Schools closed until February? (part 3)

Teacher2020 · 05-01-2021 11:24AM

The current UK list would see me have nearly a full class. Only 5 children would have to stay at home. It should be only available for children where both parents are essential workers/single parents who are key workers. Vulnerable children should also be catered for.

khalessi · 05-01-2021 11:26AM

Teacher2020 wrote: »

The current UK list would see me have nearly a full class. Only 5 children would have to stay at home. It should be only available for children where both parents are essential workers/single parents who are key workers. Vulnerable children should also be catered for.

Norma said the schools would be open by hook or by crook. This is the workaround to get that. I would be surprised it the lists are altered as there would be uproar.

lulublue22 · 05-01-2021 11:27AM

wirelessdude01 wrote: »

What I expect is a mish mash of a mess, them trying to pander to everyone and getting nothing right. Fully expect that they will want us to cater for both online and inperson at the same time..

I went through my class last night and I think 17 of them could lay realistic claims to being from homes of a "key/essential" worker such is the range of stuff that is still open.

This is my major concern at the moment. It’s too late in the day to try and implement this mish mash. Trying to run two separate learning systems with the level of provision at the moment will be a disaster which will leave no one happy. If this is the idea I’d rather a week on week off type situation - I think this would be better in terms of educational provision than some ham fisted aping of the English schools open for essential workers.

khalessi · 05-01-2021 11:32AM

lulublue22 wrote: »

This is my major concern at the moment. It’s too late in the day to try and implement this mish mash. Trying to run two separate learning systems with the level of provision at the moment will be a disaster which will leave no one happy. If this is the idea I’d rather a week on week off type situation - I think this would be better in terms of educational provision than some ham fisted aping of the English schools open for essential workers.

I do think they waited to see what Boris did so we could copy it. Be interesting to see how similar they are.

Icyseanfitz · 05-01-2021 11:38AM

I think we are all expecting it to be a useless limp approach anyway

SusanC10 · 05-01-2021 11:48AM

mirrorwall14 wrote: »

If they don’t fix the essential workers list I can see some schools having almost full lists of students

Yeah, my Husband is classed as essential and has a letter from his organisation stating this in case he needs to go into the office. But in reality he has been there once only since last March and has been here at home otherwise.

alroley · 05-01-2021 11:51AM

SusanC10 wrote: »

Yeah, my Husband is classed as essential and has a letter from his organisation stating this in case he needs to go into the office. But in reality he has been there once only since last March and has been here at home otherwise.

I have friends that are the same. They have letters saying they are essential works and have permission to go to any of their companies offices in the country. They haven't seen the inside of an office since March 2020.

the kelt · 05-01-2021 12:05PM

So the CMO is now concerned about the rise in cases amongst children thats now coming to light.

But arent kids fine, no issues, school is like Narnia where normality takes leave of itself.

Imagine how concerned he would be if all the cases that were actually being identified in schools were cited as being in schools rather than the catch all "community transmission"

St.Spodo · 05-01-2021 12:13PM

It's clear as day that the government never foresaw a situation where schools would have to close, and therefore never bothered their hole to come up with a contingency plan. That in itself is outrageous, and it speaks to how they saw the coronavirus pandemic in July-September. They thought that dealing with the virus meant dealing with a static entity that could be kept at bay by washing our hands and wearing the mask, and not something that would cripple society if given half a chance.

Str8outtaWuhan · 05-01-2021 12:16PM

I had a quick look the the essential list from Ireland and the key workers list from UK, pretty much the same . I would hazard in some primary schools depending on socioeconomic background they could be pretty full while others pretty empty.

SusanC10 · 05-01-2021 12:19PM

St.Spodo wrote: »

It's clear as day that the government never foresaw a situation where schools would have to close, and therefore never bothered their hole to come up with a contingency plan. That in itself is outrageous, and it speaks to how they saw the coronavirus pandemic in July-September. They thought that dealing with the virus meant dealing with a static entity that could be kept at bay by washing our hands and wearing the mask, and not something that would cripple society if given half a chance.

