Schools closed until February? (part 3)

Bananaleaf · 06-01-2021 11:47PM

In response to those asking about the student strike, I was sent this

History Queen · 06-01-2021 11:49PM

Bananaleaf wrote: »

In response to those asking about the student strike, I was sent this

I can't believe they are looking for predicted grades after last year's ****show.... seriously!

Mrsmum · 06-01-2021 11:49PM

My son tells me his social media from his school mates is buzzing about boycotting school and demanding the LC be cancelled again. They might want the same as teachers regarding not going to school at the moment but have very different agendas.

Midlife · 06-01-2021 11:49PM

Barbeapapa wrote: »

My 6th year student daughter is appreciative of the chance for in-person classes, and a chance to finish projects (thanks to the poster several pages back who suggested that this may not be the case for LC students) but she is crushed by the idea that she is just an exam number (not even an exam result - to be that they would have to take into account the circumstances of covid v schooling) to her government.

She wants (as do her classmates) the Leaving Cert Exam to go ahead in a way that acknowledges their massively curtailed leaning experience over these two years.

She feels Norma Foley and her party are papering over the massive deficits in their leaving cert experience by providing "three days a week in class".

And that is the crux of their upset.

NF and MM imply with great pride that they will hold the leaving cert exams as usual...in other words with NO CONCESSIONS made for these LC students of 2021 who have had a rough time of it. It is all about Fine Fail saving face.

My daughter is a good, diligent student. She has worked consistently throughout but accepts she will not do as well as she would have hoped pre Covid. Her intended course has fairly low points so it is not a case of not getting what she wants. It is a case of the injustice of these young people being used as scapegoats for the Fine Fail ego.

Most schools will not finish the leaving cert course but the exams will encompass the whole course....14 years of diligently working to be unfairly fettered for the last two is what is justifiably bothering the LC21 class.

I don't get how this is difficult for people to grasp.

Also don't forget the bell curve. Notwithstanding the difficulty of the experience for current sixth years or the relative advantage to some schools over others when it comes to online learning, the grades will be distributed over the standard bell curve. She just needs to finish relatively well compared to peers and any diligent student has a huge advantage vrs the spoon-fed.

Good luck with it all. Best wishes.

KrustyUCC · 06-01-2021 11:51PM

SSeanSS wrote: »

I can't begin to understand how hard it would be for a parent of a child with special needs to be taken out of school. It would be extremely stressful. I also sympathise with teachers and sna's as they are putting their health at risk by being required to go to school.

Yes that's the tricky part

It's no more risky for teachers and SNA's over here than in the UK though

SSeanSS · 06-01-2021 11:56PM

KrustyUCC wrote: »

Yes that's the tricky part

It's no more risky for teachers and SNA's over here than in the UK though

True, but that still does not make it acceptable.

Icyseanfitz · 06-01-2021 11:59PM

History Queen wrote: »

I can't believe they are looking for predicted grades after last year's ****show.... seriously!

I actually understand the want for predicted grading considering how much they missed last year and now this year as well, on top of the chance the government could just pull the chain on the lc if things don't get better.

Mrsmum · 06-01-2021 11:59PM

History Queen wrote: »

I can't believe they are looking for predicted grades after last year's ****show.... seriously!

I imagine what they see is that most students did fantastically well last year and most got college courses they might never have got by doing the exam. Might n't be true but that's the perception.

MerlinSouthDub · 07-01-2021 12:01AM

SSeanSS wrote: »

True, but that still does not make it acceptable.

There is no perfect solution. Many tens of thousands of people will go to work next week, in much riskier conditions than teachers. Reducing numbers to special needs and 6th year students seems like a pretty balanced, low risk approach to me. It is not risk free but nothing is right now.

History Queen · 07-01-2021 12:05AM

Icyseanfitz wrote: »

I actually understand the want for predicted grading considering how much they missed last year and now this year as well, on top of the chance the government could just pull the chain on the lc if things don't get better.

But what will their predicted grades be based on?

The HorsesMouth · 07-01-2021 12:05AM

MerlinSouthDub wrote: »

There is no perfect solution. Many tens of thousands of people will go to work next week, in much riskier conditions than teachers. Reducing numbers to special needs and 6th year students seems like a pretty balanced, low risk approach to me. It is not risk free but nothing is right now.

Tell me someone who works in a small room with 25 other people at this moment in time with little more than cotton masks?

Icyseanfitz · 07-01-2021 12:07AM

History Queen wrote: »

But what will their predicted grades be based on?

If they made the decision to go that way now projects and tests could be done over the next number of months.

History Queen · 07-01-2021 12:09AM

Mrsmum wrote: »

I imagine what they see is that most students did fantastically well last year and most got college courses they might never have got by doing the exam. Might n't be true but that's the perception.

Is that truely the perception? Huge amount of disappointment in my circles. Most got college places but not first choices. Huge amount of disappointment and anger at being marked down too. I honestly thought the farce of it was well known. Obviously not. Saying that will teachers agree to it this time after being hung out to dry by the Department last year?

babybuilder · 07-01-2021 12:09AM

The HorsesMouth wrote: »

Tell me someone who works in a small room with 25 other people at this moment in time with little more than cotton masks?

Also, in less than well ventilated rooms. Riding rough shod over the health and safety of staff is deplorable. If schools are safe why aren't all students back?

History Queen · 07-01-2021 12:11AM

Icyseanfitz wrote: »

If they made the decision to go that way now projects and tests could be done over the next number of months.

Last time once the decision was made we were allowed no more contact with students for fear of undue influence.

Edit: i couldn't say a proper goodbye to my class. I really resented it.

Ciano35 · 07-01-2021 12:12AM

babybuilder wrote: »

Also, in less than well ventilated rooms. Riding rough shod over the health and safety of staff is deplorable. If schools are safe why aren't all students back?

