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Child Item

How will schools be able to go back in September?

shoppergal

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.

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the corpo

Some back seat modding, but can we please focus on this major document, rather than the squabbling?

I'm pretty worried about the lack of thought in this, and the doc is actually full of typo's, smacks of a rush job. That coupled with the gov announcing this 10% salary cut for themselves, and foregoing the upcoming 2% pay rise, they're absolutely flailing and out of control...

TheValeyard

Zahir Bitter Cellist wrote:

It's happening whether you like it or not, at least there's a bit of clarity now.

Awful smell of smug gloating here.

Zahir Bitter Cellist wrote:

1,080 extra teachers will be added to post-primary schools at a cost of €53 million to help reduce class sizes.

Good luck trying to garda vet these teachers in time, OR actually find these teachers who do not actually exist. There was already a shortage for a reason and they cant use retired teachers since they'd be in the high risk catagory.

Zahir Bitter Cellist wrote:

Lunch breaks and school start times are set to be staggered, while the wearing of face coverings will not be compulsory in classes.

Wont happen or work at second level.

Zahir Bitter Cellist wrote:

Face coverings will be compulsory for all post-primary students when travelling on or waiting for public transport, with the exception of those with medical or special educational needs.

So wear protection on the bus to protect the driver, but f*ck the teacher.

Risteard81

combat14 wrote: »

this plan plain and simple is just not safe ....

Of course it's safe.

No matter how much they pretend otherwise this disease really isn't particularly dangerous.

khalessi

CruelSummer wrote: »

It wasn’t me that did the comparing, it was a poster in favour of masks for young children that referred to supermarkets and shops. What supermarkets do you see 2 metre social distancing? Because I see zero social distancing in supermarkets I’m in and no reflection on daily case numbers.

The Lidls 3 of them in my area, Aldi 3 of them in my area, Supervlau, Spar, and Tesco in my area and rhe smaller local shops all have sd in place. Sorry you live in the wrong place for being protected by the shops.

combat14

let's reopen the schools (with no social distancing or any other protection measures) and when the virus spreads close them back down again..

what could be wrong with that ..

unfortunately ireland is now a highly litigious country and if any teachers or students do unfortunately die from covid 19 as a result of this all hell will break loose in the courts because this plan plain and simple is just not safe ....

coffeyt

s1ippy wrote: »

It's not about your specific four year old, it's about children from lower socioeconomic backgrounds who would be spitting at teachers anyway and will be even more enthusiastic about doing it now.

I'm not oblivious to the behaviour of children and appreciate that some children don't behave appropriately but do you think that it's appropriate to tar all children with the same brush. That is not something I would expect any educator to do.

And my reply was to a poster who was basically suggesting all children behave in that way.

Boggles

dhaughton99 wrote: »

I don’t know about everyone else but I’m working in 2 schools and the caretakers and cleaners just couldn’t be bothered to work. You can get them to do nothing. Can’t think what they are going to be like come September.

Even if they were superman, they ain't getting through the level of cleaning required.

There simply isn't time.

abacus120

What! Do you have kids? Kids need to go back to school,a vaccine could be years away do you suggest that we keep them off till then?

dhaughton99

I don’t know about everyone else but I’m working in 2 schools and the caretakers and cleaners just couldn’t be bothered to work. You can get them to do nothing. Can’t think what they are going to be like come September.

Grandeeod

Boggles wrote: »

The virus doesn't give a bollíx what anyone needs, this X needs this and Y needs that.

Yes, everybody knows children need an education, it's not like some one will read your post and go "really, children need an education?"

In a once in a generation pandemic it's about balancing that need with the safety of everyone in society.

The "plan" does not come anywhere near addressing that.

Aspirational nonsense draped in unworkable rhetoric.

Throughout all the discussion on Boards about Covid-19 I declined to get involved with it for obvious reasons. But one particular issue that is relevant to me is the safety of my daughter in Secondary school and her Mam and me. Her new school cannot provide a 1m SD set up with full attendance. No way whatsoever. She wants to be back in school, particularly this year as it was the big leap to secondary that we all remember. But I'm at a loss as to why a reduced capacity was not considered. One week in and one week out, even for the first few months.

My own career is at a standstill due to the effects of SD and reduced numbers in certain scenarios and phase 4 on August 10th won't make a huge amount of difference to me considering all the shelved work from a few months ago. But hey, pile all the kids back to 800 plus schools everyday that can't manage any SD with masks not compulsory, despite us having to wear one in the local shop.

Boggles

lawred2 wrote: »

What's your plan?

I'm not actually in charge.