But surely they should have decided to plan for the worst case scenario??
Isn't that what Disaster Planning is about ?

scrubs33 · 05-01-2021 12:21PM

Taken from the Examiner/Today programme on radio one: 'School principal Colm O’Rourke said that within schools “things have improved by 10 years” since this time last year with regard to remote learning.
There had been “huge investment” by the Department of Education and schools were now in a better position to provide online teaching, it was the engagement level that was the issue'
I'd agree with him about engagement being the issue but a 10 year improvement? Huge Investment?

Str8outtaWuhan · 05-01-2021 12:22PM

scrubs33 wrote: »

Taken from the Examiner/Today programme on radio one: 'School principal Colm O’Rourke said that within schools “things have improved by 10 years” since this time last year with regard to remote learning.
There had been “huge investment” by the Department of Education and schools were now in a better position to provide online teaching, it was the engagement level that was the issue'
I'd agree with him about engagement being the issue but a 10 year improvement? Huge Investment?

He would know all about huge investments

St.Spodo · 05-01-2021 12:23PM

SusanC10 wrote: »

But surely they should have decided to plan for the worst case scenario??
Isn't that what Disaster Planning is about ?

Yes, absolutely they should have.

wirelessdude01 · 05-01-2021 12:26PM

scrubs33 wrote: »

Taken from the Examiner/Today programme on radio one: 'School principal Colm O’Rourke said that within schools “things have improved by 10 years” since this time last year with regard to remote learning.
There had been “huge investment” by the Department of Education and schools were now in a better position to provide online teaching, it was the engagement level that was the issue'
I'd agree with him about engagement being the issue but a 10 year improvement? Huge Investment?

I would take anything that man says with a pinch of salt. He will say anything once he gets payed for his contribution.

jimmytwotimes 2013 · 05-01-2021 12:29PM

scrubs33 wrote: »

Taken from the Examiner/Today programme on radio one: 'School principal Colm O’Rourke said that within schools “things have improved by 10 years” since this time last year with regard to remote learning.
There had been “huge investment” by the Department of Education and schools were now in a better position to provide online teaching, it was the engagement level that was the issue'
I'd agree with him about engagement being the issue but a 10 year improvement? Huge Investment?

Come over to the west of Ireland Colm and you might change your tune

scrubs33 · 05-01-2021 12:30PM

wirelessdude01 wrote: »

I would take anything that man says with a pinch of salt. He will say anything once he gets payed for his contribution.

Oh absolutely but he's the go to guy for RTE it seems when looking for the views of school leaders. It's a dangerous narrative to be presenting and could/will stoke the debate around the effectiveness of online provision.

Red Silurian · 05-01-2021 12:34PM

NPHET constantly saying for the last few months that schools are 'safe environments' yet they need to be closed, one wonders...

khalessi · 05-01-2021 12:35PM

SusanC10 wrote: »

But surely they should have decided to plan for the worst case scenario??
Isn't that what Disaster Planning is about ?

I think for Dept disaster planning would be in relation to earthquakes and volcanoes and sure they dont effect us.

This depsite the fact they have had 10 months to come up with something.

khalessi · 05-01-2021 12:37PM

colmtheperson wrote: »

NPHET constantly saying for the last few months that schools are 'safe environments' yet they need to be closed, one wonders...

More and more data coming through that schools help spread this and all along they preached schools are safe.

JimmyVik · 05-01-2021 12:39PM

alroley wrote: »

I have friends that are the same. They have letters saying they are essential works and have permission to go to any of their companies offices in the country. They haven't seen the inside of an office since March 2020.

I have one too. And not been in the office since last March.

So lets say children of essential workers go to school, which means children of teachers go in too.

The teacher must teach the kids in the school. Who is going to teach the kids who are at home?

The_Brood · 05-01-2021 12:56PM

MerlinSouthDub wrote: »

Schools were open throughout November with falling case numbers. What costs lives is adults socialising and meeting inside.

....And those adults socialising inside have absolutely no contact with said students who go to school, and if they do the students can't just as easily spread the virus?

Honestly the logical pits people have to jump over to defend this government's 'decision making' are astonishing.

