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

nothing · 05-09-2020 06:04PM

Panga wrote: »

I see a US teacher has done the same.

That's exactly where I got the idea!

Icyseanfitz · 05-09-2020 06:04PM

Posh Dave wrote: »

Don’t forget it’s about the children getting a proper education.

With the way schools are working at the moment, students won't be getting a proper education whether they are are in school or not.

Really sad seeing how anxious some of our students are in the halls in between classes (where it's shoulder to shoulder as usual)

downthemiddle · 05-09-2020 06:08PM

JimmyVik wrote: »

This is disturbing.
A friends wife is a primary teacher working in the same school for over 10 years. He just told me himself and his son (8) are showing bad symptoms.
They have been referred for a covid test from a call at 8am this morning to their GP.
The GP said nobody should leave the house unitl they get negative results.
1- They havent even got the text with the details of their test appointment as of 30 mins ago.

2- His wife called her principle and the principal just said, its up to you if you come in or not.
His wife thinks that the principal wont make a decision because they want her to come in and dont intend to pay her for the days she is out. Now this family are hard up for money since covid as he lost his job so she will go in.

Really the schools should have a clear policy and a principal should be able to take responsibility and make a decision.
Its a disgrace.

Jimmy I'm familiar with your work on Boards and this thread will be better without your input.
The principal is not responsible for the payment of a teacher's wages. There is a very clear protocol for a close contact of a suspected case and it's not " its up to you if you come in or not".

wirelessdude01 · 05-09-2020 06:12PM

JimmyVik wrote: »

This is disturbing.
A friends wife is a primary teacher working in the same school for over 10 years. He just told me himself and his son (8) are showing bad symptoms.
They have been referred for a covid test from a call at 8am this morning to their GP.
The GP said nobody should leave the house unitl they get negative results.
1- They havent even got the text with the details of their test appointment as of 30 mins ago.

2- His wife called her principle and the principal just said, its up to you if you come in or not.
His wife thinks that the principal wont make a decision because they want her to come in and dont intend to pay her for the days she is out. Now this family are hard up for money since covid as he lost his job so she will go in.

Really the schools should have a clear policy and a principal should be able to take responsibility and make a decision.
Its a disgrace.

I call utter BS on this post. There is a clear protocol outlined for this.

jimmytwotimes 2013 · 05-09-2020 06:12PM

Out of interest

Is anyone's school keeping a list of where students sit on the bus and has an effort been made to keep classmates/siblings together on buses to reduce contacts?

wirelessdude01 · 05-09-2020 06:14PM

jimmytwotimes 2013 wrote: »

Out of interest

Is anyone's school keeping a list of where students sit on the bus and has an effort been made to keep classmates/siblings together on buses to reduce contacts?

How does a school ensure that people sit where they are meant to? It isn't possible. You are relying on unsupervised teenagers to.do what they are meant to.

With the best will in the world we all know that probably won't be happening.

downthemiddle · 05-09-2020 06:16PM

Will Yam wrote: »

If you’re doing this as a type of public service it is reasonable that you should identify yourself, given the very important nature of the information you are disseminating.

And RTE might want to contact you. After all, your info thus far references 0.3% of the schools in the country. And if 0.3% have a problem RTÉ will get half a dozen prime times out it.

The 99.7% with no problem don’t matter.

Schools are open a week. Many parents have kept children at home because of their concerns.
With twelve cases in the country already we are looking at more than 10% of schools reporting outbreaks by the end of the school year. The reality is that if we continue to plough on and hope for the best this figure will be substantially higher. How many cases will it take by week 37 for some people to admit that a full return to school was not the right option?

jimmytwotimes 2013 · 05-09-2020 06:17PM

wirelessdude01 wrote: »

How does a school ensure that people sit where they are meant to? It isn't possible. You are relying on unsupervised teenagers to.do what they are meant to.

With the best will in the world we all know that probably won't be happening.

In our area bus drivers wud know kids by name. Kids doesn't sit in correct place, report them

limnam · 05-09-2020 06:18PM

wirelessdude01 wrote: »

How does a school ensure that people sit where they are meant to? It isn't possible. You are relying on unsupervised teenagers to.do what they are meant to.

With the best will in the world we all know that probably won't be happening.

I've noticed a lot of parents who's kids would normally be on the bus driving the kids to school. So there's a lot of empty seats on the buses.