But I would have more aligned to what New York are doing.

That would require actual investment and a plan months ago to get it ready for the end of next month.

The main recommendation in our plan, is rip out furniture and shelves.

You couldn't make it up.

Boggles

is_that_so wrote: »

Sweden, Germany, France, Czechy, Switzerland, Belgium, Finland, Norway, Holland, Greece, UK, South Korea, NZ etc.

They all closed their schools apart from Sweden, who refused to test students even when teachers died.

Some opened with very limited numbers and stringent public health measures.

Which ones opened following our "plan"?

The "shure twil be grand" method of school reopening.

Do you know who did follow that plan, Israel and no it is very little to do with "air conditioning" and more to do with over crowded schools and poor infrastructure, ring a bell?

am_zarathustra

Ah here bettyoleary, I teach in a DEIS school in the inner, none of the lads have ever come near spitting at me. That's madness. There will be nonsense, of course there will but that happens in every socioeconomic group. Half our kids are raised fully or partially by grandparents. They were flat out washing their hands and disinfecting tables and half of them were carrying around hand sanitizer in their pockets from the end of February. Fairly broad strokes your painting with there.

That case was in Kildare too, and the kids were painfully middle class and has nothing to do with this discussion.

is_that_so

bettyoleary wrote: »

Re Opening schools puts the whole community, c ountry in danger od opening schools again during a Pandemic. Firstly, once people are enclosed in small spaces the virus spreads. Age makes no difference. Why not just wait for the vaccine. Its coming.

Is this a suggestion that schools stay closed until next year? Bear in mind how low our cases are at present.

Lyle

byhookorbycrook wrote: »

E36Ross wrote: »

School transport to operate FULLY as normal.....Kids to wear masks and sit by siblings or others from there group.

https://www.gov.ie/en/press-release/715f5-government-approves-over-375-million-support-package-and-publishes-roadmap-to-enable-safe-return-of-schools/

The “ group “ don’t seem travel on the same buses . In our school alone we have over a dozen buses coming to the school . If there are to be “ staggered drop offs “ as the “ plan” says , how will buses manage ?

The handling of transport is looking like a total disaster.

How can I be comfortable in the knowledge that my small fella will be "safe" in his primary class bubble if he has taken an hour long bus ride to and from school with numerous children from other classes and an escort who is also a teacher, but not his teacher? The bubble bursts before the day even starts for rural children with longer spells on school transport.

Mask message inconsistencies on transport issue as well, again made even worse when looking at longer travelling times. Masks a no-no for any period of time for children in school but they're grand for the long bus ride in and out?

xhomelezz

is_that_so wrote: »

Sweden, Germany, France, Czechy, Switzerland, Belgium, Finland, Norway, Holland, Greece, UK, South Korea, NZ etc.

Don't think schools in Czech rep. operated the way it's expected to be happening here in four weeks. Definitely not the way hey we open the doors and all in. Doubt that's gonna work.

bettyoleary

Jim_Hodge wrote: »

You avoided the question again. What is the relevance to reopening schools during a pandemic?

Re Opening schools puts the whole community, c ountry in danger od opening schools again during a Pandemic. Firstly, once people are enclosed in small spaces the virus spreads. Age makes no difference. Why not just wait for the vaccine. Its coming.

is_that_so

Boggles wrote: »

Which dozen countries?

Sweden, Germany, France, Czechy, Switzerland, Belgium, Finland, Norway, Holland, Greece, UK, South Korea, NZ etc.

bettyoleary

Zahir Bitter Cellist wrote: »

I think you'll be in for a surprise if you think teachers unions will be able to manage forcing the masks issue on children.

Even they have their limits.

Teachers unions wont need to force anything. Masks dont work but the virus spread fast and the schools will close again very quickly. Why are you so blind to this?

s1ippy

coffeyt wrote: »

Please tell me you are not a teacher because I despair to think someone with your opinion of children could be in a position where you have any impact on their education.

My 4 & 5 year old would most certainly never spit at a teacher or anyone else for that matter. I sincerely doubt you have any real interaction with children if that's the way you think they behave.

It's not about your specific four year old, it's about children from lower socioeconomic backgrounds who would be spitting at teachers anyway and will be even more enthusiastic about doing it now.

lawred2

Boggles wrote: »

The virus doesn't give a bollíx what anyone needs, this X needs this and Y needs that.

Yes, everybody knows children need an education, it's not like some one will read your post and go "really, children need an education?"

In a once in a generation pandemic it's about balancing that need with the safety of everyone in society.

The "plan" does not come anywhere near addressing that.

