caveat emptor wrote: » According to the risk assessment guidance. There is an onus on the teachers to bring solutions to the health and safety hazards. This being a once in a hundred year event with a biosafety level 4 pathogen, I personally don't think that's fair. Especially considering that they won't even acknowledge it's airborne as pointed out by boggles.
Murple wrote: » I caught the end of an interview with Prof Luke O' Neill who was asked about the plans for reopening schools. He seemed happy with them and said we were following 'best practice' measures of social distancing, hand washing, wearing masks (think he must have read a different document to the one I read). He also said many other countries had put these measures in place to reopen schools, naming Japan and Uraguay, and we would be following their measures. ......... I want to get back to the school building and back to teaching my pupils. I miss them. I miss the work I do. I miss being with the children. But the current plans are madness. At the very least, they should have announced half attendance for September or to midterm. Review numbers and infection rates. Get flu vaccinations done for all children and school staff. If all was going well, increase to full attendance. If numbers were rising, keep it at half attendance. I keep hearing about 'well if other countries can do it, why can't we?'. So many other countries are doing half attendance - well if other countries can do it, why can't we?
s1ippy wrote: » I'm checking the guidance and I can't find anything that would suggest the ultimate responsibility lies with teachers... If this is the case, it's far more serious than worries about litigation in the Leaving Cert marking. Teachers could get themselves in huge trouble by going along with the plan as it currently stands.
Staff should note that they have a legal obligation under Section 13 of the Safety, Health and Welfare at Work Act 2005 to comply with health and safety requirements and to take reasonable care for the health and safety of themselves, their colleagues and other parties within the workplace.
5.0 Guidance 5.1 Legal basis for Risk Assessment Section 19, of the Safety, Health and Welfare at Work Act, 2005 requires every employer (and those who control workplaces to any extent) to identify the hazards at the place of work and to assess the risk presented by those hazards. It is also the responsibility of all staff to be aware of hazards and risks in the workplace and take immediate action to report, reduce or resolve any hazards they observe in everyday practice. 5.2 Consultative Process Section 26, of the Safety, Health and Welfare at Work Act, 2005 places a duty on the employer to consult and engage with his or her employees on all matters relating to safety health and welfare (including risk assessments). It is widely acknowledged that risk assessments are best conducted by those who have a good knowledge and understanding of the organisation, work practices and processes (HSG65, 2013; OHSAS 18001).A team approach to risk assessment should be adopted, with the involvement of employees who have practical experience of the particular process or activity being considered in the risk assessment. These employees will often have the best knowledge and understanding of the hazards. (HSE, 2003).
Away With The Fairies wrote: » Wasn't there talk that children couldn't transmit this as well as adults? Turns out children can transmit the virushttps://www.google.ie/amp/s/www.sciencealert.com/study-suggests-young-children-are-carrying-higher-levels-of-coronavirus/amp It would make opening schools and keeping them open harder.
kowloonkev wrote: » Schools won't survive a month without having to close again. I think they're just reopening to make it look to the general public like they tried. Something should be planned to get Junior and Senior Infants into schools for the social development but all other classes should be online for the coming academic year. Online is the only logical way forward.
caveat emptor wrote: » Just having a look. This is from primary. Someone here specific posted that legally a health and safety risk assessment should include input from the "worker" as they understand the risks more as they work everyday with them. I think this doesn't apply in case of novel BS level4 pathogen. They simply aren't qualified to understand the risks. I'd argue most nurses and doctors here weren't. Therefore they couldn't possibly complete an adequate risk assessment.
Zahir Bitter Cellist wrote: » We have the lowest number of cases in Europe right now.
downthemiddle wrote: » Really???https://www.statista.com/statistics/1104837/coronavirus-cases-europe-by-country/ You wouldn’t be making “facts “ up again to suit your narrative ?
Alrigghtythen wrote: » That's states total cases since jan
jimmytwotimes 2013 wrote: » Burn them all. The issue I'd see with off-campus overflow arrangements is firstly staffing, you'd be looking for a number of extra teachers that don't exist and it creates supervision issues. As one teacher leaves to be back in the main building on time for the next class and another teacher makes their way up to off-campus location, some group is going to be unattended somewhere. Looking froward to getting back to school but expect it'll be nearly no SD so they'll be wearing masks. I have a number of classes of 24+ and we won't have staff to take the 'extra' students or spare rooms for streaming (there wud be extra students coming out of multiple classes) so I expect it'll be the usual class groupings with masks and no SD
pwurple wrote: » Do we really want to do that to a whole generation?
Zahir Bitter Cellist wrote: » This is what's really saddening about this whole thing and the attitudes towards kids in this thread. The children are treated like subhuman pawns and merely an afterthought. "snot monsters", "harbingers of death" to mention a few recent descriptions and God forbid a hurt child might want to seek comfort from their teacher, they'll be told to step back (prior to virus might I add). It's eye opening and saddening state of affairs from people who chose to be mentors to these kids in the first place. But no let's just cover up their faces and keep them the hell away, sure what say should they have in it. Teachers might need to learn a thing or two from the very children they teach.
Zahir Bitter Cellist wrote: » This is what's really saddening about this whole thing and the attitudes towards kids in this thread. The children are treated like subhuman pawns and merely an afterthought.
khalessi wrote: » Yes it is sad, that children are treated like that by the Department who feel it is ok to experiment with them It is sad will that some people will use them like pawns to have a go at teachers but not unexpected. It is sad that the proper plans were not put in place. It is sad that while teachers are getting on with it as pwrple suggested and pointing out flaws teacher bashers come out of the woodwork to use it against them It is sad that while teachers look for ways to keep them safe they are slated for it
jimmytwotimes 2013 wrote: » Sorry to see this thread has turned you against teachers, you used to post so positively about their efforts. Sorry to see you get so cynical
am_zarathustra wrote: » Extra teachers, I'll eat my hat of we have the same number of teachers as last year.....there are no extra teachers in the country. There will be no one to take extra students. Supervision will be done by garda cleared randomers who will have a wonderful time telling a bunch of rowdy kids to stay in their seats with having had training or the experience of a teacher
Zahir Bitter Cellist wrote: » Lucky I know quite a few decent ones IRL, they'd cringe at the attitude of some on here to be honest. I wouldn't base my opinion of a whole profession on a bunch of random online posters.
downthemiddle wrote: » From my observations (see what I did there), those most critical of teachers are people who would not be able to teach themselves. They wanted to be teachers, but didn’t achieve their ambitions. They now carry their chip around like a badge of honour, criticising teachers at every opportunity. They know, without fear of contradiction, that they could do a far superior job. Unable to move on from their failure that defines their life they look for every opportunity to undermine the role of teachers. You really would have to pity them.
Lillyfae wrote: » To be honest I've been seeking information outside of this thread in the last 24 hours and I've mostly come to the conclusion that this is a poorly representative echo chamber thankfully. There are a lot of opinions of teachers in the media since the plans/resources were announced and as far as I can see they're mostly positive, and raring to get back to their classrooms. The schools aren't reopening in the context of exploding numbers a few months ago, they're opening in the context of community transmission being low. Wear masks (don't know why this is even an argument here because 0 people are preventing it), demonstrate good hand hygiene and keep social distancing where possible. If everyone does this then there shouldn't be any big problems.
