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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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jimmytwotimes 2013

flynnlives wrote: »

as usual the whinging teachers are out lookin for more money.

They had 6 months now on full pay sitting on their arses.
Time to stfu and get busy preparing for school term.

I'm hoping to squeeze a few grand out of it before we return tbh

wirelessdude01

flynnlives wrote: »

as usual the whinging teachers are out lookin for more money.

They had 6 months now on full pay sitting on their arses.
Time to stfu and get busy preparing for school term.

Where are we looking for more money? Only thing I've seen this morning are possible issues getting works needed done on time. Hardly the schools/teachers fault.

xhomelezz

jimmytwotimes 2013 wrote: »

I'm hoping to squeeze a few grand out of it before we return tbh

You shouldn't tell him that, he might decide to become a teacher

drunkmonkey

xhomelezz wrote: »

Flu vaccine is gonna be probably hard to get this year either..

If we're importing the flu were importing covid. We shouldn't have a flu season. Lots of illnesses will be wiped out, I suppose a good example is Head lice in children, how prevelant has it been this year? Pretty much non existent.

[Deleted User]

Boggles wrote: »

TBF cleaning is comprehensively covered in the document.

The mechanical action of wiping.

:pac:

Might need to do a course on that

I got an email from my kids school yesterday saying full uniforms to be worn.
We are down a teacher during to being 3 kids short with the result 2 classes are merged. This should be fun!

wirelessdude01

jimmytwotimes 2013 wrote: »

I'm hoping to squeeze a few grand out of it before we return tbh

Also don't forget that you can save a few euro by taking the cleaning supplies out of the school. Couldn't believe it when I came across that in the document. Bloody cheek of them.

joe40

flynnlives wrote: »

as usual the whinging teachers are out lookin for more money.

They had 6 months now on full pay sitting on their arses.
Time to stfu and get busy preparing for school term.

Plenty of different opinions here which is good but that sort of nonsense is just ridiculous.

Obviously just trolling for a response.

isup

Icyseanfitz wrote: »

I signed up for salary protection earlier this year, I'd be tempted to take sick leave. Be nice to be able to spend Christmas with my family, or meet my friends over the next few months. If I go back to work with this lack of precautions I won't see anyone other than my wife, and she is high risk on top of it all.

I totally feel for you. I'm thinking we can't see grandparents after the kids go back. I'd be at risk myself .

Beasty

flynnlives wrote: »

as usual the whinging teachers are out lookin for more money.

They had 6 months now on full pay sitting on their arses.
Time to stfu and get busy preparing for school term.

Do not post in this thread again

ldy4mxonucwsq6

jimmytwotimes 2013 wrote: »

I'm hoping to squeeze a few grand out of it before we return tbh

At least you're honest, should have told DOE that's all the plan needed.

Icyseanfitz

isup wrote: »

I totally feel for you. I'm thinking we can't see grandparents after the kids go back. I'd be at risk myself .

tbh what with throwing 1/5 of our population back into a virus breeding ground with zero protections, i dont think anyone will be safe to visit anyone

s1ippy

So no backlash or opposition or constructive criticism? Wow I always felt that teachers are cool guys who don't afraid of anything but now it's certain.

joe40

Icyseanfitz wrote: »

tbh what with throwing 1/5 of our population back into a virus breeding ground with zero protections, i dont think anyone will be safe to visit anyone

If the risks are so high why aren't our medical professionals totally opposed to this.

combat14

"The World Health Organization has warned against complacency about new coronavirus transmission, saying that this virus does not behave like influenza that tends to follow seasonal trends."

sounds like all is good for winter season in schools so...

HerrKuehn

joe40 wrote: »

If the risks are so high why aren't our medical professionals totally opposed to this.

You seem to be one of the only teachers on here with a positive attitude on getting the schools open. I suspect this represents the majority of teachers. The ones on here all day criticising every suggestion are a vocal minority.

am_zarathustra

They also said that it could be 2.5 years before we see mass vaccination. All the new vaccines are mRNA vaccines too, we've never managed to make a stable one with a predictable, long term response. It's hard to know what the phase 3 trials will throw up. On the balance of averages, one of the new vaccines will work but it might be an attenuated virus only in trial 1 stage that turns out to be the best one

am_zarathustra

HerrKuehn wrote: »

You seem to be one of the only teachers on here with a positive attitude on getting the schools open. I suspect this represents the majority of teachers. The ones on here all day criticising every suggestion are a vocal minority.