Aspirational nonsense draped in unworkable rhetoric.

What's your plan?

bettyoleary

Zahir Bitter Cellist wrote: »

It's happening whether you like it or not, at least there's a bit of clarity now.

As for your other hysteria riddled posts about children and young teens, disgusting comments.

its disgusting that you are denying this happens. What happened about the young girl in dublin
Michaela did you forget about her?????? Of course it happens. Stop feeling guilty, you are a poor parent and unless you are going to try to educate your child at home they will suffer. Schpools wont be able to open up properly during a pandemic. Selfish and lazy people like you will have too accept this.I know this is nasty but I bet your kids are never going to be a part of the oxford vaccine team????

byhookorbycrook

E36Ross wrote: »

School transport to operate FULLY as normal.....Kids to wear masks and sit by siblings or others from there group.

https://www.gov.ie/en/press-release/715f5-government-approves-over-375-million-support-package-and-publishes-roadmap-to-enable-safe-return-of-schools/

The “ group “ don’t seem travel on the same buses . In our school alone we have over a dozen buses coming to the school . If there are to be “ staggered drop offs “ as the “ plan” says , how will buses manage ?

Boggles

is_that_so wrote: »

Why choose Israel? Why not any one of a dozen other countries who safely reopened schools without adverse effects? Israel's problems were compounded by the use of air conditioning, an excellent vector in its own right.

Which dozen countries?

Boggles

lawred2 wrote: »

Schools had to reopen. Simple as that. Everything else is opening.

Offices can wait where work from home is possible but children need education and we can't be the only nation keeping our kids out of school.

The virus doesn't give a bollíx what anyone needs, this X needs this and Y needs that.

Yes, everybody knows children need an education, it's not like some one will read your post and go "really, children need an education?"

In a once in a generation pandemic it's about balancing that need with the safety of everyone in society.

The "plan" does not come anywhere near addressing that.

Aspirational nonsense draped in unworkable rhetoric.

is_that_so

FishOnABike wrote: »

Back in March we weren't meeting /mixing with people outside our own household. Only essential businesses remained open. We were asked to stay at home, exercise within a 2km radius, only make essential journeys e.g. to buy groceries or medicines.

Coilte had put up signs by the local woodland walk to keep to your own household group, socially distance from other groups, not to arrange for groups to meet and to go somewhere else if it was too crowded.

Israel had reduced the daily new cases to a low level. Schools played a major part in the resurgence of CoViD-19 there, surpassing the daily new case rate seen in March /April.

We'd all like things to be as normal as possible but we don't always get what we'd like. If we don't take sufficient public health measures we risk following Israel's footsteps, shutting down schools and finding ourselves back where we were three months ago.

Why choose Israel? Why not any one of a dozen other countries who safely reopened schools without adverse effects? Israel's problems were compounded by the use of air conditioning, an excellent vector in its own right.

byhookorbycrook

morebabies wrote: »

"The plan recognises that some children who have complex medical or special educational needs may not be able to return to school at the end of August because the relevant public health guidelines indicate they are at “very high risk”.

Schools will have discretion to manage and redistribute their teaching support resources in order to best meet the learning needs of these students."

https://www.education.ie/en/Press-Events/Press-Releases/2020-press-releases/PR20-07-27.html

If anyone is looking for info on medically vulnerable children, this is all I could find. I'd be ever so grateful if anyone comes across anything else if you could share it here please.

The sad fact is that many schools won’t have the personnel to do this . It’s disgraceful, but it’s a cop out .

titan18

lawred2 wrote: »

Schools had to reopen. Simple as that. Everything else is opening.

Offices can wait where work from home is possible but children need education and we can't be the only nation keeping our kids out of school.

It's up to an employer to provide a safe work environment for their employees. Is this plan safe for teachers? Cos it doesn't seem to be (I'm not a teacher)

lawred2

Schools had to reopen. Simple as that. Everything else is opening.

Offices can wait where work from home is possible but children need education and we can't be the only nation keeping our kids out of school.

bettyoleary

Jim_Hodge wrote: »

You're ignoring what my post was in reference to (nothing unusual there). You said schools would not reopen fully before a vaccine. Accept you were wrong and the other poster was not, as you called them, deluded.

The rest of your post is just deflection.

I've no plans to converse with you at Christmas nor at any time, if I can avoid it.

You may think I am some sort of nasty person but you are wrong. I am just being realistic. Not trying to hurt anyone. The virus will spread due to travel. schools opening and will spread again in the winter. Im sorry about that and I would love to say schools . foreign travel etc wont make it worse. But, they will.