How will schools be able to go back in September?

History Queen wrote: »

Imagine our healthcare workers were left with no guidelines/PPE/safety measures

We all have the same guidelines and safety measures working during the pandemic.

We all had to get on with it.

Absolute shambles the teachers are.

Restaurants, GAA, hairdressers etc all back.

6 cases today.

But no teachers lives are more important than the rest of us.

I put myself at risk everyday so they remain on full pay at home.

I realise life just has to go on and everyone needs to make the sacrifice.

Jinglejangle69 wrote: »

Imagine our healthcare workers took the same view as some here.

Or essential workers.

We would all be dead by now.

Our healthcare workers in March took the same approach. They had to fight for proper PPE and it was granted and all over papers on April 22nd and only since then were they given proper PPE.

HCW in nursing homes were still fighting for proper ppe in May.

Blondini wrote: »

Pssst, as it stands we ARE going back to school. That's the current situation. Just thought I'd tell you that.

I haven't heard anything from my kids school about dates for going back??

Jinglejangle69 wrote: »

We all have the same guidelines and safety measures working during the pandemic.

We all had to get on with it.

Absolute shambles the teachers are.

Restaurants, GAA, hairdressers etc all back.

6 cases today.

But no teachers lives are more important than the rest of us.

I put myself at risk everyday so they remain on full pay at home.

I realise life just has to go on and everyone needs to make the sacrifice.

Actually teachers have not had guidelines. All the businesses that went back were provided with sd, hygiene, ppe where necessary or useful. So teachers are not more important they are just asking to be treated the same and given the sake protections, not unreasonable.

The reason we are at home is because DOE closed schools due to a pandemic and now we are on holidays, do you volunteer to go to work on your days off?

Jinglejangle69 wrote: »

I haven't heard anything from my kids school about dates for going back??

Some schools are choosing not to issue dates until they find out if all students will be back or if a staggered return will be needed. Some schools have already issued dates. Our school issued dates but with the caveat that dates may change. Contact your school for clarity.

Jinglejangle69 wrote: »

I haven't heard anything from my kids school about dates for going back??

So you haven't been given a school calendar for the school year 20/21? I highly doubt that.

Ours has been available since before we were kicked out of school.

Jinglejangle69 wrote: »

No yous don't.

Everyone else has got on with it.

We had no choice.

You want to be spoonfed every step of the way.

Any other job and you would be out in your ear back on 203 a week.

Well, technically this is still the off season for schools so teachers are regularly off. I’m not just saying this but I haven’t talked to one teacher who doesn’t want to go back. I’m desperate to go back. I’d go tomorrow if I had to. The logistics of opening a school to 1000 kids though is something that needs serious planning, you have to appreciate that?

Now I totally agree that this plan should be in place long ago and there should be no doubt as to whether schools are back or not in September. But unfortunately we’ve received feck all. Particularly at PP level.

Zahir Bitter Cellist wrote: »

Schools have been issued with interim guidelines and maybe they are choosing to ignore this fact.

Here's hoping that there's some serious work going on behind the scenes because when the rest of the country is back in action schools will have little excuse for keeping their doors closed.

Not all businesses 'went back' because plenty never closed, not everyone has been afforded social distancing in their workplace so that is completely untrue.

Compeletly untrue, really!! So protections were not provided. Hairdressers cannot social distance, so they have screens between clients in some salons, they have face shields while clients have masks. So don't just concentrate on social distancing to suit your argument, as I also mentioned hygiene, ppe, social disctancing, limiting numbers in stores were all provided.

Most businesses closed hence at one stage over a million on covid payments.

As they reopen they are using some form of protection in the line of limiting numbers, sd, ppe, hygiene, perspex shields.

froog wrote: »

i think there is obviously genuine concerns around the schools but some teachers/principles seem to want the government to personally go into their schools and tell them exactly what to do. it's not rocket science, everyone knows what you need to do and businesses have successfully been implementing guidelines for months now. schools need to take a bit of responsibility here and start coming up with solutions for their own schools.

Businesses can operate independently and set their own opening hours.
All my local supermarkets have reduced their opening hours. Initially they said it was to allow for restocking shelves so it didn't have to be done with customers there and also to allow for full cleaning. Lots of shops are opening a bit later and closing earlier.
All shops can decide how many customers they let in at a time. Shops on the Main Street of my town admit between 2 and 10 people at a time. They have employees stopping people from coming in and customers have to wait outside until there is space made by another customer leaving.
Business can decide to reduce what they can offer to account for the extra measures that sre in place.


Now apply that to schools 'taking a bit of responsibility'.
Imagine the uproar on boards...
'My child's school has shortened the school day. 1st and 2nd Class have to go home half an hour earlier each day. Not only that but then I have to go back half an hour later to get my 4th class child and half an hour later again to get my kid in 6th.'
'No way are they allowed do that. I'd report them to the department.'

