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Schools closed until undetermined date - was March 29th

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    #152
    TheValeyard
    Registered Users Posts: 12,241 ✭✭✭✭TheValeyard


    I'd be fairly confident of saying schools will not open again until September. Things are not going the right way currently.

    Hopefully I'm wrong!

    Fcuk Putin. Glory to Ukraine!



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    #153
    acequion
    Registered Users Posts: 3,836 ✭✭✭acequion


    The fact is that we don't know. And no point in depressing ourselves and everybody else with worst case scenarios. It's bad enough as it is.

    Let's get ourselves to March 29th as productively as possible via online teaching. And then take it from there.


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    #154
    ToTheSea
    Registered Users Posts: 36 ✭ToTheSea


    Just announced by the Teaching Council that final year students currently on placement won't be adversely affected by the school closures
    https://www.teachingcouncil.ie/Website/en/News-Events/Latest-News/School-Placements-Affected-by-Covid-19.html?fbclid=IwAR2qX1zz6Awe-fHy8DqUVFp7y-TbPvYLh-68l-Tm7uQske6x2YZT47f2pJI

    No word on what will happen with the Droichead process for NQT's like myself who have nearly finished the process. I have both clusters done and was due to get my final observations done before Easter. Really hoping we can just be signed off and we don't have to repeat the process or finished it in the next academic year


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    #155
    jrosen
    Registered Users Posts: 1,629 ✭✭✭jrosen


    We have had zero communication from our schools. Not so much as a text message. Other parents have had full daily schedules emailed to them, detailed work load for their students, online forum to engage with teachers, skyped lessons. How do we have such an inequality between schools?


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    #156
    uck51js9zml2yt
    Closed Accounts Posts: 18,268 ✭✭✭✭uck51js9zml2yt


    jrosen wrote: »
    We have had zero communication from our schools. Not so much as a text message. Other parents have had full daily schedules emailed to them, detailed work load for their students, online forum to engage with teachers, skyped lessons. How do we have such an inequality between schools?

    We got work for all classes over the weekend. Principal played a blinder sending it out on behalf of the teachers.

    You need to talk to your parents association/ board of management


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    #157
    TheValeyard
    Registered Users Posts: 12,241 ✭✭✭✭TheValeyard


    jrosen wrote: »
    We have had zero communication from our schools. Not so much as a text message. Other parents have had full daily schedules emailed to them, detailed work load for their students, online forum to engage with teachers, skyped lessons. How do we have such an inequality between schools?

    I'd say you'll be hit with a wall of information when schools are meant to be back Wednesday

    Fcuk Putin. Glory to Ukraine!



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    #158
    venusdoom
    Registered Users Posts: 207 ✭✭venusdoom


    Our primary school sent minimal photocopied work sheets home for the next week but was told not to start them till Wednesday as they were suppose to be off school until then. The students were told to ask parents to check school website. I've checked and nothing had been uploaded yet. This has all been relayed through the kids, no texts or anything from the school. Maybe you will get some kind of word from Wednesday.


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    #159
    political analyst
    Registered Users Posts: 4,469 ✭✭✭political analyst


    If the LC and JC exams don't take place this year, could students be repeating an academic year to sit the exams in June of 2021? I don't see how holding the exams this coming Autumn would work because it would leave the question of when LC students would then enter third-level education.


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    #160
    jrosen
    Registered Users Posts: 1,629 ✭✭✭jrosen


    This highlights for me that as parents and students we are at the mercy of our schools. Some students are being fully supported and families kept informed and others have gotten nothing. Yet we all pay our taxes, our schools supposedly get the same funding yet the output is night and day.
    Any advice as a parent who wishes to change this? Do I approach the principal first?


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    #161
    Postgrad10
    Registered Users Posts: 2,792 ✭✭✭Postgrad10


    I don’t know what casual substitutes are going to do. Even if they get job seekers. It doesn’t go far.


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    #162
    Lc2020
    Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 108 ✭✭Lc2020


    jrosen wrote: »
    This highlights for me that as parents and students we are at the mercy of our schools. Some students are being fully supported and families kept informed and others have gotten nothing. Yet we all pay our taxes, our schools supposedly get the same funding yet the output is night and day.
    Any advice as a parent who wishes to change this? Do I approach the principal first?

