Schools closed until February? (part 3)

Icyseanfitz · 04-01-2021 01:43PM

So seems schools are opening as normal Monday, you couldn't make this up at this stage.

Bananaleaf · 04-01-2021 01:44PM

Tpcl20 wrote: »

https://twitter.com/AmandaFBelfast/status/1346072498610311168?s=20

In the north they want special schools open and school for key workers kids but the rest closed for 2 - 4 weeks.

What will be key workers here though? I can see it now being a mess, with the form the dept have when it comes to clarity

Rosita · 04-01-2021 01:45PM

eviltwin wrote: »

How many parents here will send their children to school if they open on the 11th?

A significant majority I'd say.

the kelt · 04-01-2021 01:45PM

Rosita wrote: »

It has been said that schools are safe and that they should be the last things to close. Presumably they remain the safest of places and we are a very long way from satisfying the latter criterion so schools closures should not even be up for discussion.

What about the journey for these kids to get to schools is that safe?

Is it safe for small towns around the country to have thousands of people bussed into that town daily, mingling, congregating, in and out of shops and takeaways etc?

Does that seem wise to you when apparently we will be hitting 7k cases per day for the next few days?

Benimar · 04-01-2021 01:53PM

Rosita wrote: »

It has been said that schools are safe and that they should be the last things to close. Presumably they remain the safest of places and we are a very long way from satisfying the latter criterion so schools closures should not even be up for discussion.

The latter criteria was that case numbers in the community remain low. As you say, we are a long way from satisfying that criteria...which is exactly why School closures should be up for discussion!

khalessi · 04-01-2021 01:54PM

Waterford Whisper News strikes again lol

Nation breaks into nearest school to escape Covid19

https://waterfordwhispersnews.com/2021/01/04/nation-breaks-into-nearest-school-to-escape-covid-19/

Stateofyou · 04-01-2021 01:55PM

Rosita wrote: »

A significant majority I'd say.

I disagree. I've been looking at the comment sections under multiple media reports about school closure possibilities this morning, and the overwhelming majority seem to be saying no, it's madness.

Bananaleaf · 04-01-2021 01:56PM

the kelt wrote: »

What about the journey for these kids to get to schools is that safe?

Is it safe for small towns around the country to have thousands of people bussed into that town daily, mingling, congregating, in and out of shops and takeaways etc?

Does that seem wise to you?

How are they going in and out of the shops though? Is the school in question allowing them out during lunchtime?

Our school busses students into the area for school but we have been containing them and they are not allowed to go down the town. We have worked with the community to make sure everyone was happy. Kids get off the bus, go to school, get back on the bus and go home.

Would you contact the parents association or your board of management and communicate this with the school to see if there is anything that can be done?

Mrsmum · 04-01-2021 01:57PM

Even though mine will go back if schools open next week, for the first time,I don't think schools should be opening - because of the spread in the community at the moment. I was thinking they could at least keep them off for another week after this one and forget about the week off at midterm. Give them a long weekend for St Patrick's instead. Not sure if all primary schools take a week off for midterm but am fairly sure post primarys do ? Every day never mind week matters at this point in time.

History Queen · 04-01-2021 01:57PM

Bananaleaf wrote: »

How are they going in and out of the shops though? Is the school in question allowing them out during lunchtime?

Our school busses students into the area for school but we have been containing them and they are not allowed to go down the town. We have worked with the community to make sure everyone was happy. Kids get off the bus, go to school, get back on the bus and go home.

Would you contact the parents association or your board of management and communicate this with the school to see if there is anything that can be done?

Allowed down town in our school for senior cycle, we don't have enough social area to have them all on site at lunchtime

Bananaleaf · 04-01-2021 01:58PM

Stateofyou wrote: »

I disagree. I've been looking at the comment sections under multiple media reports about school closure possibilities this morning, and the overwhelming majority seem to be saying no, it's madness.

