Schools and Covid 19 (part 5) **Mod warnings in OP**

Bananaleaf

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118327784#Comment_118327784

I remember your posts from last year, when you were sitting the LC. See, your post above approaches the situation from a responsible angle. Unfortunately all LC students are not as responsible as you.

Re: closures in Jan, I hope it doesn't lead to closures in Jan again too. It shouldn't. Unlike last year, all adults who want it are double-vaxxed and by early Jan, all if not most teachers who want it will have a booster jab.

We had a Covid inspection in our school yesterday and trust me when I say that the line of (very leading if I do say so myself) questioning that was put to the students indicates that they have zero intention of closing schools in Jan.

I'd love an early break. My dad is coming to me for Xmas and he is in the vulnerable category (although he has booster) but as much as I want it, I know I can still stay safe and stay in work until 22nd if I take responsibility. This week I go from my car to my classes, back to my car and home again and that is it! It's only for a few more days

TTLF

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118327862#Comment_118327862

Yeah I'll agree last year was a stressful time for most LC students, I wanted to give my voice on here since I believe I was the only LC student on this forum (or active) at the time. I was able to get into my first choice in the end though. :)

Very responsible attitude of you considering some teachers/people would fully go about living their life during a crucial "family meeting" period that'll come up.

Re Jan: Obviously I'm out of school now, so I haven't been able to get an inside view into how schools are being monitored anymore, however I will say College's are.... really really poor. I sit in UCD and I'll get a text on my phone stating "SOMEONE HAS TESTED POSITIVE IN YOUR CLASS, STILL ATTEND COLLEGE UNLESS YOU GET SYMPTOMS." I understand there's no real way to deal with it in college since it's a very in-out-in fluid unstructured system unlike school, but I just pray I'm not sitting at home doing my modules online because I think it'll make college unbearable. I don't particularly like January anyway since it's quite boring, but making me do college at home will just really make it worse.

It's unfortunate too, I caught COVID in late November and because of that, I lost my holiday to Budapest, and many many other plans I had in the works for a "fun filled" December. Now my sister (and personally think mother but we don't know yet) have caught COVID too, so my family is really going through it at the moment.

It's a shame because my other sister was only back in teaching her kids last Monday and then storm Barra hit (which I loved lol) and now she's out again due to my middle sister catching COVID for the rest of the term! Such a shame because she loves her job and now she and I are stuck at home waiting it out since we've already had COVID in the last 9 months.

There should be some sort of COVID inspection in Colleges because I have to be honest there's 0 precautions and I most likely picked it up from there since I just went to class, saw a few friends and went to work. I guess that's my fault for not being vigilant enough though.

I hope all's well and you have a lovely Christmas, I'm meant to be visiting my family in Northern Ireland on Christmas day (first time in years) but I think that might be cancelled and the final thing I was looking forward to this year "ruined" in sorts. But that's okay, health is more important even if I feel upset over it. It's just life.

While there are some merits to schools finishing 2.5 days earlier, I do think it creates a couple of problems.

1) We know it won’t be a 2.5 day closure. It will spiral into weeks/months. This is a given with our leadership at the moment re: Omicron, and our union will probably cry ‘unsafe’. If we close schools as a preventative this time, we’ll do it again and again.

2) I don’t like immunologists (no matter how good they may be) dictating when schools should be open or not. A DCU professor shouldn’t be calling for schools to be closed. Same for public health bodies. It’s a government decision. If they say no closure, that should be the end of discussion IMO.

Again, as I said, I can see the merits - it’s not massively important days missed, and it might calm down school age incidence. I feel for parents and kids too, two days before a mooted closure and it’s still all speculation, it’s no way to run things. I fully expect nphet tomorrow to recommend schools close the next day.

Teacher2020

Yes, in our school we spend Christmas week doing nice things - having extra play time, playing bingo, Santa visiting, having hot chocolate, doing puzzles, listening to Christmas music, having chats about Christmas etc. It is such a lovely time of the year. There is so much social learning happening during those few days, which a lot of children have missed out on during the pandemic. So yes while formal learning may have stopped in many schools, those social and fun experiences are not to be underestimated, especially for children that may not have the happiest of home lives. I think schools should stay open until Wednesday.

Eoinbmw

Parents if they want to should keep their children home next week but it should not be a full closure!

Special schools provide a whole world for many kids and the 2 week closure is already traumatic for a lot of special needs children!

It's easy to scoff sure it's only another 3 days well come live in my house over Christmas and see how you get on!