I'm literally in my school since nine this morning sorting out ICT rooms. I'm not the only one here either. Now I'm printing all my work for all my classes until October and putting them in individual packs. I'll be doing this every day for a couple of weeks. I can comment on a thread while I'm having a coffee

You can get on with it and also recognise the guidelines are vague and unworkable

joe40

HerrKuehn wrote: »

You seem to be one of the only teachers on here with a positive attitude on getting the schools open. I suspect this represents the majority of teachers. The ones on here all day criticising every suggestion are a vocal minority.

I'm not really sure how most teachers feel, but I do understand the worry.
For me personally I have no underlying health conditions, neither do my kids and my elderly relatives are no longer with. Not everyone is in that position so I sympathize with the worry about going back.

I think that government so far have been guided by medical advice so I imagine the same is happening here. There does not seem to be any pushback from the NPHET about the plans. If there was I would be more worried.

I just feel this is going to be a long term situation, the time for short term emergency fixes is coming to an end, we need to be getting into a sustainable phase. Whatever that looks like.
As a parent to two teenagers I want them to get back. Both kids are fairly well motivated so could probably cope with online learning better than a lot, but so many pupils will be left behind if online learning becomes the norm.
Obviously health is the paramount concern but other factors are also important.

There are undoubtedly risks, so careful monitoring is vital and everyone teachers, parents and pupils (especially secondary) must co operate.

jimmytwotimes 2013

HerrKuehn wrote: »

You seem to be one of the only teachers on here with a positive attitude on getting the schools open. I suspect this represents the majority of teachers. The ones on here all day criticising every suggestion are a vocal minority.

I suspect the same, the teachers voicing concern about the plan are probably all wasters

combat14

jimmytwotimes 2013 wrote: »

I suspect the same, the teachers voicing concern about the plan are probably all wasters

yep anyone asking questions is a waster!

meanwhile in Germany:

The head of Germany's public health agency has said he is "very concerned" by rising infections in the country.

"We are in the middle of a rapidly developing pandemic," Lothar Wieler, head of the Robert Koch Institute (RKI), told reporters.

Mr Wieler said Germans had become "negligent" and urged people to wear masks and respect social distancing and hygiene rules.

In the past week the country has recorded 3,611 new infections.

joe40

jimmytwotimes 2013 wrote: »

I suspect the same, the teachers voicing concern about the plan are probably all wasters

I think that is really unfair. No other group of workers are been asked to work in close proximity with up to 30 people for several hours with no protection. I personally want to get back but I fully understand the concerns.

Peter Flynt

As teachers all that was required was a workable plan with realistic ambitions - not bullsh*t like 93 people in a cold poorly ventilated gym, or stuff like mandatory masks for kids on buses but not once they arrive at school.

The plan is a recipe for disaster if a second wave hits Ireland.....at which point it will all fall apart and end up with the schools closing again anyway.

It's a shot in the dark. . . A roll of the dice. . . with demands required of workers from one sector of the workforce that are not required of others.

In some ways the plan has merits also. There is stuff in it which can work well in primary schools, but it is a complete disaster with no specifics for secondary level.

HerrKuehn

Peter Flynt wrote: »

As teachers all that was required was a workable plan with realistic ambitions - not bullsh*t like 93 people in a cold poorly ventilated gym, or stuff like mandatory masks for kids on buses but not once they arrive at school.

The plan is a recipe for disaster if a second wave hits Ireland.....at which point it will all fall apart and end up with the schools closing again anyway.

It's a shot in the dark. . . A roll of the dice. . . with demands required of workers from one sector of the workforce that are not required of others.

In some ways the plan has merits also. There is stuff in it which can work well in primary schools, but it is a complete disaster with no specifics for secondary level.

No matter what was suggested it would have been shot down by many here. It is the easiest thing in the world to be critical, it is a lot more difficult to come up with a plan that everyone is happy with. In fact it would have been impossible. It is about risk management now, we have to live with it. Some have said, why should schools go back when the pubs can't open? The benefits of opening the pubs are fairly minor, while the risk is high. The benefits of opening schools are high, while the risk is moderate or low.

ldy4mxonucwsq6

Peter Flynt wrote: »

As teachers all that was required was a workable plan with realistic ambitions - not bullsh*t like 93 people in a cold poorly ventilated gym, or stuff like mandatory masks for kids on buses but not once they arrive at school.

The plan is a recipe for disaster if a second wave hits Ireland.....at which point it will all fall apart and end up with the schools closing again anyway.

It's a shot in the dark. . . A roll of the dice. . . with demands required of workers from one sector of the workforce that are not required of others.

In some ways the plan has merits also. There is stuff in it which can work well in primary schools, but it is a complete disaster with no specifics for secondary level.

Cases are going to increase as more and more people get back to normal, it doesn't signify a second wave.

The virus is not proven to be seasonal like influenza so the talk of a second wave is to be taken with a pinch of salt.