I dunno. We would have to wait to see to be honest. The internet was full of the same in August ahead of the initial reopening and again on 18th December, but we still had far more in than we had out.

Bananaleaf · 04-01-2021 02:01PM

History Queen wrote: »

Allowed down town in our school for senior cycle, we don't have enough social area to have them all on site at lunchtime

Okay, fair enough. We are blessed with quite a big campus.

See this is the problem, there is such a variation of circumstances from one school to the next that it is even difficult to get a consensus here sometimes. For all their faults, I don't envy our government trying to figure this one out

xhomelezz · 04-01-2021 02:02PM

Fully agree with O'Neill

https://extra.ie/2021/01/04/news/irish-news/luke-oneill-schools-covid-19-norma-foley

the kelt · 04-01-2021 02:03PM

Bananaleaf wrote: »

How are they going in and out of the shops though? Is the school in question allowing them out during lunchtime?

Our school busses students into the area for school but we have been containing them and they are not allowed to go down the town. We have worked with the community to make sure everyone was happy. Kids get off the bus, go to school, get back on the bus and go home.

Would you contact the parents association or your board of management and communicate this with the school to see if there is anything that can be done?

Kids aren’t dropped at the schools doors, 3 secondary schools in the town, all students dropped at relatively centre location, some kids have 5 to 10min walk to schools, others more all passing shops etc on the way.

Kids allowed out during lunchtime, not enough area to contain them also parents complained when it was suggested locking kids into school during lunchtime as it means they would have to go to the bother of making lunches for them etc.

piplip87 · 04-01-2021 02:04PM

Stateofyou wrote: »

I disagree. I've been looking at the comment sections under multiple media reports about school closure possibilities this morning, and the overwhelming majority seem to be saying no, it's madness.

I'd the reckon the vast majority of those commenting are stay at home parents, or those who work from home. Not a real indication of how things will pan out.

SusanC10 · 04-01-2021 02:05PM

Bananaleaf wrote: »

How are they going in and out of the shops though? Is the school in question allowing them out during lunchtime?

Our school busses students into the area for school but we have been containing them and they are not allowed to go down the town. We have worked with the community to make sure everyone was happy. Kids get off the bus, go to school, get back on the bus and go home.

Would you contact the parents association or your board of management and communicate this with the school to see if there is anything that can be done?

I drive our kids to/from school since they reopened (previously on the bus)
The Secondary School Buses drop the kids near (not at) the School. There are 2 Shops close to the School and the kids are every day in and out both before and after school. Not a bit of social distancing. Also, Senior Students are allowed out of the school grounds at lunchtime.

History Queen · 04-01-2021 02:05PM

Bananaleaf wrote: »

Okay, fair enough. We are blessed with quite a big campus.

See this is the problem, there is such a variation of circumstances from one school to the next that it is even difficult to get a consensus here sometimes. For all their faults, I don't envy our government trying to figure this one out

Agreed, however if they would bloody listen to the people on the ground instead of dismissing us it'd be a start.

Stateofyou · 04-01-2021 02:07PM

Bananaleaf wrote: »

I dunno. We would have to wait to see to be honest. The internet was full of the same in August ahead of the initial reopening and again on 18th December, but we still had far more in than we had out.

Well hopefully we don't have to wait and see, and the call will be made. I think if the schools open, there are many who will send them in feeling it's the right thing to do if gov't say so, not having leave from work, fearing Tulsa, not knowing how to homeschool on their own (same honestly, but I will be figuring it out one way or another) or cave to peer pressure or pressure from their own kids... so will feel they have to but stress levels will be huge.

CharlieHaghy · 04-01-2021 02:08PM

No schools reopening Monday and won’t be back open till paddy’s day at least and that’s a fact.

Link

Stateofyou · 04-01-2021 02:09PM

piplip87 wrote: »

I'd the reckon the vast majority of those commenting are stay at home parents, or those who work from home. Not a real indication of how things will pan out.

Which would mean that without support from the government for working parents outside the home, they would be forced into a decision they are very uncomfortable with. That's a horrible place to be in.

