Schools to close again.. Covid

Bobtheman

With numbers rising is it on the cards again?

SteM

Nope, hospitality would have to shut before schools and that's not on the cards at the moment.

Penfailed

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/2058217943/schools-to-close-again-covid

No. If they start closing things again, schools will be at the end of the list.

Random sample

They aren’t even contact tracing under 12s unless they spent the night in a house. They are a long way off closing schools.

History Queen

Don't think it'll be considered at all.

RealJohn

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/2058217943/schools-to-close-again-covid

Hopefully, but doubtful.

Everyone and his dog know that schools are probably driving the spread with this whole “schools are safe” nonsense but it’s also the least popular and least economically sound measure, so they’ll do everything they can to avoid it.

A “circuit breaker” lockdown in December would make sense though, so that they can open everything for Christmas (and then close everything again in January, like last year).

storker

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118168498#Comment_118168498

I'm not so sure - do we have actual figures for the numbers of cases in schools? We received notification last week of a case out my daughters' secondary school year. That's the first I've heard of a case in that school since the very start of the pandemic.

Interestingly, the opinion of the kids seems to be that ideally there would be no school but if there has to be school they'd rather be physically in school than at home. That's based on my daughters' opinions and what they report of those of their friends.

Bobtheman

It's hard to predict. And the minute they deny school closures you can be sure they will happen .

Bobtheman

RealJohn

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118168550#Comment_118168550

Nobody is sure. That’s the problem. In our place, we’ve had fewer than ten since the start of the pandemic, officially. Unofficially, we’ve had far more than that that were deemed “community cases”.

If it wasn’t for the cop on if parents, it’d be even worse, because at least most of ours keep their kids home if they’ve been in contact with positive cases but are deemed not to have been close contacts.

I wouldn’t trust what they’re telling us an inch.

gaiscioch

I think the reality that the vast majority of school principals are not publicising the Covid-19 figures is a strong indicator of things. Not a single word about statistics from our principal - evidently, teachers are not adults capable of rationally processing the information. In my kids' primary school, on the other hand, the principal informed us there was no fewer than 30 confirmed Covid cases in the previous 3 weeks. So, if that's an indicator...

That, and the fact that Covid cases in school are still being kept low by the student's Covid being recorded as a 'community' case rather than as a 'school' case (because they got it from home or elsewhere, even though they were in school before their test). To test this, compare the overall Covid statistics for people under 19 years of age with the "school" statistics for the same. The latter is far, far smaller - even though the vast majority of people under 19 are in some form of school.

TheValeyard

Schools are immune to Covid.....

lulublue22

rainbowtrout

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118169759#Comment_118169759

I would say principals are not able to publish stats in a lot of cases. We see kids absent for a week and no mention of Covid. At this stage I'm just assuming that if a kid is absent for a week without explanation then it's covid related.

Local primary schools in my town are riddled. A friend and her daughter has covid. Out of the 31 children in her daughters class, 11 were in school yesterday.

tom1ie

How is it possible this highly contagious virus is NOT spreading in school.

For the record I don’t believe schools should close but logic suggests schools are driving this spread of the virus.

SupplyandDemandZone

Plenty of it in schools at the minute anyway

I definitely think schools will close again, probably by January. Our healthcare system just can't cope. It's very sad for the children, what is normal anymore.

I'm glad to be out of it, going on maternity leave next month 🙏

SteM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118184024#Comment_118184024

So you must think that pubs will close in January too? There's no way this government will keep pubs open but close schools, it would be impossible for them to do from an optics perspective.

RealJohn

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118184264#Comment_118184264

Probably, but what does that have to do with this discussion? We’re talking about schools, not pubs.

KildareP

Gov won't close schools again as the kicking they'll receive will be enormous.

Like before, it'll be let happen and contact tracing will place the source as "community" as opposed to school and so schools will continue to be declared safe.

What I suspect will close them this time around is acute staff shortages, absenteeism even amongst fully vaccinated teachers and students is significantly higher than previous peaks and sadly I think we're only starting the ramp up to our next peak but are nowhere near it yet.

Rosita

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118184264#Comment_118184264

The way things are going right now in Ireland and across Europe I think it's likely there'll be a full scale lockdown in January again. Pubs v schools will not come into it. I'd say the government is desperately trying to make it to Christmas but the writing is on the wall.

am_zarathustra

There are so few subs I just can't see schools being able to stay open after Christmas if rates climb the way they did before. A few weeks of everyone inside in January might get levels low enough to get out of the winter explosion and get the boosters sorted.

daheff

I'd nearly bet that schools will close a week early (either entirely or a remote learning) in December and probably go back a week or two late

History Queen

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118192915#Comment_118192915

I can't see how that would happen. They are in complete denial about schools. According to Norma Foley there were 16 outbreaks in schools last week. They won't close schools looking at that data. Localised closures/class closures due to sub crises, I can see. Nationwide closure, no, I really can't.

Rosita

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118192915#Comment_118192915

I'd guess that the government will move hell and high water to keep everything going until Christmas though as things stand they are running out of road for even that.

But I'd say the shutters will come down on everything after Christmas for a month or six weeks. And that will include schools. I have no doubt the government knows this too.

And we'll have accredited grades again too.

Rosita

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118193310#Comment_118193310

Schools have never been closed because they were accepted or acknowledged as a infection spreading environment. From that perspective the data relating to schools are irrelevant regarding potential closure.

