Schools closed until February? (part 3)

HerrKuehn

SusanC10 wrote: »

I think that the Schools should close on Friday December 18th.
It would give people a week then before Christmas Day. Which is better than 3 days.
In school terms it's a day and a half where the kids will not be actually doing school work anyway.

I am sure there would be no issue shifting the holidays forward by 2 days and go back 2 days earlier. It does not seem to be what they are looking for though.

SusanC10

HerrKuehn wrote: »

I am sure there would be no issue shifting the holidays forward by 2 days and go back 2 days earlier. It does not seem to be what they are looking for though.

Well, regardless of what they are looking for a decision could be taken. And add in the day and half if necessary in January or MidTerm or Easter or Summer.

meeeeh

TUI obviously felt a bit left out when ASTI shot themselves into the foot so they had to do their bit too. It was actually quite funny when general secretary was on NT this morning and texts from TUI members and teachers started flying in asking what are they on about. I do wonder if teaching unions don't have a bit paternalistic attitude to their members. They are used to dealing with kids and then when they become union officials they think they should deal in the same way with their adult members and tell them what's best for them without actually asking them.

Anyway no issues with closing two days early if they start two days early. But that's not what they are suggesting.

khalessi

I would rather they implement the changes that were promised over midterm to make schools safer, no difference from before midterm that I can see.

E36Ross

All about the teachers.....

We'll just ignore the thousands of Bus Drivers, SNAs, Cleaners and other school staff that WON'T get paid for the extra 2 days if they close early but the teachers will so its okay.

EmptyTree

The self-righteousness of the argument being put forward by the teachers union is really quite astounding.

Gentleman Off The Pitch

Irrespective of it making sense from a public health perspective, how could anyone enjoy their Christmas knowing that teachers had an extra two days off?

khalessi

Hilarious to here us referred as frontline heroes on the radio this morning, but yet not given the flu vaccine or similar protections as other frontline workers. Nothing like a paternalistic pat on the head to keep things moving along.

wirelessdude01

Realistically at primary level you are going to have a significant number of children not being sent in anyway for that Monday and Tuesday. I'm assuming at secondary that any inclass Christmas assessments will already have been concluded. The reality of the situation at both levels is that those two days will be art and craft days with some movies thrown in at primary level. No education will be happening. All about crowd control.

I'm hoping to get back to school for those two days.

meeeeh

Gentleman Off The Pitch wrote: »

Irrespective of it making sense from a public health perspective, how could anyone enjoy their Christmas knowing that teachers had an extra two days off?

Does it really make that much sense public health perspective though? Nobody will self isolate before, there will be mayhem in shops anyway. And more importantly older kids will have a bit of extra time to socialise before Christmas. Not to mention that you are supposed to self isolate 2 weeks not 1 week. If people are so worried about vulnerable relatives they shouldn't meet them before 31st even if they finish on 18th because a week is not enough anyway.

wirelessdude01

Possible scenario.

Kid in school on 22nd. Starts displaying symptoms that evening the next day. You could end up with the principal having to help with contact tracing on Christmas Day.

iamwhoiam

Are teachers wanting an extra two days off at the expense of others ? Then frontline workers , care staff , low paid workers , ambulance staff , nurses , doctors etc etc will have to scramble to find childcare for these days .
As for re charging their batteries , well I am quite sure frontline A and E workers etc would love two days to re charge too

SusanC10

wirelessdude01 wrote: »

Realistically at primary level you are going to have a significant number of children not being sent in anyway for that Monday and Tuesday. I'm assuming at secondary that any inclass Christmas assessments will already have been concluded. The reality of the situation at both levels is that those two days will be art and craft days with some movies thrown in at primary level. No education will be happening. All about crowd control.

I'm hoping to get back to school for those two days.

Our son's Exams (Secondary) finish on Dec 11th.
We have decided to get both Kids to finish the 18th.

Cluedo Monopoly

khalessi wrote: »

Hilarious to here us referred as frontline heroes on the radio this morning, but yet not given the flu vaccine or similar protections as other frontline workers. Nothing like a paternalistic pat on the head to keep things moving along.

It's an insult to frontline workers too.

khalessi

Cluedo Monopoly wrote: »

It's an insult to frontline workers too.