NPHET have stated that even where there are cases in schools it doesn't spell closure for schools. How it will be dealt with will be handled according to individual factors involved.

We won't see a nationwide closure a la March again that's for sure.

Peter Flynt

HerrKuehn wrote: »

No matter what was suggested it would have been shot down by many here. It is the easiest thing in the world to be critical, it is a lot more difficult to come up with a plan that everyone is happy with. In fact it would have been impossible. It is about risk management now, we have to live with it. Some have said, why should schools go back when the pubs can't open? The benefits of opening the pubs are fairly minor, while the risk is high. The benefits of opening schools are high, while the risk is moderate or low.

This plan is no plan at all.
It's throwing money at already resource deprived schools and telling them "Sort it out yourself. . Just make sure everyone is back. . . We don't care how you do it".

Peter Flynt

Zahir Bitter Cellist wrote: »

Cases are going to increase as more and more people get back to normal, it doesn't signify a second wave.

The virus is not proven to be seasonal like influenza so the talk of a second wave is to be taken with a pinch of salt.

NPHET have stated that even where there are cases in schools it doesn't spell closure for schools. How it will be dealt with will be handled according to individual factors involved.

We won't see a nationwide closure a la March again that's for sure.

A second wave is being taking extremely seriously by all countries.
I'm afraid you don't know what you're talking about.

average_runner

Zahir Bitter Cellist wrote: »

Cases are going to increase as more and more people get back to normal, it doesn't signify a second wave.

The virus is not proven to be seasonal like influenza so the talk of a second wave is to be taken with a pinch of salt.

NPHET have stated that even where there are cases in schools it doesn't spell closure for schools. How it will be dealt with will be handled according to individual factors involved.

We won't see a nationwide closure a la March again that's for sure.

I don't believe you can say that. WHO said its just one big wave going around, what goes around keeps coming around. Now is that stronger or weaker time will tell.

We now have precautions in place to deal with it. Alot are still working from home. For myself, I haven't been in the city since early March, haven't been near a shopping centre since then also.

No plans to go either

am_zarathustra

The one thing that would have won me over is taking teachers who can't be in school (for a variety of medical reasons), creating a central roll of them by subject specialism ( not for primary but def for secondary but I guess giving primary the option of year group. Given they might already have resources and experience would be no harm) then match them with students who can't attend school. This is not that complicated. Say I have a third year at home, immunocompromised, cystic fibrosis, whatever unfair hand they and their family have been dealt, I get their subjects. I go to my remote learning database of teachers and I give that child 2/3 hours of phoen, video or chat function help with their work. The teacher at home has their 21 hours a week of teaching, just remote and the student isn't just doing homework from a class they weren't in. I'd imagine that would appeal to the teachers involved too.

Now the problem with this is the school can't do it, someone on far more money in the department would have to organise it. The department of health flew to China for PPE right in the middle of the worst of it but the DOE can't make a centralised list for the most vunerable students in out society that would actually utilise teachers that can't be in school

HerrKuehn

am_zarathustra wrote: »

The one thing that would have won me over is taking teachers who can't be in school (for a variety of medical reasons), creating a central roll of them by subject specialism ( not for primary but def for secondary but I guess giving primary the option of year group. Given they might already have resources and experience would be no harm) then match them with students who can't attend school. This is not that complicated. Say I have a third year at home, immunocompromised, cystic fibrosis, whatever unfair hand they and their family have been dealt, I get their subjects. I go to my remote learning database of teachers and I give that child 2/3 hours of phoen, video or chat function help with their work. The teacher at home has their 21 hours a week of teaching, just remote and the student isn't just doing homework from a class they weren't in. I'd imagine that would appeal to the teachers involved too.

Now the problem with this is the school can't do it, someone on far more money in the department would have to organise it. The department of health flew to China for PPE right in the middle of the worst of it but the DOE can't make a centralised list for the most vunerable students in out society that would actually utilise teachers that can't be in school

Well, if the teacher can't be in the school for medical reasons, presumably they won't be. So, it doesn't really affect the plan for going back. I am not sure how easy it would be to arrange something like you suggest. What we have seen before the summer is that plenty of teachers have no access to internet, laptops, have GDPR concerns about having a video call etc. We tried remote learning, it wasn't a success and there was nothing to suggest that there are easy fixes.

Lillyfae

am_zarathustra wrote: »

The one thing that would have won me over is taking teachers who can't be in school (for a variety of medical reasons), creating a central roll of them by subject specialism ( not for primary but def for secondary but I guess giving primary the option of year group. Given they might already have resources and experience would be no harm) then match them with students who can't attend school.

It's a fantastic idea, one that has been touted many times here and should have been happening from the beginning.