Schools were closed in the past as part of a broader lockdown and that's the context in which they'll close again.

TheValeyard

Really doubt we'd close again. Kids home, parents cannot work, economy suffers.

daheff

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118193310#Comment_118193310

It'll be the teachers again who will close the schools, not the govt.

Teachers unions will not allow staff to deal with so many sick infected kids face to face.

thefallingman

There’s plenty of covid everywhere folks not just schools

Rosita

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118194130#Comment_118194130

You're not seriously suggesting anyone claimed Covid was only in schools?

History Queen

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118194118#Comment_118194118

What are they doing right now? Schools won't close. And I don't think they should.

Geuze

I have children in primary school, no mention of any cases.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118168550#Comment_118168550

Guy I work with 26 cases in his daughters class in school

Eoinbmw

I work in two primary schools 2 known cases between them since September!

No staff in either want any more closures!

daheff

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118194312#Comment_118194312

I don't disagree with you. I'm saying what I think will happen

Teachers unions will say it's too risky for face to face teaching and will look to stop it again.

Treppen

We'd 6 teachers out today isolating.

I know of another school where it's 3rd 5th and 6th years in only. The rest were advised to stay home.

It wont be COVID that'll close schools it'll be because of teachers... who have to stay out, for some reason we cant talk about .

Are there many teachers out in yeer schools?

Treppen

My money is on another cancelled junior cycle...

History Queen

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118194691#Comment_118194691

Wouldn't surprise me. Maybe they'll take the opportunity to scrap the whole mess.

I can't see unions calling for school closures.

rainbowtrout

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118194676#Comment_118194676

We have one teacher out with covid, two more out sick, not sure what the story is there, another has taken paternity leave, not sure if there is a sub to cover his classes or if it will be just S&S. We don't really have the bodies to cover much more, if anyone else goes, we'll probably have to leave one or two year groups at home.

Treppen

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118194816#Comment_118194816

They'd be shooting themselves in the foot if they did.

Just let it happen naturally.

breezy1985

What a ridiculously misleading thread title. You would think of all places this forum would understand what a ? is for

Treppen

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118195551#Comment_118195551

Says the guy who ends a sentence with a preposition.

Scarlet for thou.

breezy1985

.

Rosita

Not sure why people are saying "schools shouldn't close" and "no staff want them to close".

I have not met a single person who would disagree with those comments. Don't know why people feel the need to make them as if to imply that anyone who suggests schools might close wants them to close.

But I think people need to stop making a connection between apparent school-based infections and the open/shut status of schools. The government has never and will never acknowledge schools as a risky environment. The 5-12 year old group is one of the key groups where infection is spreading yet the government is letting them not wear masks and advising about play dates etc. but under no circumstances can any suggestion of spread in schools be countenanced politically. The government has put too much store in "successfully opening schools" for that to ever happen.

Schools will close as part of a general lockdown if it happens in order to prevent people having reasons to wander about meeting randomers every day. Apparent low cases in schools (and it is apparent as we're not even being told anymore) guarantees nothing.

rainbowtrout

No, they won't close schools. The government also know that by and large anyone under the age of 18 has a mild case of covid if they are infected and a few days later they are back to normal. So it makes no odds to them if every child in the country gets covid, because by and large those children will not end up in hospital. Not saying that's how it should play out, but that's the reality of what is happening.

Treppen

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118198120#Comment_118198120

It's just the kids passing it onto adults is the thing.

I know being vaccinated does seem to help if you catch it , but there are still a number who aren't... who are also taking up beds in ICU.

I heard on the radio this week someone's Chemotherapy was cancelled due to pressure on hospital staff.

Rosita

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118198120#Comment_118198120

You might well be right that they won't close schools. Time will tell.

Where I think are very wrong is in the assumption that the decision will relate to how the infection affects under 18s.

The school closures last January/February related to the overwhelming of the hospitals. Any closing down of society will again be decided by that metric alone.

All users of night-clubs are mandated to be vaccinated (albeit waning vaccinations) and are probably young, healthy, and in theory less vulnerable to the extreme impact of Covid. Yet, the government has restricted that area and will do so some more very soon.

Young healthy people might not suffer bad effects as you say but they spread the infection very effectively as they are at their most social and mobile at that age. Areas where they find themselves might well be identified as a likely key source of infection. The average nursing home resident might be more vulnerable than anyone in a school or nightclub but they won't be spreading it around the community either.

Morris Garren

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118195821#Comment_118195821

Yes..... up with that we should not put...

Pot calling kettle black.....

Never mind school closure, somebody call the grammar inspectors!

TheValeyard

We now have eight staff positive.

Bananaleaf

Second level here. I hope they do close again. But I'd like to see them close on 17th - that means taking the 20th - 22nd off. At least create the opportunity for people to self-isolate ahead of Christmas Day, but also don't wait until the 11th hour to announce it as parents need notice.

Those 3 days of missed face-to-face contact time could consist of some form of remote catch-up provision where teachers log on to their classes but rather than covering any new material, they can go over the most confused points from the Christmas exams that would have been held prior to that (or something similar)

Would actually be more productive than the 3 days of Christmas jumpers and festive films that will end up happening that week anyway

am_zarathustra

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118201773#Comment_118201773

Jesus are you primary or secondary? I just can't see being open in January even from a staffing perspective!