Not sure how common this is across schools though

wirelessdude01 · 05-09-2020 06:19PM

jimmytwotimes 2013 wrote: »

In our area bus drivers wud know kids by name. Kids doesn't sit in correct place, report them

Think the bus driver has enough to be doing keeping their eyes on the road rather than watching what's happening at the back of a 52 seater. All window dressing.

jimmytwotimes 2013 · 05-09-2020 06:26PM

wirelessdude01 wrote: »

Think the bus driver has enough to be doing keeping their eyes on the road rather than watching what's happening at the back of a 52 seater. All window dressing.

Call a roll, drive bus

combat14 · 05-09-2020 06:36PM

heard of 4 cases this morning all in the same class in a primary school in south kilkenny

rebel girl 15 · 05-09-2020 06:39PM

JimmyVik wrote: »

This is disturbing.
A friends wife is a primary teacher working in the same school for over 10 years. He just told me himself and his son (8) are showing bad symptoms.
They have been referred for a covid test from a call at 8am this morning to their GP.
The GP said nobody should leave the house unitl they get negative results.
1- They havent even got the text with the details of their test appointment as of 30 mins ago.

2- His wife called her principle and the principal just said, its up to you if you come in or not.
His wife thinks that the principal wont make a decision because they want her to come in and dont intend to pay her for the days she is out. Now this family are hard up for money since covid as he lost his job so she will go in.

Really the schools should have a clear policy and a principal should be able to take responsibility and make a decision.
Its a disgrace.

That is disgraceful! If she is waiting for a test or results, she is entitled to illness benefit from what I've read while I was at home. It is chancing situations like that that will cause spikes - by isolating, they break the chain of transmission. It is not good enough from the headteacher - they need to stand up and put the trust in the health professionals who said to them isolate.

glack · 05-09-2020 06:51PM

Some thoughts from a teacher in a disadvantaged primary school after our first week:

1 - schools MUST stay open. Children have forgotten how to read, have forgotten how to add and in many cases (EAL students) have forgotten how to speak English. The children in my class are also horrendously unfit - clearly have spent very little time being physically active. But they are so happy to be back.

2 - Our school has put significant measures in place (lots of hand washing and sanitising, staggered starts, separate yards etc) but inside the classrooms social distancing is impossible. Pods and bubbles are just spin! Also impossible for staff to maintain distance from children and actually do their job.

3 - Schools have been horrendously let down by the department. Each school is left on their own to manage this incredibly difficult situation. We didn’t even get the promised cleaning and sanitising supplies. Thankfully we were able to source our own to have in time for opening.

4 - staff are definitely being put into risky situations. No way around it. To those of us who are high risk there is literally nothing being done to protect us. We are to wear masks when with 2m of our students. But that protects the children from us and not us from the children.

5 - Everyone is talking about what happens when there is an outbreak. But what I’m also hugely surprised there is so little talk of the impact of false alarms due to other illnesses. children getting sick isn’t the issue-staff being sick is. This week alone 3 teachers had to isolate in my school, 2 because their children had COVID symptoms and were told to isolate pending test results, the third had symptoms themselves. All were false alarms- head colds are common this time of year. In the first week of school subs are always plentiful so these absences didn’t really have much impact. But in a months time it will be impossible to find people to cover these gaps. Children with SEN will be significantly impacted as special ed teachers will have the be brought into classrooms to cover. Children being off for false alarms doesn’t pose this same impact.

6 - schools should have online learning systems ready to go. I mean, it seems inevitable that almost every school will have to partially close at some point. We need to be ready so that a repeat of the madness in March doesn’t happen.

limnam · 05-09-2020 06:54PM

glack wrote: »

6 - schools should have online learning systems ready to go. I mean, it seems inevitable that almost every school will have to partially close at some point. We need to be ready so that a repeat of the madness in March doesn’t happen.

This one particularity amazes me we're not doing more on this.

DangerScouse · 05-09-2020 06:56PM

meeeeh wrote: »

Except I don't believe it. If the gp advised them they should isolate surely it is up to health professional not the principal to make that decision.

Why would someone make up a story like that?

Doesn't make sense.

byhookorbycrook · 05-09-2020 07:30PM

jimmytwotimes 2013 wrote: »

Out of interest

Is anyone's school keeping a list of where students sit on the bus and has an effort been made to keep classmates/siblings together on buses to reduce contacts?

School transport isn’t under the control of the school. In any case , children will chop and change seats all the time .

glack · 05-09-2020 07:30PM

limnam wrote: »

This one particularity amazes me we're not doing more on this.

