Schools closed until March/April? (part 4) **Mod warning in OP 22/01**

downthemiddle

C__MC wrote: »

Is working over Easter now an option with a revised break on the Holy Days & Bank holidays.?

Where are you getting this from?

Locotastic

C__MC wrote: »

Is working over Easter now an option with a revised break on the Holy Days & Bank holidays.?

Short answer is not a hope! Should it happen, absolutely. They'd take the Easter holidays now if there was any sense of urgency or organisation.

Instead they'll stick a pin in it for another two weeks now. Seems to be no concern for all the time missed during this year and last and probably next year at the snails pace vaccination rate.

Birdy

A staggered return at primary is very messy.

What if the junior infant teacher has children in third and fifth class? Who will care for her kids and engage them in remote learning?

joe40

Just for anyone interested, this is going to be the process of predicted grades in Northern Ireland.

Locotastic

Birdy wrote: »

A staggered return at primary is very messy.

What if the junior infant teacher has children in third and fifth class? Who will care for her kids and engage them in remote learning?

Also all the non teacher parents who have to make arrangements and childcare to fit around it as well. Too messy is right.

deiseindublin

Sammy2012 wrote: »

So will LC be back in on the 1st of March and primary back the 8th or will be all be back together?

I am hoping I will only have one more Monday and Tuesday of virtual teaching now...but if its 2 I'll manage that. But I hope that's it after that.

I think the last two lines puts paid to that, with creche numbers running at 12.5%.

In the meantime, unions will be paying close attention on the outcome of mass-testing for Covid-19 in both special education and the childcare sector.

In the past these rates have been an indicator for transmission of the virus within school settings.

Locotastic

deiseindublin wrote: »

I think the last two lines puts paid to that, with creche numbers running at 12.5%.

Positivity rates will always be higher when general community transmission rates are higher and there are less (in this case creche going children and staff) being tested.

An overall positivity rate of 24% at the peak is now down at 6% and continuously dropping. I would be interested to see up to date figures are once the creches are back at normal capacity.

daydorunrun

deiseindublin wrote: »

I think the last two lines puts paid to that, with creche numbers running at 12.5%.

My sister in-law runs a crèche. 15 kids, 10 of whom are kids of HCW’s. I do wonder if this cohort are more at risk of infection with so many parents of kids being exposed in work?

C__MC

downthemiddle wrote: »

Where are you getting this from?

From my head
Ain't no point taking kids back for a fortnight and giving them two more weeks off
At least cut it to one.

downthemiddle

C__MC wrote: »

From my head
Ain't no point taking kids back for a fortnight and giving them two more weeks off
At least cut it to one.

In my head I won the Euromillions tonight.

mloc123

Birdy wrote: »

A staggered return at primary is very messy.

What if the junior infant teacher has children in third and fifth class? Who will care for her kids and engage them in remote learning?

You realise that non teachers are dealing with this issue now... for the past 4-5 weeks

Beasty

Summer2020 wrote: »

Can you paste in the text please? Can’t get beyond the paywall, thanks

Copying and pasting copyrighted material is against site rules

Do not make a request like this again

And to everyone - it's behind a paywall for a reason. Site policy allows a link and one paragraph from any copyrighted article

Any questions PM me

jrosen

I saw the petition doing the rounds. I want my kids back to school but I’m not sure and it’s wrong to rush the decision. It’s easy for me to say I’m not working as we are not under pressure like some families are. But I said from the get go I felt teachers needed to be vaccinated early. I think any working group who are exposed to large numbers should have been vaccinated especially when society depends on it.

Sheep breeder

Leftwaffe wrote: »

Just popped my head in here for the first time in a week or two. Still people slating teachers and nobody has a clue when they’re reopening as well. All the best.

Agree and the same as yourself, got fed up of the complaints all the time whining and a lot of them probably have no children in school. Our two in secondary are getting on with school and flying away at it, talking to friends and helping one another with the work. Only complaint we here is about the same two teachers being late for zoom and cancellations at the last minute and not explaining what they want done in the work. The other teachers are putting in a huge effort and fair play to them.
We are in no rush back to school until this thing settles down and the fools cop on.

Mrsmum

To my mind it makes no sense and only causes other problems not to send all primary classes back together. These classes should not be mixing at all. However might they adopt the half class in and half class at home to make each classroom that bit safer perhaps ? And maybe do that at secondary level also for non exam classes ? Regarding the LC students, really if they don't get them back for at least three weeks before the Easter hols, they may as well call the whole thing off now.

jimmytwotimes 2013

mloc123 wrote: »

You realise that non teachers are dealing with this issue now... for the past 4-5 weeks

Everyone knows this, doesn't mean it can't be discussed as it is, and will be, an issue for some people.

We've had this "you just realised...." before.

Treppen

Crikey, anyone see the RTE covid documentary on. Tallaght hospital.
I'd love to get back to school but not in such a rush now.
Hooray for vaccines, but with variants this could drag out.

Millem

mloc123 wrote: »

You realise that non teachers are dealing with this issue now... for the past 4-5 weeks

I am not getting to excited re the Irish Times article. A lot of hoops to jump through before then.

