How will schools be able to go back in September? (Continued)

hairyslug wrote: »

Our youngest won't be going back in the near future. While her class size is small (6, special needs class) her underlying health issues would put her in the very high risk category. Our problem is that while my son, also in a small special needs class and eldest daughter (class of 28 pupils) would not be considered high risk, there is the risk of them bringing it home to my daughter and wife (also riddled to put it nicely) yet we are told that this is not considered a risk by the back to school roadmap.

Very sorry to hear that one of the greatest failings of this plan is it’s lack of consideration for those with health issues. The criteria for the very high risk category is very narrow. Educational provision is very ad hoc local arrangements and there is no consideration at all given to those in the at risk and high risk category. It’s very poor form from the gov.

The government is consist spouting that getting schools open in 2 weeks is their priority. Children and teachers health should be their priority. I believe the government just don’t have the guts to tell parents that a full reopening is not a good idea.
They’re just blindly trundling ahead with it regardless of the very obvious risks in their plans

Grandeeod wrote: »

I rang my daughters PP school today. I've heard nothing since June 16th. I was told that they were updating their website today with the plan for opening. I also found out that the restart date has changed. No email. No letter. No text. Had I not rang, I'd still be in the dark. The website has a 31 page document for viewing now. Certainly not the best of communication.

I've heard nothing from my son's school since June either.
No confirmed date to return and no advice to prepare and explain to pupils that they will have to do things differently.
But this school was also very poor at home schooling connections as well.
I've lost a lot of respect for the school in the last five months.

I think the decision to fully open was made back in June, when numbers were very low and the optimistic view was that they would stay low. It was a surprising move on the government's part, I thought, given the general cautiousness that was in place for every other industry. But I guess a large chunk of their voters - middle class workers WFH while homeschooling children - were making their voices heard about avoiding "blended" learning at all costs. I don't think the same decision would have been made today.

I also don't see why the DE don't have a Plan B. As a previous poster said, at least a common teaching platform (that isn't Seesaw) would be a good start. Lack of teacher training and laptops is hardly an excuse. My father, aged 74 and a complete technophobe, learned how to use Zoom in the first week of lockdown. If he can, then your average 50+ teacher can learn how to use Blackboard (or whatever) in a day. You don't need a month to learn how to use an app, no matter what age you are, or what level of computer skills you have.

Lack of laptops or broadband is hardly an issue either, unless we have a full lockdown like March/April again. If a teacher doesn't have a laptop, or good broadband access, they can go into school to teach, and the school should remain open to facilitate this. There will be some who won't be able to do that - if they have their own children at home from school with them. That is where priority childcare places locally should be made.

As for creche's not being able to make a call on what is a cold and what is covid, that's going to be a difficult one. My 3 year old had a runny nose last Friday. I kept him out on Monday and rang the GP. The GP said it was just a cold, and he would not need a test. He was over the cold by Tuesday so went back in on Wednesday. When speaking to the creche manager she said that every child in the place had a runny nose and was sneezing - it happened every year in August and she fully expected that every child will continue to have runny noses and sneezing until April next year. Their plan is to call parents if the child has a cough, or a temperature or is generally out of sorts. I can't see them doing any better than that to be honest, as they whole creche would have to shut if they sent home every child who had a runny nose.

Immortal Starlight wrote: »

Does anyone know if transition year weekly work experience is still going ahead in their schools? My school is going ahead with it and expect students to find weekly work experience.

Good luck with that. That’s a school failing to adapt.

downthemiddle wrote: »

Good luck with that. That’s a school failing to adapt.

Yes I agree I think it’s completely crazy. I don’t think very many students will be successful in getting work experience.

Immortal Starlight wrote: »

Does anyone know if transition year weekly work experience is still going ahead in their schools? My school is going ahead with it and expect students to find weekly work experience.

We take transition year students every year. We won’t be doing so this year.

downthemiddle wrote: »

Good luck with that. That’s a school failing to adapt.

gnf_ireland wrote: »

highly unlikely any company will let students into the building when their own staff are not in attendance.

I would say its next to impossible to get a work placement role right now, unless through family connections

newuser99999 wrote: »

Bizarre really in a time where companies are laying staff off / not going ahead with graduate programmes.

lulublue22 wrote: »

We take transition year students every year. We won’t be doing so this year.

Thanks for all the replies. I’ve rang the County Council and various shops and have been told no way because of the virus. It is expected students do work experience every Monday and for one full week in February. Doubt that’ll be happening now.

gnf_ireland wrote: »

I take a slightly different view on this. As a parent I found the attempt at online learning last year as shocking. Schools by enlarge failed to adapt and many parents were very frustrated by the efforts made by the school, while they were struggling at home to work and home school their children. This is not to take away from the efforts of some fantastic teachers who went above and beyond, but like in all walks of life you will have those who go the extra mile and those who will not. No different to Mark McSharrys comments about certain people using covid as an opportunity to watch Netflix !!

The government put all their eggs into the back to school full time for all kids, and no plans or contingency plans around alternatives when the situation will arise when the numbers rise. Back when this was announced, numbers were rising all across Europe (to the point that the green list was deferred and deferred).

The reality is online learning did not work for the majority in term 3 2019-2020, its hard to expect it will work now. All you have to do is to go back to the start of the original thread where this all started

Either way, its absolutely shocking to say that we are two weeks from schools reopening and there is still no decent plan in place to what will happen. The whole education system/structure clearly needs a massive overhaul from top to bottom to ensure that we never have to face a fiasco like this again.

I agree. But online learning should be made to work.
Some schools did it and I've seen it working very well in other countries.
Some Irish schools need a kick up their behind to teach differently. It can be done.

Stateofyou wrote: »

"Principal of Scoil Naomh Bríd in Ballyconnell, Co Cavan, Terence Reynolds explained that his school will implement staggered lunch breaks for students and staff, "where half will be on the yard and half of the staff will be in the staff room".

His school used the July provision to get used to new regimes for hand sanitising, to purchase personal protective equipment, and develop new procedures about entering and exiting school.

Cleaning contracts have been extended, he said, and new cleaning regimes are now in place.

He said "a strong line of communication" has allowed regular contact with parents in his school, who have received information and videos about how the school is preparing for the return of pupils."

Must be great to have a school that have very clear communications with parents. All we've had is 2 emails since the school closed in March and one of those was over a week ago to say we would be getting an update shortly.

Bobtheman wrote: »

There was no legal direction given on zoom. I know some schools made it clear a solicitors letter would follow any recordings on social media.
But that protection was not provided to all teachers.

Just to be clear ... are you saying that teachers should not use any online platform unless they are guaranteed legal protection against being recorded?

Immortal Starlight wrote: »

Does anyone know if transition year weekly work experience is still going ahead in their schools? My school is going ahead with it and expect students to find weekly work experience.

My daughters school has cancelled all work experience this side of the year

byhookorbycrook wrote: »

There’s a video , apparently, but it’s not yet available . No equipment being supplied .

Will it show us how to mechanically wipe the tables and warn us again not to steal supplies?