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

Mrsmum wrote: »

A extra problem for this year's cohort is that they are also competing with the November 2020 LC students. Those who just took one subject maybe to up their points. Also if you give more choice, it is very possible that causes the average to good student to be elevated to the level of the very good student. Same when you delete certain parts of the course. All very messy.

Adjusting the marking scheme could help alleviate that issue.

History Queen wrote: »

Adjusting the marking scheme could help alleviate that issue.

If you say so.

am_zarathustra wrote: »

Marking schemes can be adjusted to give whatever answer you want. Too many H3/4/5s, tighten answering requirement, too few, weight the the answers differently. The scheme I get at the start of the marking conference and what I end up correcting my 300 odd exams off is very different, could be 4 alterations til it's set. Regardless of what happens every subject with hif a rough bell curve in line with previous years, that's how it's done every year. The 100th and 101st best student will probably end up with the same grade, a h1, because a certain number are allowed.

The two day conference arguing about the tiniest detail ad nauseum is not much craic either. The SEC examiners and chief examiners are the most competent people I have ever met in education, they are subject experts, surrounded by subject experts with a team of a hundred teachers who are also subject experts. Anyone who thinks we are better off getting the media or Norma or anyone in the DES be in charge of this as opposed to the SEC can't have had very many dealings with either. How often, before last year, is there scandels around the LC? Millions of papers, over 100000 students and it runs like clockwork

The fact the SEC refused tobe part of the calculated grades fiasco from the off last year spoke volumes for me.

mirrorwall14 wrote: »

I heard three were transferred from the SEC to assist? Could be wrong though.

I have to agree though. By and large the SEC are the one branch of education who are solid. I wasn’t particularly happy with the course adjustments in my subjects this year but they could have been worse I guess

Yes three were as advisors, but not the SEC overseeing it as they would the state exams if you know what I mean. They didn't have a role in that respect.

I really think subject associations need to speak up in terms of adjustments to papers.

My daughter is currently in LC and she's normally a very chilled out girl that's full of life but works incredibly hard at school as she is aiming for a high points course. She has become more and more stressed as this academic year has gone on and then today she just broke down in a puddle of tears. She's frustrated at Norma and the Dept for not having a plan in place for the situation the LCs are now in. She hates the constant sound bites and leaks that are constantly contradicting each other. She is annoyed at the lack of urgency on the DoEs part to sort this mess out. As she said, time is ticking on, mocks have already been pushed back, no one seems to know what's happening to orals; and projects are either half done or not even started depending on the subject. She says they cannot possibly sit a normal LC because their prep for it has been anything but normal.
So I asked her if she wanted predicted grades and she said that no she doesn't. She says that while she believes her teachers would award her with grades that reflect the hard work she has put in, she also doesn't trust the Dept not to make the same mistakes as last year and so could potentially cost her a place in the course that she wants. She also says sitting a normal LC comes with a high risk too as she feels they are still trying to finish all the coursework at present and so her own prep for the LC has been hampered.
Both myself and her father have been doing our best to reassure her but it's a lot easier for us in our 40s and with life experience to see the bigger picture. To an 18 year old whose whole academic life has been building to this point, and with the rest of their lives on hold, the LC is a huge deal and its understandable that she cannot see beyond it.

Cases seem to be dropping
Hmmmmmmmmmm

With the big drop in cases, we should now aim for a blanket return on Feb 22nd.

Ray Donovan wrote: »

With the big drop in cases, we should now aim for a blanket return on Feb 22nd.

No reason why 6th years couldnt return Monday week if it's under 1000 tbh

C__MC wrote: »

No reason why 6th years couldnt return Monday week if it's under 1000 tbh

No issue there. Numbers just over a thousand should see all schools open a la October.

Ray Donovan wrote: »

No issue there. Numbers just over a thousand should see all schools open a la October.

This is a much more transmissible strain ?
No testing of close contacts
Contact tracing

We have a bit to go yet

The absolute worst thing we could do is repeat the mistakes of December . Have we learned nothing ?

Ray Donovan wrote: »

With the big drop in cases, we should now aim for a blanket return on Feb 22nd.

Locotastic wrote: »

Yes I think so, it's 4 weeks away and with current trajectory of numbers we should be in a much better place by then. Also tracing and testing should be back to previous levels within that time.

I do think the phased approach will be used to get a measure of things slowly so that will start with creches/playschools fully open, then primary and lastly secondary. Colleges probably still won't have any regular lectures until October.

If they start 1st Feb and bring each phase in for 2+ week period each so that will bring us up until just after St Patrick's Day before everyone is "fully" back.

Do you not think the ICU numbers need to come down before that?

km79 wrote: »

Testing of close contacts is still not back in operation
I assume contact tracing is still not either ?

Contact tracing didn't stop? Just testing of asymptomatic contacts stopped.

Ray Donovan wrote: »

I disagree simply because the 3rd wave came had nothing to do with schools so we cant keep them closed because people went from house to house, pub to pub, shop to shop. With all these out of the equation, numbers around 1,000 per day schools should be relatively ok. Again a la October.

I would agree with you if we didn't have the 3 extra different strains of it on the go. It's pretty high stakes - if we open up the schools and transmission is through the roof, we end up with an overcrowded ICU, we would be .... to put it bluntly ... fckud

Ray Donovan wrote: »

With the big drop in cases, we should now aim for a blanket return on Feb 22nd.

Locotastic wrote: »

In 4 weeks time they will be.

Oh yes, sorry I am only registering that Feb 22nd was mentioned in Ray Donovan's post.

Yeah, fair enough. If numbers are down, if ICU is down a phased return for all would be possible I'd think.

It would have to be phased so you could get a sense for how transmissible these new variants are but yeah, it sounds like a plan.