Schools closed until February? (part 3)

Mrsmum · 05-10-2020 05:16PM

In the pp school my children attend, they said the principal made an announcement last week that they (students) were doing great in classrooms but not good at lunchtimes and on the way home from school.

irishblessing · 05-10-2020 05:29PM

I saw all the teachers in a close circle talking together outside after school collection today. One of them had a mask.

BonsaiKitten · 05-10-2020 05:59PM

One word: siblings. I think my class is connected to almost every other class in the school via siblings.

Schools are trying to keep classes separate as much as possible but it's impossible to have no contact between classes. All you can do is minimise it.

Icyseanfitz · 05-10-2020 06:14PM

All of the above

solerina · 05-10-2020 06:21PM

Can only answer for my school.
Loads of mixing, esp between classes on corridors outside building etc.
Not really, again passing on corridors.
Yes assistants (SNAs) I assume are moving between classes.
Yes, all staff still in staff room, I sit less than 1m from the person beside me while in staff room.
How could we be a bubble, almost 400 people from over 300 (guess) households ??

mvl · 05-10-2020 07:01PM

this sounds pretty reasonable :
"Ms Piggott said they would also be requesting that the education stakeholders at second-level, such as parents, teacher unions , principals and school managers, meet to discuss all associated issues"
from https://www.independent.ie/irish-news/education/teacher-unions-raise-concerns-over-schools-staying-open-amid-nphet-recommendation-of-level-5-restrictions-39589671.html

irishblessing · 05-10-2020 07:19PM

https://www.rte.ie/news/coronavirus/2020/1005/1169441-coronavirus-ireland/

The three trade unions representing teachers in primary and secondary schools have called for an urgent review or engagement with them should there be any national move to a higher level of Covid-19 restrictions.

The Association of Secondary Teachers, Ireland, said if a decision is taken to implement the NPHET recommendation, a comprehensive review of the medical and related guidance being implemented in schools should immediately be undertaken to ascertain if it is safe for second-level schools to stay open.

It follows a similar call from primary teachers' union the INTO yesterday evening.

"We are writing to the Minister for Education and Skills this morning to request that she initiate a review immediately. We will also be requesting that the second-level stakeholders meet to discuss all associated issues," said ASTI President Ann Piggott.

"The health, safety and welfare of all members of our school communities is of paramount importance"

The Teachers' Union of Ireland said it is seeking urgent engagement with the Department of Educations and the Government on any national move a higher level of restrictions.

TUI General Secretary Michael Gillespie said: "Our members are extremely worried by current events and their health and safety in the workplace. We have many members with serious underlying health issues and also many members who share a household with people with underlying health issues.

Icyseanfitz · 05-10-2020 07:39PM

So effectively nothing is happening from the Union's, my last class today had 5 absent and nearly every other kid in the class was sniffling and coughing, it was terrifying. All the kids where scared, teacher and myself where both scared, its absolute madness at the moment.

jimmytwotimes 2013 · 05-10-2020 07:39PM

We can only speak for our own situations but the efforts in our school have been abysmal.

They're all mixing in the corridors, in changing rooms, at break, at lockers and on buses. The kids are very good with mask wearing.

A few things have been asked of our staff (involving meeting in groups) that you would not believe.

Other than that, all good

khalessi · 05-10-2020 07:50PM

Can only speak for my primary school.

We try to separate the classes, each year group have a different entrance/exit door, but we have more than one class group in every year sharing the same door. We have staggered breaks all day to ensure space for the children on the yard and have the area divided into 8 large spaces for for 2 year groups at a time on breaks. The classes are kept apart by tape.

There is no mask wearing in primary school though a few of the children wear masks all day no problem.

Snas have about 4 classes each to go into depending on workload.

Staggered breaks for staffroom so a max of 10 allowed in. Most staff dont bother anymore, just stay in class. I go down maybe once a week, it is soulless and you cant have a proper conversation. If I do go down the tables and chairs are socially distanced and we disinfect our space before leaving the staffroom.

As learing support/SET I take kids from multiple bubbles to my room so I disinfect chairs and tables between each group and get them to wash hands on entering and leaving room.

jrosen · 05-10-2020 09:02PM

I asked my kids how their school was.

Secondary school. He said the bus, going in/out of school and the classrooms are totally fine. Everyone is mask wearing and desks are well spaced out. He said corridors generally are also well run. But he said break times/lunch are a different story. Lots of ball playing/mixing at tables. The kids are outside for now but he said no mask wearing, no social distancing either.

Primary seems not far off, they have an open window of time to get to school. Different entrances for different years and had time they only mix within their own class.

irishblessing · 05-10-2020 09:06PM

There are some who talk about the impact on children's mental health if schools were to close or remote learn but they don't want to hear about the impact to their mental health of being afraid to catch it or bring it home to their families. Many parents are scared too-underlying health issues or not.