    Get a grip. Saying this as a sixth year student, what do you want them to do ? Use your initiative as presumably a parent and assign your kids their own work to do. They won't become illiterate overnight.
    My teachers have yet to contact me (probably will come Wednesday), but until then I'll be working of my own accord. A principal would have enough on their plate at the moment, without having to deal with anxious parents pestering them for work.


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    #163
    uck51js9zml2yt
    Closed Accounts Posts: 18,268 ✭✭✭✭uck51js9zml2yt


    jrosen wrote: »
    This highlights for me that as parents and students we are at the mercy of our schools. Some students are being fully supported and families kept informed and others have gotten nothing. Yet we all pay our taxes, our schools supposedly get the same funding yet the output is night and day.
    Any advice as a parent who wishes to change this? Do I approach the principal first?

    We have a very active parents association who work closely with the staff. We look after reach other.
    School we were last in couldn't get a PA set up, never mind parents to sit on the board of management.


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    #164
    TheValeyard
    Registered Users Posts: 12,241 ✭✭✭✭TheValeyard


    political analyst wrote: »
    If the LC and JC exams don't take place this year, could students be repeating an academic year to sit the exams in June of 2021? I don't see how holding the exams this coming Autumn would work because it would leave the question of when LC students would then enter third-level education.

    Depending if back before May or not, the JC might not go ahead but even if schools were shut for teaching, the LC would probably still go ahead.

    Most courses could be near finished if not already complete (last bit could be done online)

    Practicals could be graded on work already done or marks transferred to written part of exam.

    Spacing in exam halls or buildings would be possible just for LC exams. (doubt their would be room for LC & JC

    Fcuk Putin. Glory to Ukraine!



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    #165
    jimbobaloobob
    Registered Users Posts: 5,153 ✭✭✭jimbobaloobob


    Postgrad10 wrote: »
    I don’t know what casual substitutes are going to do. Even if they get job seekers. It doesn’t go far.

    What’s your solution?


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    #166
    acequion
    Registered Users Posts: 3,836 ✭✭✭acequion


    Lc2020 wrote: »
    Get a grip. Saying this as a sixth year student, what do you want them to do ? Use your initiative as presumably a parent and assign your kids their own work to do. They won't become illiterate overnight.
    My teachers have yet to contact me (probably will come Wednesday), but until then I'll be working of my own accord. A principal would have enough on their plate at the moment, without having to deal with anxious parents pestering them for work.

    Fair play to you! Couldn't have said it better and sounds so much better coming from a student.

    You're a credit to your teachers and hope this whole thing is not too disruptive for you.


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    #167
    bobbyss
    Registered Users Posts: 5,198 ✭✭✭bobbyss


    Not all students have laptops or can afford credit for mobile, though no fault of their own, so online option is not viable for those. These students will be lost to the system.


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    #168
    rainbowtrout
    Registered Users Posts: 15,381 ✭✭✭✭rainbowtrout


    fall wrote: »
    Well there was no word from the SEC today. My Principal genuinely thinks we will be lucky to be back before the summer. We wondered if the Junior Certificate exams might be postponed or cancelled to allow the Leaving cert exams to run with smaller numbers in each centre. All guess work at the moment.

    You could in theory run the LC in June with less numbers in each centre as you said, and run the JC in July or August. Far from ideal for the students, but they can continue into fifth year with a delay in results.


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    #169
    rainbowtrout
    Registered Users Posts: 15,381 ✭✭✭✭rainbowtrout


    mengele wrote: »
    When do teachers realistically see themselves returning back to school?

    If the numbers quoted on the 9pm news tonight (15k cases by end of March) there isn't a hope we'll be opening before the easter holidays. Assuming we stay closed until the Easter holidays we are not due to reopen until April 20th.


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    #170
    TTLF
    Registered Users Posts: 671 ✭✭✭TTLF
    save the trouble and jazz it up


    As a 5th year, I can agree my teachers are doing their best to give us work, not all granted, but 70% are. It's mostly revision work atm because "We'll hopefully be back by the 30th" (which we all know just... isn't true for the most part)

    Complex times ahead, kinda surreal I might have finished 5th year early, thankfully I have no big exams this year, but it's still crazy to think how messed up my LC might be from this possibly. :pac:


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    #171
    Shn99
    Registered Users Posts: 1,353 ✭✭✭Shn99


    TTLF wrote: »
    but it's still crazy to think how messed up my LC might be from this possibly. :pac:

    You'll be fine, you've next year to catch up. For us doing the JC LC this year its causing a great deal of uncertainty and stress as to when they'll go ahead/if they'll go ahead


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    #172
    TTLF
    Registered Users Posts: 671 ✭✭✭TTLF
    save the trouble and jazz it up


    Shn99 wrote: »
    You'll be fine, you've next year to catch up. For us doing the JC LC this year its causing a great deal of uncertainty and stress as to when they'll go ahead/if they'll go ahead

    Yeah really sorry to hear that man, must be really rough. I suppose for me, since I do Geog and History I'm afraid my writing times might suffer from this (since I have to type a lot of stuff online now for teachers to correct) and it's might screw us over a little. Especially in Languages, Irish and German NEED a classroom setting to learn in my opinion, online doesn't work well for it.