No leadership on it either. My school is getting ready but most schools appear to be hoping for the best.

amacca · 05-09-2020 07:31PM

jimmytwotimes 2013 wrote: »

Call a roll, drive bus

you are not familiar with teenagers are you?:D

byhookorbycrook · 05-09-2020 07:31PM

jimmytwotimes 2013 wrote: »

In our area bus drivers wud know kids by name. Kids doesn't sit in correct place, report them

To who?

irishblessing · 05-09-2020 07:35PM

I just found out there is a FB group called 'Alerting parents of outbreaks in schools.' I've just joined, looks like over 12k people in it so far. Some here might be interested to follow...

jimmytwotimes 2013 · 05-09-2020 07:43PM

amacca wrote: »

you are not familiar with teenagers are you?:D

No, not a bit. Only 20 yrs dealing with them.

jimmytwotimes 2013 · 05-09-2020 07:50PM

byhookorbycrook wrote: »

School transport isn’t under the control of the school. In any case , children will chop and change seats all the time .

If there are instances of bullying, or whatever, on school buses, the school generally deals with it, not Bus Éireann. Sorry i asked the question tbh, forgot how special this place is.

So no school is following what was requested in guidelines by seating siblings or classmates together. Cool

https://www.gov.ie/en/publication/64a88-school-transport/

glack · 05-09-2020 07:57PM

jimmytwotimes 2013 wrote: »

If there are instances of bullying, or whatever, on school buses, the school generally deals with it, not Bus Éireann. Sorry i asked the question tbh, forgot how special this place is.

So no school is following what was requested in guidelines by seating siblings or classmates together. Cool

https://www.gov.ie/en/publication/64a88-school-transport/

Schools may deal with bullying but they are not obligated to. Once a child walks out the school gate at the end of the day, they cease to be the responsibility of the school. Another one of those sound bite announcements that children should have a designated seat on the bus but no one said who’s in charge of making that happen.

jimmytwotimes 2013 · 05-09-2020 08:01PM

glack wrote: »

Schools may deal with bullying but they are not obligated to. Once a child walks out the school gate at the end of the day, they cease to be the responsibility of the school. Another one of those sound bite announcements that children should have a designated seat on the bus but no one said who’s in charge of making that happen.

Never said they were obligated to. Just they generally deal with it. While everyone is passing on responsibility the virus is laffing.

byhookorbycrook · 05-09-2020 08:06PM

limnam wrote: »

This one particularity amazes me we're not doing more on this.

It shouldn’t be up to individual schools . The Dept. should have been working on a standard online platform since March .

byhookorbycrook · 05-09-2020 08:11PM

jimmytwotimes 2013 wrote: »

If there are instances of bullying, or whatever, on school buses, the school generally deals with it, not Bus Éireann. Sorry i asked the question tbh, forgot how special this place is.

So no school is following what was requested in guidelines by seating siblings or classmates together. Cool

https://www.gov.ie/en/publication/64a88-school-transport/

Ok, once again , school transport in not under the control of the school . Do you expect schools to sort out issues for students who cycle to school?

As as for “ guidelines,” the DES has admitted that the reduced capacity isn’t possible at this time , so take your beef up with them .

meeeeh · 05-09-2020 08:30PM

DangerScouse wrote: »

Why would someone make up a story like that?

Doesn't make sense.

The story might not be made up but the conclusion from it I think is complete nonsense. I didn't mean I don't believe the conversation but what I don't believe is the teacher not being paid after doctor tells her to self isolate. Nowhere was it mentioned that principal told her she will be docked pay it was the conclusion she came to. And people come to all sorts of conclusions but that doesn't mean they are correct. It's not up to principal to make a decision on who should self isolate..

glack · 05-09-2020 08:51PM

jimmytwotimes 2013 wrote: »

Never said they were obligated to. Just they generally deal with it. While everyone is passing on responsibility the virus is laffing.

Schools are up to their eyes dealing with what they are required too without any practical guidance. Impossible to expect them to deal with buses too. Never mind the fact that it would open schools up to a whole heap of other complications if they were to interfere with something they have no authority over. Some schools would have large numbers of buses collecting children - it’s an unrealistic expectation. Even our primary school would have at least 8 different buses each day. Secondary schools would have significantly more.

As I said already, I think the guidance on buses is more for publicity than an actual realistic plan. No talk of how it will work or who will manage it etc. Same as everything else really.

jimmytwotimes 2013 · 05-09-2020 09:03PM

byhookorbycrook wrote: »

Ok, once again , school transport in not under the control of the school . Do you expect schools to sort out issues for students who cycle to school?

As as for “ guidelines,” the DES has admitted that the reduced capacity isn’t possible at this time , so take your beef up with them .

Ok, once again, I never said they were.

Beef? I asked a question.

Love the chats here. Nighty night.

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

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