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

Thierry12 wrote: »

It is what is

School opening is an experiment

Fauci said as much in America as well. The lack of child based data means that the data needs to looked at pretty much in real-time as schools open.

meeeeh wrote: »

Just to put a bit of a different perspective. There are zero complaints on my class parenting what's apps and everyone I spoke to can't wait to send kids back. Some of us are sending kids to after school/child minding facility next door for a few days per week just so they have a bit of company. It is small school with big classrooms (also some big classes). So if social media is creating the impression everyone is scared of sending kids back that certainly isn't my impression. In fact exactly the opposite.

Sounds like you are pretty lucky to have good infrastructure in your local school. And your right, kids need company, so much learning is done through play etc. I would be more concerned about the inequality across the state, some kids will be in lovely, big rooms with good principals keeping an eye on everything and making sure the guidelines are interpreted through a public health lens, other kids will be in old, tiny buildings with no hot water being run by megalomaniacs who never leave their office. The guidelines are so vague and infrastructure so inconsistent it's going to cause issues

I have small LC classes because of the subject, around 10-12....I am 100% confident that I can manage that risk in my lovely double height ceiling room that's easy to disinfect. However, I have other classes with 20 something kids squashed into a tiny room, just like they were last year, with bad ventilation. I am not confident about my ability to maintain a safe environment in that room.

If every teacher on here was dealing with the former situation, we would all be skipping back and. I'm sure, parents would be a lot happier. Unfortunately I suspect the later is more often the case. Like you, I think it's so important to get the kids back, personally I miss them (I might not feel that way on a dark Friday evening in November but it's true now) but the inequality of environment across the country is really concerning

irishblessing wrote: »

And I thought I just told you that parent's had no idea those plans were not workable specific to our schools.

we cant really go explaining through official channels in black and white to them what this means.....besides only a very small cohort of parents will care that far out

it would either fall on mostly deaf ears or teachers would be accused of peddling their own agenda + possibly be open to negative consequences from further on up the line for not toeing the line....they dont operate in a vacuum and are more and more at the bottom of the pile with very little autonomy

irishblessing wrote: »

Not bashing, those are your words and defensiveness and nothing to do with me. An opposing or challenging opinion is not bashing.

I can see that now...you do seem to simply hold a strong opinion and want explanations and im trying to provide them...its just you get so used to it and tend to lump it all into one box for your mental health

irishblessing wrote: »

All I can do is speak for myself and my spouse that as parents we would whole heartedly support a strike action. From my many conversations with other parents I believe they would too.

I'm not so sure...form my many overhearing of parents in my local area I dont think they give much of a **** tbh........they might when the **** hits the fan and then probably get as far as blaming individual teachers or the school or whatever teacher member of management they dislike the most until the national meeja tells hem its the gubberment's fault (disclaimer that could be heavily biased opinion on my part but it is drawn from personal experience - a lot of people dont seem to have much time for nuance or analysis and prefer a quick easy release of tension/ire on a convenient near to hand target)....

I really dont think there would be much parental support for teacher strike...........yet.

irishblessing wrote: »

I'm also very sad to hear these struggles teachers face with their unions. WTF is the actual point of them then. Massive reform needed. The minister for education needs to do their actual job and sort this mess that falls under their jobs scope for which they are paid to do. Maybe we need to stop griping with each other and laser focus there.

Not just with the unions, theres also a ridiculous teaching council which saps an annual fee out of their paycheck and produces lots of PR claiming how useful they are and im sure people within it work hard but they appear to be yet another self serving quango....they will tell you they are improving teaching standards but its all on one side as far as I can see......

then theres management more and more put in an adversarial position to staff and forced to micormanage to the detriment of all

+ in my opinion the new middle-management structures put in under a guise of
reform but also creating a them and us scenario in schools (more divide and conquer)

the unions are still the most pro teacher part of the set up even if they are weak.......why most seem to stay with them is that they seem to provide some level of legal back up and advice in the event of students/parents etc going the legal route (whether justified or not) in our increasingly litigious society.......these btw are very real concerns......the stories I could tell.

meeeeh wrote: »

We all know younger people congregate outside homes. We have some apprentices and employees in late teens and early twenties. There were parties going on every and at the height of lockdown. It would ve very naive to think that kids with no school on will be sitting at home and twiddling their toes.