MerlinSouthDub · 05-01-2021 01:01PM

The_Brood wrote: »

....And those adults socialising inside have absolutely no contact with said students who go to school, and if they do the students can't just as easily spread the virus?

Honestly the logical pits people have to jump over to defend this government's 'decision making' are astonishing.

? The schools were open for 4 months without causing a surge. I fully support them being closed now, because community infection is so high. But, it's completely obvious what caused the Christmas surge i.e. nothing to do with schools.

eviltwin · 05-01-2021 01:02PM

SusanC10 wrote: »

Yeah, my Husband is classed as essential and has a letter from his organisation stating this in case he needs to go into the office. But in reality he has been there once only since last March and has been here at home otherwise.

I don’t understand that. I would have assumed essential means a job that can’t be done from home and a service that can’t close. I know a few people who have bosses who want them on site so they suddenly become essential workers when in reality they don’t need to be there.

Bananaleaf · 05-01-2021 01:04PM

So schools may close until the end of the month, but may remain open for:

Children of frontline workers
Children in disadvantaged areas
Disabled children

Does that sound to anyone like they will have a full reopening of SEN schools and ones in disadvantaged areas and then access for frontline workers only in the remaining ones?

Article points out that the closure is not due to schools being unsafe, rather to stop the movement of up to 1million people around the country

https://www.google.com/amp/s/amp.independent.ie/irish-news/schools-to-stay-shut-until-end-of-month-under-cabinet-plan-as-more-than-6000-new-covid-cases-recorded-39932928.html

I would have assumed essential means a job that can’t be done from home

the biggest obstacle schools could face will be employers' loose interpretations of the word essential.

jimmytwotimes 2013 · 05-01-2021 01:05PM

JimmyVik wrote: »

The teacher must teach the kids in the school. Who is going to teach the kids who are at home?

I presume the teacher wud engage online, from the school, with those students. Dunno if they're thinking of that of not. Children of teachers obv go to school then as nobody home to mind them.

Stateofyou · 05-01-2021 01:05PM

eviltwin wrote: »

I don’t understand that. I would have assumed essential means a job that can’t be done from home and a service that can’t close. I know a few people who have bosses who want them on site so they suddenly become essential workers when in reality they don’t need to be there.

My cousin works for a company deemed as essential work (anima care related). She works in the office with all the other office staff. They still go in to work because they're allowed and don't work from home because they 'don't have enough laptops.' And clearly they don't have to/won't buy any more. This must be happening everywhere.

TexasTornado · 05-01-2021 01:08PM

People still don't seem to get it as regards schools, the vast majority of kids will be fine but teachers, SNA's, school bus drivers etc.. are risking a hell of a lot going into that environment with the current surge. I know I certainly wouldn't do it and I most certainly would expect to be vaccinated if I had to.

The_Brood · 05-01-2021 01:08PM

MerlinSouthDub wrote: »

? The schools were open for 4 months without causing a surge. I fully support them being closed now, because community infection is so high. But, it's completely obvious what caused the Christmas surge i.e. nothing to do with schools.

You and the government keep acting as if schools are not part of the community, or are immune to the virus in the community. Like they are isolated on the moon or something. Schools are simply a part of the community like everything else. They do not by themselves cause surges, nor are they somehow immune from a rise in cases when surges in the community do occur.

And yes the government will be delighted with the excuses people are drumming up for them now "oh we have to close because things have changed look how many cases." If they admit that the schools are not now, and therefore never been immune to community surges, then they have been lying out of their teeth the entire time and keeping schools open despite claiming that public health comes number one. I guess cowering to angry parents who don't want their children home is actually what comes as number one. That is criminal, it has cost lives, and they should be in prison for this. Starting with Tony.

Lashes28 · 05-01-2021 01:09PM

Teacher2020 wrote: »

The current UK list would see me have nearly a full class. Only 5 children would have to stay at home. It should be only available for children where both parents are essential workers/single parents who are key workers. Vulnerable children should also be catered for.

Am I being a little naïve in asking how do you know what jobs your students parents have??

Schools closed until February? (part 3)

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