I'm just after reading on the Alerting parents of outbreaks in schools FB page of a a few mothers talking about their children who have a cough, tested negative, prone to them this time of year but not let back into the schools until it's gone- could last for more than a month and nothing being setup for them to keep up with their schooling. These stories are everywhere now. It's a disgrace.

mvl · 05-10-2020 09:07PM

How about secondary schools with more than 1000 kids ? They can aim to isolate years on dedicated levels, but there could be 8/9 classes in a year, and not only swapping classrooms for some of the classes is implied, but students from various classes would mix for their optional subjects too ... I think contact tracers would have difficulty handling cases in this setup.

And another observation (to support the argument that blended learning & reducing hours in school would suit secondary school parents better).
We've started secondary this year - and collecting from school at 15h/16h has become an inconvenience for me as a worker: while in primary school I had paid after school arrangements - I can't avail of any of that now while in secondary. And at practical level it would suit me better to go collect on my lunch break (which is after ~4h of school) rather than peak afternoon. Assume I would be echoing majority of parents with full time jobs having to handle current times for school collections ..

Icyseanfitz · 05-10-2020 09:20PM

Really thought this whole situation would shine a light on the dangers within schools finally, i should have known better at this stage, stay safe everyone.

irishblessing · 05-10-2020 09:40PM

I'm not sure we'll last on this level 3 track for very long.

wirelessdude01 · 05-10-2020 09:45PM

I really think this will be a short stay and we'll be moving up again in the not too distant future. NPHET are obviously looking at what is happening in the ground but I'd imagine their mathematical projections must be really bad.

jrosen · 05-10-2020 09:48PM

I think the government are really hoping numbers will drop. Im not sure how further restrictions will be received.

wirelessdude01 · 05-10-2020 09:49PM

Listening to Leo, it strikes me that they are playing for time to plan things.

...Ghost... · 05-10-2020 10:14PM

So, is Dublin Level 3 now? That would be a downgrade if so, as we were Level 3.something.

wirelessdude01 · 05-10-2020 10:19PM

Dubl8n stays as is or so I read little earlier.

The Wordress · 05-10-2020 11:35PM

People are talking about the HSE not being able to cope but the way things are going, schools will not be able to cope with staff being off and not getting enough cover. It is a complete liability.

In my school, staff are off left, right and centre for a multitude of Covid related reasons.

I have staff off tomorrow and if I can't get replacements into my room, we are up $hit creek.

teachinggal123 · 05-10-2020 11:43PM

We had 3 retirements today in our place. All senior people.

Lots out sick.

Schools barely hanging on.

Jaded Walker · 06-10-2020 01:25AM

Well I'm surprised the teachers unions are not demanding that schools be closed with NPHET recommending level 5.

They have a responsibility to their members and their health.

irishblessing · 06-10-2020 08:16AM

And without a remote plan b paddle.

I'm feeling very uneasy putting my children to school this morning. Fact remains NPHET recommended a level 5 so we shouldn't be mixing to this degree if money/economy didn't come into it. What a shīt sandwich.

Boggles · 06-10-2020 09:08AM

The schools are gone, they are no longer a core priority if they ever were to begin with.

They will be closed for December maybe even sooner and for how long God knows.

Considering the government don't have a Plan A of note, there is no plan B.

SusanC10 · 06-10-2020 09:18AM

My opinion is that by not following NPHET's advice yesterday, that the Government has de-prioritised keeping the schools open.

wirelessdude01 · 06-10-2020 09:22AM

I can see schools definitely being closed from roughly Dec 8th onwards until mid Jan.

Leo last night on CB very much seemed to be playing for time. Kept mentioning about having to create plans. Like what the fcuk have they been doing up to now?

TTLF · 06-10-2020 09:22AM

I called it- some what two weeks on. The wiping down of desks, 72 hour wait thingy has all gone out the window now. I’m not even trying to sound dramatic about it, it actually has. Some wiping down here or there, but most students just leave the room without wiping their desks, and some teachers just don’t wait the 72 hours to hand work out.

On top of this, there was a COVID case in my school. Thankfully nobody in my year but made me loose a little confidence. Quite a few people out sick this week too unfortunately. I’m not so sure how much longer this is going to last... possibly 2 more months at best?

Stay safe everyone

I would like to add, the HSE did a great job on figuring out close contacts etc. Brilliant group of people. Those poor kids out for 2 weeks now.

jimmytwotimes 2013 · 06-10-2020 10:56AM

Starting to see older siblings coming back from college with covid and now we've 5 students getting tested.

College accommodation full of students from different counties sharing accommodation, madness

morebabies · 06-10-2020 11:02AM

I don't understand why the media is colluding with the government by not reporting on outbreaks in schools. Why? Where is the impartial reporting on the actual news?

I know of a local school with 10 pupils in a class infected. Does that not deserve a mention? Why not? Is it because it undermines the government narrative that schools are controlled environments and students aren't super spreaders?

So frustrating. I know young people and children statistically get milder symptoms but their teachers, the school staff, their families?

If you look at the hundreds of schools listed in the Facebook group, "Alerting parents of outbreaks in schools"... I'm at a loss.

Why would the media support government propaganda?

Schools closed until February? (part 3)

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