Government flip flops / school closures

babybuilder

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/jan/02/symptomless-cases-schools-key-driver-spread-covid-19

beveragelady

French Toast wrote: »

Remote learning would be preferred by everyone over extended holidays.

While online classes are a pain in the arse for us teachers, re-organising the school term would be a minefield for the Department.

I would accept almost any alternative to remote learning, including losing some of the summer holidays. What I'm really worried about is that we'll enter the nightmare of remote learning only to be told that we still need to make up the time, as was suggested last year.

Treppen

Smacruairi wrote: »

Also after all the private schools got shafted to bump up the DEIS schools I wouldn't be surprised if they didn't just boost their results accordingly.

From what I'm hearing, the assumption since the get-go in September in a lot of academic schools is that it's gonna be predictive grades.
Every grade is queried.
Change classes if the teacher isn't giving high enough grades.
Miss the exams to take a "home test" and magically get 100%.

In spite of that I think exams will go ahead but they might have to do another tweek on content.

There will be zero mention of online teaching from the DES as it's too messy to oversee. Further guidelines will be issued in due course.

JC cancelled.

I really doubt that vaccines will have any impact on gatherings etc. until sept 2021.

notwhoyouthink

One issue that hasn't come up in the discussion so far, but is a huge consideration is the impact on disabled and disadvantaged. Children's Ombudsman is recommending against a blanket school closure.
https://www.rte.ie/news/2021/0105/1187701-covid-ireland-politics/

As I argued yesterday, I believe that there is no evidence to suggest that schools are unsafe, and I believe they should most certainly go ahead from Monday. If every one takes personal responsility - mask, social distancing, washing hands, etc. there is no reason for schools to close.

I also agree with some posters that LC will and should go ahead. Foley and Martin are both strong willed and will make sure they go ahead.

wirelessdude01

notwhoyouthink wrote: »

One issue that hasn't come up in the discussion so far, but is a huge consideration is the impact on disabled and disadvantaged. Children's Ombudsman is recommending against a blanket school closure.
https://www.rte.ie/news/2021/0105/1187701-covid-ireland-politics/

As I argued yesterday, I believe that there is no evidence to suggest that schools are unsafe, and I believe they should most certainly go ahead from Monday. If every one takes personal responsility - mask, social distancing, washing hands, etc. there is no reason for schools to close.

I also agree with some posters that LC will and should go ahead. Foley and Martin are both strong willed and will make sure they go ahead.

So The UK are the clowns so then for closing their schools?

England, Scotland and Wales must be awful idiots as their exams are also cancelled 2021.

rainbowtrout

notwhoyouthink wrote: »

One issue that hasn't come up in the discussion so far, but is a huge consideration is the impact on disabled and disadvantaged. Children's Ombudsman is recommending against a blanket school closure.
https://www.rte.ie/news/2021/0105/1187701-covid-ireland-politics/

As I argued yesterday, I believe that there is no evidence to suggest that schools are unsafe, and I believe they should most certainly go ahead from Monday. If every one takes personal responsility - mask, social distancing, washing hands, etc. there is no reason for schools to close.

I also agree with some posters that LC will and should go ahead. Foley and Martin are both strong willed and will make sure they go ahead.

Foley is not strong willed. She's doing what she's been told.

Remember that car crash of an interview she gave during the summer? She didn't know the terms under which teachers gave predicted grades. You'd assume if she knew her brief she would have at least read the document that was sent out to schools and know its contents. She disappeared from the media for months only to pop up on a kids TV show to give out a free homework pass.

The notion that even yesterday she was on record stating that schools will open on the 11th and every other minister is saying they can't open should tell you how much input she has into the whole thing. At the briefing yesterday it was Sean O'Foghlu that was answering the questions not her.

Bottom line is FF have an incredibly poor track record at appointing women to positions in cabinet. Given the changing social attitudes to all male cabinets they had to appoint a woman so they picked her. She wouldn't have got within an asses roar of the job otherwise.

TheValeyard

Were nearly one year from the last closure. You would think the Dept. would have learned something in the past year and actually put a plan together or have something ready to go. Just like the inspectors, it seems like they have done absolutely nothing!!

km79

TheValeyard wrote: »

Were nearly one year from the last closure. You would think the Dept. would have learned something in the past year and actually put a plan together or have something ready to go. Just like the inspectors, it seems like they have done absolutely nothing!!

Plenty of inspectors available to come in to schools now and help out with special classes

French Toast

beveragelady wrote: »

I would accept almost any alternative to remote learning, including losing some of the summer holidays. What I'm really worried about is that we'll enter the nightmare of remote learning only to be told that we still need to make up the time, as was suggested last year.

Remote learning > prolonged holidays for me.

Admittedly it's a dose but the lesser of two evils, imo.

Treppen

De ja flippin view

Joe Duffy

TL;DL

"We need certainty.... My son....teachers should be online".

amacca

km79 wrote: »

Plenty of inspectors available to come in to schools now and help out with special classes

I know you realise that's highly unlikely but in a sense be careful what you wish Id say....

Imagine the classes you'd have to tidy up after them.....their complete detachment from reality woukd surely impact their ability to do anything in a classroom until they wised up.....youd have to try and gain control and teach the subject after most of them id say.

They would create an unnecessary workload for teachers in a school just like they do when they are outside of them :pac:

Treppen

Looking like January is schools closed. .
.
https://www.irishexaminer.com/news/arid-40201314.html

I thought schools were safe places :pac:

wirelessdude01

rainbowtrout wrote: »

Foley is not strong willed. She's doing what she's been told.