Nope not an insult just incorrect. As a former frontline worker I would not see as an insult neither do my former colleagues.

tom1ie

SusanC10 wrote: »

I think that the Schools should close on Friday December 18th.
It would give people a week then before Christmas Day. Which is better than 3 days.
In school terms it's a day and a half where the kids will not be actually doing school work anyway.

Grand.
So parents will finish up on the 18th also yeah?

SusanC10

tom1ie wrote: »

Grand.
So parents will finish up on the 18th also yeah?

If they can, yes. Secondary kids don't need childcare. For Primary, it's effectively 1 day childcare as most schools finish at 12noon on the 22nd. Most people I know have excess Annual Leave anyway due to not being able to take holidays earlier this year.

tom1ie

SusanC10 wrote: »

If they can, yes. Secondary kids don't need childcare. For Primary, it's effectively 1 day childcare as most schools finish at 12noon on the 22nd. Most people I know have excess Annual Leave anyway due to not being able to take holidays earlier this year.

So parents should take annual leave to allow teachers a day and a half’s worth of free days? Have I picked that up correctly?

MerlinSouthDub

I think it's a good idea to finish school on the 18th, gives a clear 17 day break before they return. I appreciate some parents will have challenges on the 2 extra days of closure, but the vast majority of people will be able to manage ok (we did cope with schools being closed for 3 months....).

It would be nice if other frontline workers (healthcare) could get a break too, but that just isn't possible. The fact we can't do it for other workers doesn't mean we shouldn't do it for teachers.

SusanC10

MerlinSouthDub wrote: »

I think it's a good idea to finish school on the 18th, gives a clear 17 day break before they return. I appreciate some parents will have challenges on the 2 extra days of closure, but the vast majority of people will be able to manage ok (we did cope with schools being closed for 3 months....).

Agreed.

SusanC10

tom1ie wrote: »

So parents should take annual leave to allow teachers a day and a half’s worth of free days? Have I picked that up correctly?

Which the Teachers can make up later in the School Year by giving back those 1.5 days.

HerrKuehn

SusanC10 wrote: »

Which the Teachers can make up later in the School Year by giving back those 1.5 days.

but that isn't what the unions are suggesting

Mrsmum

tom1ie wrote: »

So parents should take annual leave to allow teachers a day and a half’s worth of free days? Have I picked that up correctly?

Would you be ok with the idea of off two days early, back two days early ?

SusanC10

HerrKuehn wrote: »

but that isn't what the unions are suggesting

But it should be. And just because they are not suggesting it doesn't mean that the Government can't decide it.

Icyseanfitz

tom1ie wrote: »

So parents should take annual leave to allow teachers a day and a half’s worth of free days? Have I picked that up correctly?

Id gladly take the day and a half unpaid so that i can spend Christmas with my elderly parents and family without worrying who i was in close contact with 2 days prior in a cramped poorly ventilated environment.

tom1ie

SusanC10 wrote: »

Which the Teachers can make up later in the School Year by giving back those 1.5 days.

The unions have suggested this where?
Should we not be expecting our teachers to work more days seen as kids were not in a school environment for such a long time.
I mean the kids education is the important part in all this no?

iamwhoiam

SusanC10 wrote: »

Which the Teachers can make up later in the School Year by giving back those 1.5 days.

They haven’t suggested that though

Stateofyou

tom1ie wrote: »

So parents should take annual leave to allow teachers a day and a half’s worth of free days? Have I picked that up correctly?

No, to allow children a break in the exhausting climate of extreme vigilance, and to help stop the spread of Covid and in turn better protect their own families before Christmas so they might be still here to celebrate the next one.

tom1ie

SusanC10 wrote: »

But it should be. And just because they are not suggesting it doesn't mean that the Government can't decide it.

Tbf I don’t think the government can just decide anything without consulting the unions. History has taught us this.

Icyseanfitz

tom1ie wrote: »

The unions have suggested this where?
Should we not be expecting our teachers to work more days seen as kids were not in a school environment for such a long time.
I mean the kids education is the important part in all this no?

Thats the sensible option in the current climate? make people work more hours in close contact with 100s of other households in the midst of a global pandemic.