And that have just had their cleaning budget cut 40%.

Mrsmum · 07-01-2021 12:13AM

History Queen wrote: »

But what will their predicted grades be based on?

Genuine question - were last year's predicted grades based heavily on the mocks ? And are there not going to be any mocks this year ? Because the only thing last year's cohort did that this year's didn't do yet was the mocks, no ?

alroley · 07-01-2021 12:15AM

Mrsmum wrote: »

Genuine question - were last year's predicted grades based heavily on the mocks ? And are there not going to be any mocks this year ? Because the only thing last year's cohort did that this year's didn't do yet was the mocks, no ?

DES specifically stated not to consider the mocks too much when calculating a grade.

History Queen · 07-01-2021 12:16AM

Mrsmum wrote: »

Genuine question - were last year's predicted grades based heavily on the mocks ? And are there not going to be any mocks this year ? Because the only thing last year's cohort did that this year's didn't do yet was the mocks, no ?

No not heavily based on mocksbut they were in the mix. This years cohort didn't do summer exams last year. Or class tests after lockdown March to May. Or mocks yet. (I mean under exam conditions, they had assessments but they're essentially open book when done online)

Mrsmum · 07-01-2021 12:16AM

History Queen wrote: »

Is that truely the perception? Huge amount of disappointment in my circles. Most got college places but not first choices. Huge amount of disappointment and anger at being marked down too. I honestly thought the farce of it was well known. Obviously not. Saying that will teachers agree to it this time after being hung out to dry by the Department last year?

I suppose it depends on who you know, definately the perception where I live. Great results altogether. I also have a nephew and niece that got nearly 600 points each, a good few points above their expectations.

Locotastic · 07-01-2021 12:16AM

KrustyUCC wrote: »

Yes that's the tricky part

It's no more risky for teachers and SNA's over here than in the UK though

Except what happens here is that teachers and SNAs are expected to return next week while their own children's schools are closed.

What are they supposed to do? Not very practical for them in fairness.

MerlinSouthDub · 07-01-2021 12:17AM

The HorsesMouth wrote: »

Tell me someone who works in a small room with 25 other people at this moment in time with little more than cotton masks?

Lots of Manufacturing, hospitals. I’d agree they should provide surgical quality masks. And there should be sports halls etc available to avoid cramming into a small room.

Mrsmum · 07-01-2021 12:20AM

History Queen wrote: »

No not heavily based on mocksbut they were in the mix. This years cohort didn't do summer exams last year. Or class tests after lockdown March to May. Or mocks yet. (I mean under exam conditions, they had assessments but they're essentially open book when done online)

But they are getting constant class tests in my son's case. What are they all for ? Actually I'm not calling for predicted grades btw. I'm totally unsure what is for the best.

History Queen · 07-01-2021 12:22AM

Mrsmum wrote: »

But they are getting constant class tests in my son's case. What are they all for ? Actually I'm not calling for predicted grades. I'm totally unsure what is for the best.

But that is literally one term of assessments. To base a predicted grade on from a two year course.

Mrsmum · 07-01-2021 12:23AM

History Queen wrote: »

But that is literally one term of assessments. To base a predicted grade on from a two year course.

Yeah point well made.

Icyseanfitz · 07-01-2021 12:23AM

MerlinSouthDub wrote: »

Lots of Manufacturing, hospitals. I’d agree they should provide surgical quality masks. And there should be sports halls etc available to avoid cramming into a small room.

Why are we discussing this stuff again, it mighty have been relevant before Christmas, but now we have a new strain thats 70% more transmissible, and 8k cases a day, with hospitals looking extremely grim over the next month. Its a completely different scenario,

its utter madness having 60k+ 17-19yo students and the 10s of thousands of staff associated with them brought into schools. My school alone has staff from 5 different counties, and a huge outbreak in the locality of the school. The leaving certificate pales in comparison to the issue we currently face.

History Queen · 07-01-2021 12:25AM

Mrsmum wrote: »

Yeah point well made.

Just to clarify I'm not trying to be contrary, I just truly believe predicated grades are completely unacceptable and diminish the quality of teaching and learning that happens in our schools..

Mrsmum · 07-01-2021 12:29AM

History Queen wrote: »

Is that truely the perception? Huge amount of disappointment in my circles. Most got college places but not first choices. Huge amount of disappointment and anger at being marked down too. I honestly thought the farce of it was well known. Obviously not. Saying that will teachers agree to it this time after being hung out to dry by the Department last year?

Were they not marked down after having been marked up first by their teachers ??? I'm sure It was all over the airways that teachers marked up. Is that not correct? The students were disappointed based on their own opinion of themselves, they didn't really know the mark they would have got in the real exam.

charlesanto · 07-01-2021 12:30AM

Icyseanfitz wrote: »

Why are we discussing this stuff again, it mighty have been relevant before Christmas, but now we have a new strain thats 70% more transmissible, and 8k cases a day, with hospitals looking extremely grim over the next month. Its a completely different scenario,

its utter madness having 60k+ 17-19yo students and the 10s of thousands of staff associated with them brought into schools. My school alone has staff from 5 different counties, and a huge outbreak in the locality of the school. The leaving certificate pales in comparison to the issue we currently face.

From what i have heard previous attempts to distance educate were pathetic.

Dayo93 · 07-01-2021 12:32AM

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Locotastic wrote: »

Except what happens here is that teachers and SNAs are expected to return next week while their own children's schools are closed.

What are they supposed to do? Not very practical for them in fairness.

In fairness that's the problem faced by all working parents , it affect us last lockdown when you could have no childcare worst few months of our lives , , and this time it wlll result in having to pay hundreds in child care

Schools closed until February? (part 3)

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