Vince135792003 wrote: » I am a primary teacher. I think most will cope and catch up. However, there would be children in my class who would be very weak academically and would not be supported by their parents at home. I'd worry greatly about them moving on a year. An already big gap between them and their peers could have really widened in 6 months, if they haven't been doing any of the basics (literacy and numeracy) in that time. I would love it if schools were given the option to offer a minority of children the chance to repeat a year, subject to their parents agreement. Not that, that would be a perfect solution either but it's the vulnerable and weak children who will be impacted most by this. I also think, where possible, a primary teacher should continue on with the class they had. Time will be of the essence and the "getting to know you stage" in September when you have a new class is not really the best use of time in my mind. We need to hit the ground running and children need teachers who already know where each child is at academically, emotionally and socially.
Alex86Eire wrote: » As mentioned already, social distancing cannot be done in schools the way they are currently set up. I come into contact with 200+ students per day. What happens in September if one of our students is showing symptoms? Do all 800 staff and students have to self isolate? We'd have a number of kids who are immunocompromised so I worry about them. The Junior Cycle exams aren't being held along with the Leaving Cert due to social distancing. The idea that schools will open only 2-ish weeks later with 6 full year groups just isn't conceivable to me. Here's hoping though.
El_Duderino 09 wrote: » If 40,000 people a week get it in Ireland, how long would it take for everyone get it with a population of 5m? How long for herd Immunity at about 2/3?. Work it out. In either case were talking at least a year and I've no idea if the health service could deal with the acute cases out of those 40,000 a week getting it.
Pete_Cavan wrote: » When you say lots of people will die, how many do you mean? The death rate is not constant, it will decrease over time. If the health care system gets overrun with extreme numbers of cases in a short period, deaths go through the roof. This is not the case if the health system is coping with a steady number of cases within capacity constraints. You can talk about letting people die but that is already happening and happened every day before Covid-19. The rate of spread is also not constant over time, as more people get infected, the more who recover and develop antibodies, the less people who will get it later. It's all about slowing the rate of spread so the health system copes. There is also another side to the equation: what are the other consequences of slowing the spread? There are numerous other problems building in the background which combined will have severe consequences too.
The chan chan man wrote: » On one hand, they can’t open in sept if there is no mass produced vaccine, which there wont be. To open the schools then would mean all of this has been pointless. On the other hand, my view is we cant keep this up long term without this resulting in civil unrest/mental health issues/widespread unemployment etc. i know 4 people now who have had it (all under 60) and it hasnt even been that bad for them! The people dying had no more than 5-7 years left anyway at best! I know others over 80 who couldnt care less - they know something’s gonna get them sooner or later! As such, i would question if we should just move on with life and whatever happens happens... I’m not even sure if I agree with myself...but its a question the world needs to ask itself at some stage. And even if we do, again, this has all been in vain.
El_Duderino 09 wrote: » Maybe, maybe not. If they go ahead a o open schools, we will all have to accept there will be a spike in transmission and more people will die. Maybe people will be happy with that scenario by then. But let's be honest about it; without a vaccine, letting people out in 3/4/5/6 month will be exactly the same as letting them out right now. And maybe they will need to increase transmission rate because at the current rate of transom, it will take years, not months for every to get it. So the only way this thing can end within a year is if we get a vaccine, mass produce it and roll it out to the entire country or, just let everyone out assuming they will get it and accept that lots of people will die. Or else we just hubker down and it could take a few years for everyone to get it. I'm not advocating for either approach. I'm just saying they're the options and they take closer to a year than a couple of months.
youandme13 wrote: » I know parents have to work etc, but creches are worse places for spreading of viruses etc. How can you have 12 two year old with 2 adults and expect them to social distance? Schools would be easier to control this as they are older and would understand.
Vince135792003 wrote: » I am a primary teacher. I think most will cope and catch up. However, there would be children in my class who would be very weak academically and would not be supported by their parents at home. I'd worry greatly about them moving on a year. An already big gap between them and their peers could have really widened in 6 months, if they haven't been doing any of the basics (literacy and numeracy) in that time. I would love it if schools were given the option to offer a minority of children the chance to repeat a year, subject to their parents agreement.
average_runner wrote: » Most of the year is completed by end of March. Anything they missed, they will do it in first month back.
