Schools closed until March/April? (part 4) **Mod warning in OP 22/01**

km79 wrote: »

Sure what would the HSE’s chief clinical officer know . We have resident public health experts on boards to advise us that schools are safe . And economic experts advising that public servants will be put on the PUP if we do not return post haste to these safe environments

What did he say different to Ronan Glynn?

Yes cases are too high for full school reopening at this stage and having over a million students on the move

Glynn said said that although there were no “zero-risk” environments, the re-opening of schools was in the best interests of children.

He explained that NPHET’s advice for people to stay at home was partly intended to allow limited sections of society to continue, and that health officials recognised that some people could not stay at home because their work would not allow them to do so.

He also acknowledged that although there have been clusters and outbreaks in educational settings, that these had occurred in a small number of locations only.

“By and large, the experience [in recent months] was a very positive one and a very successful one,” the Deputy CMO said.

“That said, we have always been clear that if we were to experience very widespread community transmission [of Covid-19], that would have an impact on the ability of schools to operate.”

Glynn clarified that NPHET wrote to the minister earlier this month and advised that, rather than expressing concerns about schools themselves, officials worried about the spread of Covid-19 due to one million people travelling to and from schools daily.

Dr Henry said he hopes there are elements of education that can be looked at more closely, particularly children with additional needs who are much more vulnerable to school closures and "our hope is there would be priority given to certain elements of the education sector".

Big difference in schools opening for limited amounts of students than a full reopening at this especially as lots of students can learn from home

Others like children with special needs not so much

Redordeadqwwer wrote: »

So are schools gonna be back on February 1st or not? They’ve only five working days left to sort it. Will they announce it today?

it's not happening

Redordeadqwwer wrote: »

So are schools gonna be back on February 1st or not? They’ve only five working days left to sort it. Will they announce it today?

My sister is on school board and said they are working on an assumption that schools will be closed until case's are below 300 a day.
They are thinking Feb 22nd

c montgomery wrote: »

My sister is on school board and said they are working on an assumption that schools will be closed until case's are below 300 a day.
They are thinking Feb 22nd

Hard to see under 300 a day that early but yes 22nd is a date that's getting thrown around

Redordeadqwwer wrote: »

So are schools gonna be back on February 1st or not? They’ve only five working days left to sort it. Will they announce it today?

Would say the answer is no to schools returning. All reports at the moment are really very bad. Paul Reid of HSE saying hospitals are in a bad way. Alot of prominent microbiologists want a far tougher line from the Government, borders closed etc. Heard George Lee on Morning Ireland this morning doing a piece about just how virulent this new variant is and that there are other variants creating themselves all the time. Personally I think the Government is a bit soft on us all, the message to stay at home should be more strident from them imo. Supposed to be a big Government meeting next Tues afaik, next news then.

khalessi wrote: »

Bad class!! They should have posted the cookies:D

Well I did have one of last years mams, arrange a delivery of baked goods to my home home address for Christmas. Such a nice thought. She went to the trouble of getting my address off of someone who knew it.

wirelessdude01 wrote: »

If we are even told given that principals seem to be told via the media now whether their schools are to partially reopen or not.

DES didn't formally inform schools this week that the partial reopening had been abandoned.

Its ridiculous at this stage

Stateofyou wrote: »

I think we're going to see some kind of shake up with the Ministers for Education before the next announcement. Maybe it's wishful thinking, but they have to be licking their wounds today. I've seen that video of them getting lifted out of it in the Dail yesterday starting to spread on social media. It was posted this morning to the Alerting Parents fb page - 130k people will be seeing it there alone. It's a massive failure and embarrassment for this government (well it should be) and I'd say they're going to be having quite serious discussions over it involving the most senior leaders now. If MM was smart, and if he put the Irish people in the school community first (aka do his gd job) he would make a big move to get control of it.

Why did you use the term "Irish people"?

They won't change them now, that would be admitting they had fcuked up. It will be done under the guise of a smaller reshuffle.

Assuming schools don't go back, anyone have a best guess at what they might do about the Leaving Cert. I read they were going to be making some announcement by end of this month...

khalessi wrote: »

Can I ask were special needs schools open prior to Christmas? I presume they were.

Yes - special needs schools were treated the same as all schools. Infection rates were slightly higher at 3.7 vs 3 .

Leaving cert is a long way away, with the prospect of increased vaccine rollout in the interim.

Its very unlikely to see kids back in school in the next 3-4 weeks, but I also think the state exams could go ahead with the right precautions.
I remember (years ago now!) doing my LC and we were all socially distant anyway by virtyue of desk placement

ELM327 wrote: »

Leaving cert is a long way away, with the prospect of increased vaccine rollout in the interim.

Its very unlikely to see kids back in school in the next 3-4 weeks, but I also think the state exams could go ahead with the right precautions.
I remember (years ago now!) doing my LC and we were all socially distant anyway by virtyue of desk placement

Just drop the JC frees up a huge amount of space for students to sit the LC

khalessi wrote: »

I woudl reckon schools going back Feb 1st is a no no

Colm Henry here saying https://www.rte.ie/news/coronavirus/2021/0122/1191335-coronavirus-ireland/

transmission levels are currently ten times what they were in early December.

He said this needs to reduce to a much lower level "before we can add to additional risk by the mixing of crowds at school settings".


I think they have to get a grip on numbers and enhanced ppe as this is more virulant


As Aodhan o Riordain says it is the virus to blame not teachers not unions

Problem is colm Henry is not Norma Foley and that woman does her own thing