NetChat101 · 04-01-2021 02:12PM

micks_address wrote: »

There might be an argument to bring back leaving cert years and home school everyone else

It's hard on LC students, especially those who did TY. They started into their LC cycle in 5th year and got back into study mode after their TY year. Then after 6 months Covid hit. Back to school this September and 4 months in, more uncertainty.

kippy · 04-01-2021 02:15PM

Rosita wrote: »

It has been said that schools are safe and that they should be the last things to close. Presumably they remain the safest of places and we are a very long way from satisfying the latter criterion so schools closures should not even be up for discussion.

What exactly is your issue here?

You keep repeating this.

The politicians have a lot of interests to massage and keep in check. What they say today, may not necessarily what they say tomorrow - this is based on past performance and the realities of the world. So let's park that there.
NPHET will however be strongly advising to ensure the same numbers that were in school buildings prior to Xmas, dont be there again for a number of weeks until the case numbers (which, while not reliable as an upper count of case numbers, are reliable as a lower count of case numbers) go down significantly.

How any logically minded person cannot see this is beyond me, but a lot of things that have happened the past 9 months are beyond me.

Schools are only relatively safe places when community numbers are manageable. They aren't at the moment and in reality anyone who thinks they will be as the week goes on..............

So forget about the politics for a minute.

Widdensushi · 04-01-2021 02:24PM

CharlieHaghy wrote: »

No schools reopening Monday and won’t be back open till paddy’s day at least and that’s a fact.

Link

??? Have you information that is not publicly available?

Bananaleaf · 04-01-2021 02:25PM

kippy wrote: »

What exactly is your issue here?

You keep repeating this.

The politicians have a lot of interests to massage and keep in check. What they say today, may not necessarily what they say tomorrow - this is based on past performance and the realities of the world. So let's park that there.
NPHET will however be strongly advising to ensure the same numbers that were in school buildings prior to Xmas, dont be there again for a number of weeks until the case numbers (which, while not reliable as an upper count of case numbers, are reliable as a lower count of case numbers) go down significantly.

How any logically minded person cannot see this is beyond me, but a lot of things that have happened the past 9 months are beyond me.

Schools are only relatively safe places when community numbers are manageable. They aren't at the moment and in reality anyone who thinks they will be as the week goes on..............

So forget about the politics for a minute.

Maybe I have understood it wrong, but is Rosita's point not that school closure shouldn't be up for discussion because it is a given that it must happen?

km79 · 04-01-2021 02:28PM

http://twitter.com/newschambers/status/1346084317378859008

downthemiddle · 04-01-2021 02:39PM

CharlieHaghy wrote: »

No schools reopening Monday and won’t be back open till paddy’s day at least and that’s a fact.

Link

Sorry Charlie. Schools will reopen after the February midterm. FACT!!!!

This game is easy

There will be an announcement after the Cabinet meets on Wednesday. You don't have to be Mystic Meg to see what's coming.

frank8211 · 04-01-2021 02:40PM

Bananaleaf wrote: »

I doubt that when they go around to each others houses they are all sitting 1.2m apart with masks on for 90% of the time they are there, but maybe they are

Theyre not there all day with 30 people different houses though. Nothing could be more guaranteed to be unsafe than that

vid36 · 04-01-2021 02:41PM

Decision on Wednesday then.

Bananaleaf · 04-01-2021 02:42PM

frank8211 wrote: »

Theyre not there all day with 30 people different houses though. Nothing could be more guaranteed to be unsafe than that

If they're out in shopping centres they are.

Which is why I was making the point that keeping them home will only work if everything is closed and they actually stay at home

Tpcl20 · 04-01-2021 02:45PM

Sorry about all the misfires, this is the actual audio of Josepha this morning saying the schools weren't closed, the holidays had just been extended.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OGU2nJoJxB0

All I can say to that is read the room like.

Schools closed until February? (part 3)

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