools.

I found out that one of my students tested positive early last week but nobody in the school told me, or any other teacher, that we had a confirmed case in our classroom. Nada. How many other cases are going similarly unreported? Like most/all other secondary school teachers I can have up to, or above, 200 students in my class on my 8/9-class days. And I go home to my own family after that. Where else in Irish society is this sort of working environment being allowed? The rules are all changed just to keep the schools open. That’s one thing - actually refusing to be transparent about the reality and feeding the media rigged statistics about “low transmission” is quite another.

It would appear that teachers do not actually have a right to know that there have been confirmed cases in their classrooms, even when the student is spending hours in their (frequently small) classroom per week. I don’t need to know who’s getting tested, but I think we have a right to know if somebody who tests positive has been in our class. That we are not given that is making me distrust the entire system and transparency regarding the reality in schools. Quite frankly, my own experience is that the reality is being brushed over because they’re determined come hell or high water to keep the schools open at all costs.

I want to keep schools open, as online teaching is a joke - and that’s just alluding to the unfit-for-purpose online teaching technology (Hello, “not compatible” battles between Microsoft and Apple). However, when the state is not giving teachers the truth about who has tested positive and is fiddling statistics left, right and centre - you can be sure my student last week will not be on any official record of Covid-19 in schools! - there’s a growing distrust of anything the state is saying about Covid-19 in schools.

I surmise my experience of the “statistics” is far from isolated and is, as Emma O’Kelly’s article above intimates, being replicated in schools across the state. We, teachers, have a right to know when we have positive Covid-19 cases in our classrooms, and the unions need to stand up for us on this specific health and safety issue. There’s zero respect for us from our employer in denying us that right.

wirelessdude01

Bobtheman wrote: »

I don't think there will be much industrial action. The department will likely adjust close contact definition.
As to the equal pay issue I can't see more than 3 days action though if you really wanted progress you'd **** schools for a month but the current membership are afraid of their shadow. Remember in 1986 we got a lot from a strike in the middle of 20% unemployment.
But you will hear bS about you got to have public opinion on your side. Jesus wept.

My mam and especially my dad were at the forefront of the ASTI when that March on Croke Park happened. I remember making placards on the floor of our living room.

mirrorwall14

Got sent a lengthy PDF from the TUI questions for nephet. My brain hurts and I’m no clearer on whether I actually believe anything or not

r93kaey5p2izun

mirrorwall14 wrote: »

Got sent a lengthy PDF from the TUI questions for nephet. My brain hurts and I’m no clearer on whether I actually believe anything or not

I thought the tone of the responses was patronising and dismissive. And ultimately, it didn't answer anything.

wirelessdude01

mirrorwall14 wrote: »

Got sent a lengthy PDF from the TUI questions for nephet. My brain hurts and I’m no clearer on whether I actually believe anything or not

Any chance you could post them on here?

khalessi

gaiscioch wrote: »

Your instincts are correct here. This is really the big story and Emma O’Kelly has been hinting at it for the past week or so: the situation in schools is considerably worse than is being reported. On Monday she reported here how schools were having to follow up with the HSE to see if a student had been confirmed as positive. That whole article should make any teacher nervous as there’s clearly a policy to give as little information as possible to the schools.

I found out that one of my students tested positive early last week but nobody in the school told me, or any other teacher, that we had a confirmed case in our classroom. Nada. How many other cases are going similarly unreported? Like most/all other secondary school teachers I can have up to, or above, 200 students in my class on my 8/9-class days. And I go home to my own family after that. Where else in Irish society is this sort of working environment being allowed? The rules are all changed just to keep the schools open. That’s one thing - actually refusing to be transparent about the reality and feeding the media rigged statistics about “low transmission” is quite another.

It would appear that teachers do not actually have a right to know that there have been confirmed cases in their classrooms, even when the student is spending hours in their (frequently small) classroom per week. I don’t need to know who’s getting tested, but I think we have a right to know if somebody who tests positive has been in our class. That we are not given that is making me distrust the entire system and transparency regarding the reality in schools. Quite frankly, my own experience is that the reality is being brushed over because they’re determined come hell or high water to keep the schools open at all costs.

I want to keep schools open, as online teaching is a joke - and that’s just alluding to the unfit-for-purpose online teaching technology (Hello, “not compatible” battles between Microsoft and Apple). However, when the state is not giving teachers the truth about who has tested positive and is fiddling statistics left, right and centre - you can be sure my student last week will not be on any official record of Covid-19 in schools! - there’s a growing distrust of anything the state is saying about Covid-19 in schools.

I surmise my experience of the “statistics” is far from isolated and is, as Emma O’Kelly’s article above intimates, being replicated in schools across the state. We, teachers, have a right to know when we have positive Covid-19 cases in our classrooms, and the unions need to stand up for us on this specific health and safety issue. There’s zero respect for us from our employer in denying us that right.

This along with the update in the Covid App to pause it while in healthcare setting or education setting stinks.

km79

wirelessdude01 wrote: »

Any chance you could post them on here?

Indeed !

r93kaey5p2izun

https://www.tui.ie/news/nphet-hpsc-response-to-tui-questions.13910.html

mirrorwall14

Edit: turns out I am

Smacruairi

Camryn Gigantic Toothpaste wrote: »

https://www.tui.ie/news/nphet-hpsc-response-to-tui-questions.13910.html

Wouldn't fill you with hope or optimism

wirelessdude01

Camryn Gigantic Toothpaste wrote: »

https://www.tui.ie/news/nphet-hpsc-response-to-tui-questions.13910.html

The tone of the responses are quite something else. Refer to this refer to that. Alot of deflection. Still no proper clear and concise definition of a close contact in a school setting is provided despising asked for one.

Antagonist attitude is very clear.

km79

Smacruairi wrote: »

Wouldn't fill you with hope or optimism. Least if it all goes to hell and a handbasket there's something for the tribunals in the future.

5. Is it possible to make a dedicated phone line available for schools?
As stated at the meeting (of 20th October), we are intending to do just this but equally it is important that we have access to schools as rapidly ourselves.

Stopped reading after that
Principals have their emails /phone numbers months ago but have been left waiting for days on end for a response when a case comes up in their school !

mirrorwall14

wirelessdude01 wrote: »

The tone of the responses are quite something else. Refer to this refer to that. Alot of deflection. Still no proper clear and concise definition of a close contact in a school setting is provided despising asked for one.

Antagonist attitude is very clear.

I don’t get it tbh. Which is why I’m so sceptical. Parents and teachers and management all just want clear cut guidelines. Fudging it with guided by xyz is mental. Particularly when you can’t even keep up with the contacts in the first place...

Why when they knew it was all going to hell in a hand basket didn’t they just say to principals: case in school within 48hrs of positive test send the class and teacher home. And make something similar for second level even if it means most of the year group going our

Smacruairi

km79 wrote: »

5. Is it possible to make a dedicated phone line available for schools?
As stated at the meeting (of 20th October), we are intending to do just this but equally it is important that we have access to schools as rapidly ourselves.

Stopped reading after that
Principals have their emails /phone numbers months ago but have been left waiting for days on end for a response when a case comes up in their school !

I think I got to 7.then the acronyms came in. Good strategy to be fair.

History Queen

Smacruairi wrote: »

I think I got to 7.then the acronyms came in. Good strategy to be fair.

Is death by acronym the Dept. version of death by a thousand cuts?

r93kaey5p2izun

The tone is reminiscent of the snotty replies you get in Current Affairs here, and the like. Difficult to believe a professional person in a position of authority signed off on that, nor that TUI have accepted it without rebuke.