[Deleted User] wrote: » Probably by that stage we’ll need to start moving forward, with or without Covid 19.
SnowyMuckish wrote: » It’ll be interesting to see what impact it will have on Austria and Denmark. At least they’re trail blazing and we can learn from what happens there. If all but the LC is cancelled here, I can’t imagine they would open primary schools before September. Even if we are back, there are a lot of unanswered questions, how can children progress to the next class bracket without having completed the previous year? Even with the best will in the world, there will be those in disadvantaged situations who won’t have done any work in the time off. It’s going to be interesting.
average_runner wrote: » First back in Denmark and Austria. If they pick it up it's easier to trace
Pete_Cavan wrote: » Despite the official figures, there is likely to be tens of thousands of people here who have/had it. By September, that is likely to be hundreds of thousands. The spread of the virus will have changed by then. The death rate will also have changed. You can't predict what will happen in September based on the current situation, things will be different then.
cart man wrote: » Many with a young family share the same wishful thinking. The reality is that they will be the last back. The younger kids would be the less disciplined at washing hands, using tissues etc, it would be a hot bed for transmission.
[Deleted User] wrote: » If they won't let leaving cert happen until late July or early August, with all the issues that throws up, you can put your money on no return for primary until September. In my opinion the governments nondisclosure of this yet is to keep the head on parents of those children.
mirrorwall14 wrote: » I suspect that crèches and the junior groups and preschools who need most parental supervision will be first back to get parents back to work. That and the Leaving certs will be the goals. Everything else is completely up in the air I think
KevinK wrote: » In many of the special classes I have worked in social distancing would be very hard to implement unless you have only one child per class.
shoppergal wrote: » Just wondering if anyone can give any insight into how schools could safely re-open in September? Everyone I'm talking to is saying they won't be back until September but in my head I'm wondering how they'll re-open even in September? The virus will still be there with a vaccine still months away at that stage.
Inviere wrote: » It's very difficult for students attending special schools, their whole routine has come crashing down & many don't understand what is going on and why they aren't in school. However, in many special schools, a large number of those students have underlying health conditions & I'm not sure they should be among the first to come back.
Sierra Oscar wrote: » The papers are full of commentary again today that the Government is planning to reopen some schools in the coming weeks. It’s clearly a plan that is in the works. Government will ease restrictions on trial basis when spread is curbed Don’t be surprised if schools remain open into the traditional summer holidays too.
rob316 wrote: » I just hope they reopen the special schools even, its been so hard on my son. Routine abruptly ended, hes just all over the place. Very small numbers in those classes so its manageable but i doubt the unions would allow some members work while others didn't.
[Deleted User] wrote: » Yes agreed. As they have played a long game and schools were first to close I am fairly sure they will be amongst last back and therefore September. They would be a breeding ground for Covid. No social distancing can happen in schools with young children so it would be using our children and their families as an experiment.
It is hoped the current lockdown slows the virus to such an extent that will allow “space” for some restrictions to be eased – such as some pupils being allowed attend school on a limited basis – without risking a substantial rise in infections; if this happens, stricter measures will be reintroduced.
Yosef Stocky Backspace wrote: » Physical distancing is not possible in a school unless the student population is cut to one quarter the normal number at most. So either physical distancing is out the window by September, or schools reopening in full won't happen. Many schools in the Dublin area have already been operating on a knife edge in terms of adequate teacher numbers for the past two years. Bring cocooning of the vulnerable, and isolation due the virus into the mix, and it would be difficult to see many of them being able to maintain adequate supervision let alone teaching. Cleaning would also need to looked at seriously in schools. Schools are filthy. They are barely cleaned at all. The virus would spread like wildfire if it got in.
![Photo of [Deleted User]](https://w5.vanillicon.com/v2/56b3a06a656b46158dbd1e890d4dc0de.svg)
