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

wirelessdude01

BonsaiKitten wrote: »

So if people are emailing the reps then what's the issue with the petition being run too? That's my point in all this. Fine if the INTO ignore the petition - as I expect them to do tbh - but it's causing no harm. If anything it's an additional outlet for teachers who feel powerless.

My take on it is simple. Post to VfT. Post to Twitter. Email Ministers/local TDs/heads of INTO/reps. Make phonecalls. Sign the petition. Write to the papers. Crack on it with it all - the more, the better.

Point being what will get listened to, an non-descript petition isn't even on their radar. Anyway we can agree to disagree on the method that gains traction.

As I said get involved and make your voice heard. Sick of people giving out and when you ask have they emailed their CEC rep, they then announce that they can't as they aren't a member. A classic hurler on the ditch.

penny piper

Sammy2012 wrote: »

Why are other countries able to make workable plans? We have no idea whether schools are opening on Thursday or Monday week? Why can't they just give everyone guidance in a realistic time frame!!!! That would help everyone plan for the next few weeks! Why do we always have to lag behind other countries in this way????

We have a Government that is not capable of carrying anything through...

Norma Foley consistantly saying the same ...schools/creches are safe etc...hasn't she forgot why she couldn't open them up?

You have a chief medical officer /simon harris/stephen donnelly asking for people to stay at home ...

It's disgraceful .....schools/creches/special schools should not be opening up until the hse has a grip on the numbers in hospital .........

yerwanthere123

Is it today we're supposed to find out what the plan is? They're cutting it pretty fine is they're expecting people to return on Thursday.

fmpisces

yerwanthere123 wrote: »

Is it today we're supposed to find out what the plan is? They're cutting it pretty fine is they're expecting people to return on Thursday.

Yes....later this evening. Forsa in talks at 5.30 pm and is expected to email members about the outcome around 7.30 pm - 8 pm as far as I'm aware.

solerina

rob316 wrote: »

Ye barely wanted to return in September when the numbers were less than 200 a day. Give me a break

You do realise that there are thousands of teachers in this country so who exactly is the Ye you refer to here ??? Did we all ‘barely want to return to work.......’ ?

Icyseanfitz

yerwanthere123 wrote: »

Is it today we're supposed to find out what the plan is? They're cutting it pretty fine is they're expecting people to return on Thursday.

the department would be quite happy to tell everyone during the 9 o clock news tomorrow night whether schools are open the following morning

wirelessdude01

yerwanthere123 wrote: »

Is it today we're supposed to find out what the plan is? They're cutting it pretty fine is they're expecting people to return on Thursday.

Any school worth their salt has a plan in place. Know that we have.

Icyseanfitz

rob316 wrote: »

Ye barely wanted to return in September when the numbers were less than 200 a day. Give me a break

and what exactly happened with numbers once schools went back as normal?

wirelessdude01

Know that INTO and FORSA had a meeting today. I'd love to know what was discussed at it.

the corpo

the department would be quite happy to tell everyone during the 9 o clock news tomorrow night whether schools are open the following morning

The Department would be quite happy to tell everyone that schools have been open since *last* Thursday and we're a very naughty cohort for not sending our children in.

dirkmeister

Going on form, I fully expect the Department to email schools at 7:43pm on Friday.

Coneygree

I know our branch passed a motion today which wouldn't see members return until the 14 day incidence is less than 500 cases a day.

KrustyUCC

Coneygree wrote: »

I know our branch passed a motion today which wouldn't see members return until the 14 day incidence is less than 500 cases a day.

What type of school are you in?

wirelessdude01

Coneygree wrote: »

I know our branch passed a motion today which wouldn't see members return until the 14 day incidence is less than 500 cases a day.

That is reasonable. Well done.

wirelessdude01

KrustyUCC wrote: »

What type of school are you in?

Guessing primary, as the INTO branch AGMs are on this week and next.

Crocodile Booze

"Education Minister told Cabinet today that the health advice is clear that schools and crèches are safe".

For a senior member of our government to make such a statement is an absolute embarrassment.
Nowhere is "safe" during a pandemic. Outrageous.

Just wait a few more weeks, we are heading in the right direction.

KrustyUCC

Crocodile Booze wrote: »

"Education Minister told Cabinet today that the health advice is clear that schools and crèches are safe".

For a senior member of our government to make such a statement is an absolute embarrassment.
Nowhere is "safe" during a pandemic. Outrageous.

Just wait a few more weeks, we are heading in the right direction.

True nowhere is safe as Ronan Glynn said yesterday

"Speaking at a press briefing by the National Public Health Emergency Team (NPHET) earlier, Dr Ronan Glynn said that although there were no “zero-risk” environments, the re-opening of schools was in the best interests of children.

He explained that NPHET’s advice for people to stay at home was partly intended to allow limited sections of society to continue, and that health officials recognised that some people could not stay at home because their work would not allow them to do so.