Then it's the parents job to ensure they are adhering to the public health advice and not out congregating in groups. Grow up, start being a parent and stop blaming society.

Bright n Breezy wrote: »

I dont know if everyone is aware, but it has been brought to my attention that the pod system is no longer in use, it has changed that all kids in one class to mingle freely with that class group...

Have I misunderstood that or is it true.

If it is the case sure Covid will take off quicker than a common cold...

No the class as a whole group is referred to as a bubble. On the yard they are allowed to mix/play within their bubble. When they are in the classroom they are in a pod of 4-6 children. They sit with these children and only share resources with the other 4-6 at their table..........where possible.

irishblessing wrote: »

Wow... genuinely very sorry for you teachers to have to be faced with this colossal ineptitude. And now I'm even sorrier for what it means for our kids and ourselves and our country.

Feeling very defeated.

If it helps, as a country we spend very little of our GDP on education (around 3% varies a bit year on year) and we frequently outperform countries in international rankings that spend far more, despite having terrible staff to student ratios. Irish teachers are, by and large, a very caring and dedicated bunch of people and society (outside of media bashing) does mostly respect education. Our ranking have nothing to do with the DOE or whatever random minister has picked up a notion on a trip to England, it's down to the individual professionalism and skill of most teachers in this country. Implementation of these guidelines and the safety of the kids will at least in some way be down to their teachers, they will really do their best to protect the kids and the other staff. I feel defeated sometimes too. Then I remember the staff in my school, and how much they care, and the mad things they do normally to protect kids, to minds them and make sure their needs are met and I feel a bit better.

I'm still nervous to be fair, and I am very angry at the department (but aren't I always) but I've accepted this insanity is going ahead and I hope at least parents and staff can pull together to put some pressure on the government for funding and to try and support each other. It's not parents or teachers or kids that are the enemy. It's a department devoid of imagination, with no forward planning run by pencil pusher who capitulate to the random whims of whoever is in power. The rest of us are just trying to do our best for our own and other people children

irishblessing wrote: »

"Trying" to get this right? lol.

Hmm, you seem dead against anything to do with this and that's fine but not prepared to see any view except your own. I see an "I told so" post coming on Monday week!

Yep, conversations post strikes change things. Saying strikes don't change things tells me you need a history lesson and fast.

No I'm good on the history, thanks. Not teachers strikes, which is what I'm talking about.

irishblessing wrote: »

Thanks amacca, appreciate you taking the time to speak to that. I don't know what the solution is but I wish we could figure out some way to sort it out. I hate that it mostly likely won't be tackled until it blows up in our faces.

Sinn Fein anyone??

judging by their costings/manifesto.....id have very little faith.......as bad as the rest at best......they do have one or two impressive speakers (pearse doherty) but I personally would have no more faith in them than any of the other gombeens..................the system is at fault not the people who play it best

Bright n Breezy wrote: »

Well they are in a bubble alright! But there are no pods in my youngest sons classroom, which is fine and I'm happy with but class room looks as it did back in March... my problem is the school principal likes to keep things in house, id imagine of there was a case of covid, it would be a hush hush scenario...

But thank you for clarifying

No problem. I know in the document it states that for Junior Infants to 2nd class there isn't a need for social distancing so maybe that is why your youngest son's class aren't being divided into pods. I teach 3rd class and I have split mine into pods of 4 with pods 1m apart. I'd hope it wouldn't be the case that it would be hush hush. What will happen in that case is rumours would start circulating via WhatsApp which would be worse!

Bright n Breezy wrote: »

Well they are in a bubble alright! But there are no pods in my youngest sons classroom, which is fine and I'm happy with but class room looks as it did back in March... my problem is the school principal likes to keep things in house, id imagine of there was a case of covid, it would be a hush hush scenario...

But thank you for clarifying

It will be notified to the HSE and will be dealt with by them in terms of contract tracing and or follow up . Due to confidentiality issues I can’t see the principal issuing statements re cases in schools.