Teachers’ childcare is a valid point when we are on a thread discussing reopening of schools!

Teachers’ will be allowed to apply for single days of parental leave during partial reopening if they have childcare issues so you could end up in a situation whereby they have no teacher to cover.
Too much of a headache for schools.

Locotastic

Treppen wrote: »

Crikey, anyone see the RTE covid documentary on. Tallaght hospital.
I'd love to get back to school but not in such a rush now.
Hooray for vaccines, but with variants this could drag out.

Unfortunately some people need to see it with their own two eyes before it hits home. Imagine facing that every time you have to go to work.

beggars_bush

Birdy wrote: »

A staggered return at primary is very messy.

What if the junior infant teacher has children in third and fifth class? Who will care for her kids and engage them in remote learning?

Majority of primary schools are multi grade in the same room

It could be very messy

beggars_bush

C__MC wrote: »

Is working over Easter now an option with a revised break on the Holy Days & Bank holidays.?

Teachers will need their time off too

combat14

New variant of Uk kent variety - currently called bristol variant of concern..........

liverpool variant under investigation....

lets open schools now that numbers are low ..? or should we wait till vaccinations increase first..?

looks like we need to keep borders shut for foreseeable future...


COVID-19: Scientists label mutation found in Bristol as 'variant of concern

https://www.google.com/amp/s/news.sky.com/story/amp/covid-19-scientists-label-mutation-found-in-bristol-as-variant-of-concern-12213581

insullation

I'm involved in social services in a fairly deprived area and this lockdown is ruining what little chance so many of these great young children had of getting a decent chance of making it out of their unpleasant environment. Their home environment can be so toxic and school is their only escape. We will all pay a big price for this in years to come.

SusanC10

Beasty wrote: »

Copying and pasting copyrighted material is against site rules

Do not make a request like this again

And to everyone - it's behind a paywall for a reason. Site policy allows a link and one paragraph from any copyrighted article

Any questions PM me

Apologies. I should have realised. Won't happen again.

BTownB

insullation wrote: »

I'm involved in social services in a fairly deprived area and this lockdown is ruining what little chance so many of these great young children had of getting a decent chance of making it out of their unpleasant environment. Their home environment can be so toxic and school is their only escape. We will all pay a big price for this in years to come.

Absolutely. It's terribly sad. Getting kids back asap is absolutely essential. Irish kids, especially vulnerable children, will have missed out on more education than their European counterparts.

BTownB

combat14 wrote: »

New variant of Uk kent variety - currently called bristol variant of concern..........

liverpool variant under investigation....

lets open schools now that numbers are low ..? or should we wait till vaccinations increase first..?

looks like we need to keep borders shut for foreseeable future...


COVID-19: Scientists label mutation found in Bristol as 'variant of concern

https://www.google.com/amp/s/news.sky.com/story/amp/covid-19-scientists-label-mutation-found-in-bristol-as-variant-of-concern-12213581

Now it's wait till vaccinations increase... Goalposts shifting.

Children falling behind will fall further.

People were very concerned about mink in Denmark, nothing came of it. Scientists are very confident vaccines will work on this variant.

Stateofyou

BTownB wrote: »

Now it's wait till vaccinations increase... Goalposts shifting.

Children falling behind will fall further.

People were very concerned about mink in Denmark, nothing came of it. Scientists are very confident vaccines will work on this variant.

Nothing came of it because millions were culled. They acted quickly and savagely, so not the right example to try illustrate a point.

Vaccinations need to increase, the Taoiseach just said hospitals are still too full, and borders need to close. In my opinion we need to figure out a tougher all island approach, get quarantine hotels up and running and hopefully get ourselves to something more of a normality. We can't keep locking down losing livelihoods, losing out on life, and education.

Kids from advantaged backgrounds even must be falling behind too. Was shocked at a WhatsApp class group conversation over the weekend, and also by a chat with my cousin about some friends of hers.
Some parents are putting in no effort on homeschooling. Not uploading work for teacher correction, not checking with their kids on what they be at all day for the school work. Stories were told of kids found to not even be doing the work at all, instead playing at games or watching Netflix.

These parents that I know would usually be very involved in the school and community and are great parents so I was very surprised. A few of them seemed shocked themselves when I said my kids are doing all the work, uploading themselves, and correcting the teacher's corrections.
I can focus on my own work now fairly easily as we've got a great routine going. I was even asked how I managed to get them to do it! Eh... what?!

Now these are just my anecdotes, but was left with the impression people's mental health is affected and are starting to just give up. We need to get all our lives back on track. I just don't think the answer is "open the schools, cram back in, open some hospitality, spread new virus variant, lock down again."

jrosen

I don’t know if I believe peoples mental health is the reason school work is not being done. I think there is more to it. I think for many parents they see it as the schools job.

I see from friends some kids simply won’t do as they need too at home. There are a lot of kids ruling the roost right now.

Icyseanfitz

The amount of grand parents/extended family dying at the moment in my school is absolutely heartbreaking

Sammy2012

Icyseanfitz wrote: »

The amount of grand parents/extended family dying at the moment in my school is absolutely heartbreaking

Sorry to hear that.