'My child's school has just emailed us to say only half the class are in at a time so they can keep them a metre apart.'
'Well my kids school is only having 6 at a time so they can be 2 metres apart'
'Well in my neighbour's niece's vet's stepdaughters school, they all in every day. If one school can do it, why can't they all. Those other schools are taking the piss'
'Talk of taking the piss, I couldn't even go into the school to bring my kid in who was upset. The teacher stopped me at the door and told me I couldn't. How dare she. Easy knowing she doesn't have kids herself'
'My kids school has no problem letting us in. You should complain'

'My kids haven't done art, music or PE for weeks. He said they keep doing English, Irish and maths.'
'Lazy teacher probably can't be bothered doing anything else'
'Teacher said it's to catch up on what they've missed but I checked. They are supposed to spend an hour a week on PE and 3 hours on arts subjects.'
'You should complain. That's not good enough'

And then there'll be the campaign from various parent groups and others for every child to get full days of school and at that point, the department will decide that schools are not allowed to stagger start times, not allowed to send classes home early, not allowed to split classes and do half in, half out etc etc.

Schools need guidance or confirmation from the department on what measures will be permitted. There are regulations at the moment around everything such as length of school day, hours per subjects, curriculum content etc. Schools need to be told what regulations will be open to change. Only then can they interpret the health guidelines for their own school.

timmy_mallet wrote: »

Right, but this is a school, not a color and blowdry. Masks are extremely effective at preventing passing of covid 19, young kids are significantly better at managing the disease, so teachers need not worry about passing it on in class. They can effectively social distance between other adults, the maks offer them protection too. Good hygiene practices from teachers, and kids alike and itll be fine.

Unfortunately my dear Mallet the issue is a little more complicated than that. When schools are open a million people are on the move on a daily basis. That brings challenges and the expectation that all will behave in a socially responsible manner, something that a sizable minority have failed to do recently. Your belief about young children being significantly better at managing the disease is entertaining but more than a little misguided. I do believe, though, that you have something in common with the DES in hoping it'll be fine.

mcsean2163 wrote: »

No they didn't. My wife is a healthcare worker and fought for patient lives despite the crappy PPE. If it was a really really deadly virus, there would be a lot more dead doctors and nurses and families of doctors and nurses.

We got lucky.

We were lucky because as your wife will tell you preparations were made in the hospitals. OPD was shut operations postponed, private hospitals put into public service, public callout to HCW around the world to come home and who now things have calmed have been treated appallingly.

I still keep in contact with the pepople I trained with and they told me about the preparation and the insuffucient gear which resulted in ppe been flown in from China some of which was not fit for purpose in the beginning. Proper ppe was in short supply in the beginning and the IMNO had to go to the papers in March demanding a steady supply of PPE for HCW. It was ntot until April 22nd I think that they were guaranteed consistent supply. HCWs in nursing homes in May were still fighting to get proper ppe

I am a nurse myself and though teaching now still keep an eye on what goes on in the oul nursing world.



https://www.irishtimes.com/news/ireland/irish-news/nurses-account-for-nearly-one-in-ten-coronavirus-cases-new-data-shows-1.4231423?mode=sample&auth-failed=1&pw-origin=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.irishtimes.com%2Fnews%2Fireland%2Firish-news%2Fnurses-account-for-nearly-one-in-ten-coronavirus-cases-new-data-shows-1.4231423

https://www.thejournal.ie/nursing-homes-coronavirus-clusters-5061513-Mar2020/

MArch 27th IMNO calling for PPE as it was in short supply
April 22nd IMNO welcomes new universal facemask policy across health service
https://inmo.ie/Home/Index/217/13582

HCW in nursing homes in May
https://www.irishtimes.com/news/health/coronavirus-nursing-homes-used-painters-overalls-as-ppe-due-to-shortages-1.4263080

The same approach is calling on the government to provide ppe and safety precautions as necessary.

mcsean2163 wrote: »

Fair play. Just to confirm, you're aware healthcare workers are about one third of all cases. I'm very aware of the last minute preparations etc

It was a disgrace but thank God the virus was not as bad as feared. Next time we might not be so lucky..

Yup I am aware of HCW being one third of cases, some of that was put down to travel in the daily updates but also was due to poor ppe.

Hopefully they will be better looked after if there is a second wave.

I have family still working on covid side of things so hear the updates and sometimes it would drive you mad how HCW still treated.

School just started back recently in my area. I can't imagine how the school is handling social distancing in classes as when I was in high school, my class had over 40 students jammed back in a small classroom.