It might give you some perspective not all schools and children are the same!

tscul32

There are also a lot of primary school children who have had Covid in the past couple of months. They're extremely unlikely to catch it again this soon so dictating that schools close instead of allowing parents to make the decision whether to send their kids or not means that all those kids, possibly half the class in some cases, are unnecessarily missing those days. As stated above there is a lot of social learning going on those days and kids who already missed loads because of having covid shouldn't be forced to miss that.

is_that_so

This wouldn't happen here!

https://www.theguardian.com/education/2021/dec/16/omicron-covid-uk-schools-close-early-christmas

hesaidshesaid

Just to say, a decision was taken in our school to send home the books tomorrow, just in case we get caught on the hop with an announcement of school closure over the weekend. Nobody really anticipates it happening and certainly there’s no appetite among teachers to close early. But it’s worth sending the books home for this one weekend to avoid the hassle to parents of having to pick them up next week.

Parents, we don’t know any more than you do. We hear everything on the news or Twitter at the same time as you. Books being sent home over Christmas is a purely precautionary measure.

And if you have any knowledge of the ventilation sector and think you could be of help to your child’s school in the hunt for HEPA filters, please please make yourself known to the principal.

Leftwaffe

Big rush today prepping for a lockdown in our place. Pure madness. People have lost their minds. Actually collectively the world has lost its mind.

shesty

Trust is gone in the Government lads - they have pulled the rug from umder us all too many times.That is why people are behaving like this.

History Queen

I was going to say no prep happening in our place, but students don't have lockers and teachers don't have their own rooms so we're mostly brininging our stuff in and out everyday anyway.

I'm still hoping schools won't close again.

Midnight Sundance

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118333428#Comment_118333428

I'm presuming we won't be closing seen as nothing has been announced today? Or am I being too Naieve?

History Queen

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118334159#Comment_118334159

Oh i don't think there's any chance of us closing early. Nor do I think we should. Maybe primary.

I was just thinking about prep or otherwise for after Christmas. Again, really really don't want to see school closures.

ginoginelli

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118332465#Comment_118332465

I'm hearing disturbing news from my local primary school in regards to ventilation. The principle has decided the school is adequately ventilated already (it's not at all, it's a very old building) and to only put a few 'mini' hepa filters in some selected rooms and to use the money allocated to put a new roof in instead!

History Queen

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118334672#Comment_118334672

You realise that the money allocated is part of the minor works grant which is to be used for things like roof repairs?

km79

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118334672#Comment_118334672

Imagine wanting to repair a leaky roof

For shame

Christ

orecir

No chances school closes early this Christmas.

Teachers and staff at this stage are glorified babysitters.

Midnight Sundance

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118335082#Comment_118335082

Why put a grant for hepa filters jn with minor works at all.

Why the government couldn't just provide the filters in the first place instead of expecting a school to choose filters/safe classes over the importance of a leaky roof. Principal shouldn't have to choose, both should be an option

ginoginelli

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118335082#Comment_118335082

I do. And that's where the problem lies. The goverment should have released specific funds under a strict procurment policy just for Heppa filters.

They're should be a minimum standard of air filter and procedure for installment. This needs to be done properly. Not some desk size air filter bought off Amazon for 30 euro and left on a teachers desk.

km79

Schools don’t need to close

The new variant only comes out at night apparently

iamwhoiam

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118335179#Comment_118335179

I honestly dont why peope keep peddling that point . For years mainly women ( also some men ) have worked around the school calendar . They could return to work because children were in school and contribute to the economy . Take out that workforce and the economy suffers .

My own mother and many others in the 60’s and 70’s were able to work part time during school hours which contribute to the household paid tax , which in turn improved housing , health and education .

Teachers also depend on the school calendar for their own children , do you think teachers consider their kids teachers as glorified babysitters ?

Brendan Bendar

Every What’s App group has one or two motor mouths in it, unfortunately

Jinglejangle69

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118335590#Comment_118335590

It shows a huge ignorance and stupidity when people refer to schools as a babysitting service.

Best not to respond.

Supercell

Four cases in my daughters class this week, one in her older sisters class. This is in primary school, both under 9 so no mask wearing.

At what point do they ask the classes to start isolating, clearly its spreading like wildfire in the schools?

HerrKuehn

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118335728#Comment_118335728

I think it is a typical PS type mindset. As if they are doing the users of the service a favor.

Icyseanfitz

It's grand lads, they will close everything else down at 5pm and schools will again be "safe" 😉😂 no need for air filters at all!

spaceHopper

It's to late to buy hepa filters that should have been done last summer or even sooner. My guess or fear is that primary schools will close on Wednesday for a month or two due to the new variant.

There will be a push to get under 12's vaccinated which going by how a lot of parents feel I think isn't going to go as well as the government hope for. They can't stick to a simple message so how to expect parents to trust them when they say the vaccine is safe for kids.

km79

And when they are being told the vaccine won’t work against omnicron

josip

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118336606#Comment_118336606

Who's telling them that, Mary on Facebook?

Barney224

I have to collect my son from College (2 hour round trip) today and he's just informed me that a classmate was tested positive. I got the booster yesterday, but wondering should we be wearing masks in the car? Should he sit in the back seat? No idea what to do!