Remember that car crash of an interview she gave during the summer? She didn't know the terms under which teachers gave predicted grades. You'd assume if she knew her brief she would have at least read the document that was sent out to schools and know its contents. She disappeared from the media for months only to pop up on a kids TV show to give out a free homework pass.

The notion that even yesterday she was on record stating that schools will open on the 11th and every other minister is saying they can't open should tell you how much input she has into the whole thing. At the briefing yesterday it was Sean O'Foghlu that was answering the questions not her.

Bottom line is FF have an incredibly poor track record at appointing women to positions in cabinet. Given the changing social attitudes to all male cabinets they had to appoint a woman so they picked her. She wouldn't have got within an asses roar of the job otherwise.

Only reason she is in the cabinet is because Lisa Chambers didn't get re-elected. First time TD, regardless of gender, shouldn't be anywhere near the cabinet table.

wirelessdude01

Treppen wrote: »

De ja flippin view

Joe Duffy

TL;DL

"We need certainty.... My son....teachers should be online".

Ohh must flick it on for some afternoon laughter.

Treppen

wirelessdude01 wrote: »

Ohh must flick it on for some afternoon laughter.

Banging on about online teaching as if it's like organising piss up in a brewery.

Only sense is coming from a student speaking.

Well the lad any way... The girl is a bit moanathon

wirelessdude01

Treppen wrote: »

Banging on about online teaching as if it's like organising piss up in a brewery.

Only sense is coming from a student speaking.

Gov must be organising it so!!!

He is coming across as a very measured and reasoned young man.

Alqua

Treppen wrote: »

Looking like January is schools closed. .
.
https://www.irishexaminer.com/news/arid-40201314.html

I thought schools were safe places :pac:

Heard MM saying that 30th January was the review date.

Any chance they might make decisions on practicals and orals now to avoid an utter *show? Any chance at all? Impossible to prepare for practicals at this stage with classroom guidelines, even if we did get back next week.

rainbowtrout

amacca wrote: »

I know you realise that's highly unlikely but in a sense be careful what you wish Id say....

Imagine the classes you'd have to tidy up after them.....their complete detachment from reality woukd surely impact their ability to do anything in a classroom until they wised up.....youd have to try and gain control and teach the subject after most of them id say.

They would create an unnecessary workload for teachers in a school just like they do when they are outside of them :pac:

Well given that they are the experts and so many students are losing out when they have to self isolate at home, I'd see it as a golden opportunity to record their lessons and put them up online. :pac:

rainbowtrout

Treppen wrote: »

I thought schools were safe places :pac:

I thought my school was so safe I was honestly beginning to view it like this every day....

amacca

Follow me through the magic door:D

rainbowtrout

If we are going to be teaching online for the rest of this month, one thing I won't miss is freezing my arse off in my room with all the doors and windows open and being located inside a main door into the building. Might as well have been teaching outdoors in December it was so cold some days.

Smacruairi

Least it means the LWRs can have a bit of let up. They were being run into the ground in our place putting out nonsense fires.

wirelessdude01

Smacruairi wrote: »

Least it means the LWRs can have a bit of let up. They were being run into the ground in our place putting out nonsense fires.

What kinda "fires"?

beveragelady

Has anybody been clearly instructed on whether they are expected to be teaching online tomorrow? Not a word from management in our place.

wirelessdude01

beveragelady wrote: »

Has anybody been clearly instructed on whether they are expected to be teaching online tomorrow? Not a word from management in our place.

Ahh the three days are extended holidays. The Govt the selves made this clear. No need for any management to be clearly instructing on this.

rainbowtrout

beveragelady wrote: »

Has anybody been clearly instructed on whether they are expected to be teaching online tomorrow? Not a word from management in our place.

There's no teaching this week. It was stated that it was an extension to the holidays.

Treppen

rainbowtrout wrote: »

There's no teaching this week. It was stated that it was an extension to the holidays.

Seen on VFT that some management have instructed teachers to log in for meetings and online teaching this week. Lemmie guess, new principals with continuous churn of new hungry teachers on low hours.

Smacruairi

Treppen wrote: »

Seen on VFT that some management have instructed teachers to log in for meetings and online teaching this week. Lemmie guess, new principals with continuous churn of new hungry teachers on low hours.

Senior management meeting in our place on Thurs, then staff meeting on Friday. To be fair, I'd rather go into the weekend with an idea of what is expected of us rather than try to cobble it all together last minute on Monday.

@wireless with regards to the fires I mentioned, people were getting overly anxious about tiny things, like the handling of exams (just leave them in your classroom for a few days) or the junior cert delivery (just put them in an envelope to be handed out class by class). Everything was becoming an exercise in who can find the most unnecessary problems.

rainbowtrout

Treppen wrote: »

Seen on VFT that some management have instructed teachers to log in for meetings and online teaching this week. Lemmie guess, new principals with continuous churn of new hungry teachers on low hours.

Oh our principal sent an email on NYE (cos he wouldn't like to think think people were having a good time at home on their couch watching TV) to say he didn't know if we were supposed to be online teaching this week or not yet and he was waiting for guidance from ETB/Dept. Just sent to piss people off. C***.

Smacruairi

rainbowtrout wrote: »

Oh our principal sent an email on NYE (cos he wouldn't like to think think people were having a good time at home on their couch watching TV) to say he didn't know if we were supposed to be online teaching this week or not yet and he was waiting for guidance from ETB/Dept. Just sent to piss people off. C***.

To be fair to your principal, I've had emails and texts from colleagues asking should we do x y z, all on NYE. Some of our colleagues are just knobs and busy bodies and sometimes the principal is just trying to get ahead of that as opposed to having to send out 14 personal emails. Or your principal could be a dick too I dunno lol