    Although I hope you're able to do your LC/JC (whichever you're sitting) :D


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    #173
    Rodin
    Registered Users Posts: 3,130 ✭✭✭Rodin


    May 29th more like.
    Junior cert cancelled this year


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    #174
    Treppen
    Registered Users Posts: 4,575 ✭✭✭Treppen


    Rodin wrote: »
    May 29th more like.
    Junior cert cancelled this year

    I'm thinking that too.


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    #175
    randylonghorn
    Moderators, Education Moderators Posts: 29,509 Mod ✭✭✭✭randylonghorn


    In fairness, if the JC is cancelled (worst case scenario, but let's roll with it for a minute) or if it's postponed until, say, the end of September (still not a great scenario, but probably a more reasonable compromise if needed), it's not going to have that huge an effect on the lives of most students.

    Very few students actually use that piece of paper for much these days (it would be the small-ish number who don't return to school after JC who would most concern me tbh).

    I suspect that the SEC's priority at the moment is sorting out a number of contingency plans for LC depending on how this plays out.


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    #176
    Millem
    Registered Users Posts: 7,729 ✭✭✭Millem


    I can’t see the Jc being postponed till September....how will teachers manage to mark the state exams and work full time? They find it hard as it is to get people to mark as it is!!!

    I can see the JC cancelled and the LC students being spaced out 2 metres or whatever the distance is. From memory it usually is 1 metre which some schools struggle with as is!

    I feel sorry for students and teachers who do not have their courses covered.
    I always aim to be finished by Easter.
    I don’t have a LC group this year but do have 2 JC groups.


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    #177
    randylonghorn
    Moderators, Education Moderators Posts: 29,509 Mod ✭✭✭✭randylonghorn


    Millem wrote: »
    I can’t see the Jc being postponed till September....how will teachers manage to mark the state exams and work full time? They find it hard as it is to get people to mark as it is!!!
    That's a fair point, Millem, and one that hadn't really occurred to me.

    I do think though that if they cancel it, they need to make *some* provision for the people who fully intend to leave at 16 / after JC.

    A JC is a light enough qualification to walk out the door with these days, but it's something at least.


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    #178
    km79
    Registered Users Posts: 48,143 ✭✭✭✭km79


    The sad reality is that the junior cycle exams mean nothing now .
    The vast majority of students will get Merits or Higher Merits in every subject . Very few distinctions
    The results no longer have any bearing on 5th year choices.
    It would make absolutely no difference if the exams go ahead or not from that point of view .

    Every student could be awarded the Junior Certificate so that those who wish to leave would do so with a qualification. They have the 3 years work put in so this would be acknowledged. It would be as part of the JCPA anyways .......


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    #179
    Treppen
    Registered Users Posts: 4,575 ✭✭✭Treppen


    How would teachers feel about marking their own students' Junior Cert... Once off of course.


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    #180
    km79
    Registered Users Posts: 48,143 ✭✭✭✭km79


    Treppen wrote: »
    How would teachers feel about marking their own students' Junior Cert... Once off of course.

    So a house exam ? Cos that’s what it would be
    No problem as a once off
    But it would mean nothing
    Just another exam for the sake of it


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    #181
    Treppen
    Registered Users Posts: 4,575 ✭✭✭Treppen


    km79 wrote: »
    So a house exam ? Cos that’s what it would be
    No problem as a once off
    But it would mean nothing
    Just another exam for the sake of it

    Ah I don't know about 'for the sake of it'. Ironically My JC students are probably going to be disappointed if they never get to sit the exam. Some of them worked really hard and were pretty psyched up with a few months to go. Even the slackers were starting to give it a go.

    I know coming from the other end that it's long forgotten once TY / LC kicks in. The late results last year proved that, students were in the thick of TY when they got them. It definitely took the hype and hysteria out of it.


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