He also acknowledged that although there have been clusters and outbreaks in educational settings, that these had occurred in a small number of locations only.

“By and large, the experience [in recent months] was a very positive one and a very successful one,” the Deputy CMO said.

“That said, we have always been clear that if we were to experience very widespread community transmission [of Covid-19], that would have an impact on the ability of schools to operate.”

Glynn clarified that NPHET wrote to the minister earlier this month and advised that, rather than expressing concerns about schools themselves, officials worried about the spread of Covid-19 due to one million people travelling to and from schools daily.

He further explained that part of NPHET’s advice was to give special consideration should to keeping schools open for vulnerable children and those with special needs.

“There is no zero-risk environment. We’re sitting here this evening and we cannot say that this is a zero-risk environment,” Glynn said.

“There are people working in shops all across the country: that’s not a zero-risk environment.

“To the individual person: I can’t sit here and say that any environment is zero-risk. Once you leave your house, once you come into contact with someone else, there is a risk involved.

“That’s why we’re so keen that as many people as possible would stay at home. But behind all that, we have to balance risks and benefits.”

Just wait a few more weeks, we are heading in the right direction

I do think we will be waiting a few more weeks alright. However a few more weeks shouldn't turn into a few more months. Those few more weeks are very damaging to kids in other needs so needs to be as short as possible. Scotland extended their general school closure today but no for vulnerale children or children of key workers

BonsaiKitten

Coneygree wrote: »

I know our branch passed a motion today which wouldn't see members return until the 14 day incidence is less than 500 cases a day.

That is interesting. My branch haven't had AGM yet but I know people are pissed at the situation. As you'd expect. Heard rumours about a principal refusing to open their school at all on Thursday but take that with a pinch of salt.

Both the VfT and AsIAm Facebook pages are going mad atm. There's a lot of upset on both sides - parents and teachers alike. Horrible time for people on both sides.

khalessi

Germany closing schools

https://www.dw.com/en/germany-coronavirus-merkel-and-state-premiers-meet-over-new-measures/a-56271628?maca=en-Twitter-sharing

wirelessdude01

KrustyUCC wrote: »

I do think we will be waiting a few more weeks alright. However a few more weeks shouldn't turn into a few more months. Those few more weeks are very damaging to kids in other needs so needs to be as short as possible. Scotland extended their general school closure today but no for vulnerale children or children of key workers

Think there is ZERO appetite for what happened last year. Absolutely no-one wants that again.

wirelessdude01

BonsaiKitten wrote: »

That is interesting. My branch haven't had AGM yet but I know people are pissed at the situation. As you'd expect. Heard rumours about a principal refusing to open their school at all on Thursday but take that with a pinch of salt.

Both the VfT and AsIAm Facebook pages are going mad atm. There's a lot of upset on both sides - parents and teachers alike. Horrible time for people on both sides.

And Norma in the middle stirring with the biggest paddle she could find. She is some political operative.

blanch152

Coneygree wrote: »

I know our branch passed a motion today which wouldn't see members return until the 14 day incidence is less than 500 cases a day.

And what public health advice was this based on?

blanch152

khalessi wrote: »

Germany closing schools

https://www.dw.com/en/germany-coronavirus-merkel-and-state-premiers-meet-over-new-measures/a-56271628?maca=en-Twitter-sharing

https://www.gouvernement.fr/en/coronavirus-covid-19

France has a curfew from 6 p.m. to 6 a.m. yet is keeping schools open because of the importance of education.

km79

89 people lost their life from Covid in the past 24 hours

Coneygree

wirelessdude01 wrote: »

That is reasonable. Well done.

Apparently it is being passed onto all CEC reps so hopefully that will amount to something across the country.

Coneygree

blanch152 wrote: »

And what public health advice was this based on?

Hahaha funny that.

Icyseanfitz

km79 wrote: »

89 people lost their life from Covid in the past 24 hours

poor families, RIP,

the reality is we have no idea how quickly these new variants will spread if schools are reopened normally, its a huge gamble that our leaders seem to be more than willing to take, but sure they will just put it all down as household transmissions if reopening does lead to a spike (similar as to what happened once we reopened in September) anyway :mad:

KrustyUCC

wirelessdude01 wrote: »

Think there is ZERO appetite for what happened last year. Absolutely no-one wants that again.

I hope you're right

I can see it being a long drawn out process though

I'd like to be wrong

wirelessdude01

blanch152 wrote: »

And what public health advice was this based on?

The Norma Foley school of public health advice.

vid36

blanch152 wrote: »

https://www.gouvernement.fr/en/coronavirus-covid-19

France has a curfew from 6 p.m. to 6 a.m. yet is keeping schools open because of the importance of education.

France Population 66 million had just over 3300 cases yesterday. Their rates are much lower than ours.