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

Birdy · 27-01-2021 02:14PM

downthemiddle wrote: »

They have been muzzled as have the rest of the cabinet on this issue. All negotiations are now being kept confidential until a planned reopening is agreed. MM clipped a number of cabinet wings over the leaking of information to the media.
We can expect an announcement in the next week, all going well. A phased reopening should begin around the February midterm with special school and outreach classes being the first to reopen. If that is successful we will move onto the gradual reopening of mainstream primary, again starting with children with additional needs. Somewhere along the line LC students will also be phased in.

Primary need to all go back at once or they will be mixing pods.

Most schools are off for the mid-term 15th - 19th. I doubt any will be back next week. That leaves 2 weeks in February to play with. Then, there's 2 weeks before St. Patrick's Day. Easter holidays start on 26th March. Schools reopen 12th April.

Ideally there would be 2 weeks between each phase.

Possible outcome:
Special schools: 7th February
Primary schools: 22nd February
Leaving Certs: 8th March
All secondary school students: 22nd March (for one week

)

The Wordress · 27-01-2021 02:20PM

I think at this stage, no school will reopen this side of the midterm.

I think LCs and special classes and schools will go back first. After that who knows what dates!

MerlinSouthDub · 27-01-2021 02:23PM

Birdy wrote: »

Primary need to all go back at once or they will be mixing pods.

Most schools are off for the mid-term 15th - 19th. I doubt any will be back next week. That leaves 2 weeks in February to play with. Then, there's 2 weeks before St. Patrick's Day. Easter holidays start on 26th March. Schools reopen 12th April.

Ideally there would be 2 weeks between each phase.

Possible outcome:
Special schools: 7th February
Primary schools: 22nd February
Leaving Certs: 8th March
All secondary school students: 22nd March (for one week )

For special schools, couldn't they bring forward the midterm to next week?

Red Silurian · 27-01-2021 02:25PM

Birdy wrote: »

Primary need to all go back at once or they will be mixing pods.

Most schools are off for the mid-term 15th - 19th. I doubt any will be back next week. That leaves 2 weeks in February to play with. Then, there's 2 weeks before St. Patrick's Day. Easter holidays start on 26th March. Schools reopen 12th April.

Ideally there would be 2 weeks between each phase.

Possible outcome:
Special schools: 7th February
Primary schools: 22nd February
Leaving Certs: 8th March
All secondary school students: 22nd March (for one week )

I think you'd have to put junior and leaving certs in the same boat ahead of primary schools but I see no reason primary and secondary can't open fully at the same time

Our daily case numbers are dropping like a stone right now so I can't see schools being closed for much longer

Icyseanfitz · 27-01-2021 02:32PM

MerlinSouthDub wrote: »

For special schools, couldn't they bring forward the midterm to next week?

for kids that rely so much on routine id imagine bringing them back in for a week, off for a week and back in again could be an issue.

shoppergal · 27-01-2021 02:34PM

hesaidshesaid wrote: »

I know it's impossible to say but do people think AEN kids will be the week before midterm or that gov will wait until afterwards?

If numbers in hospitals are down and close contacts being tested I'd be happy enough to go back Feb 8th but with midterm on the 12th, the kids would only be back 5 days and then the routine would be interrupted again. That doesn't seem appropriate for kids with AEN. But maybe parents would be happy just to get them back.

My son is in a special school and it wouldn't work him going back for a week and then off for a week, would confuse him more than he already is. I don't understand why they couldn't bring the midterm forward. They should go back when it's suitable for them to go back, not based around previously planned days off. If they decide the 8th Feb is a suitable day then next week should be midterm and they start back on the 8th.

MerlinSouthDub · 27-01-2021 02:34PM

Icyseanfitz wrote: »

for kids that rely so much on routine id imagine bringing them back in for a week, off for a week and back in again could be an issue.

Yes that's what I'm getting at. Bring forward the mid term for special schools (so mid term is next week), bring them back the following week, and then they have a clear run at it.

I also think bringing forward the easter break should be considered for Leaving Cert Students, or possibly bringing forward one week of it.

(by the way, I'm not in any way suggesting that any breaks should be cancelled, just brought forward. I fully get that teachers are working harder then ever in the remote learning world)

Icyseanfitz · 27-01-2021 02:41PM

MerlinSouthDub wrote: »

Yes that's what I'm getting at. Bring forward the mid term for special schools (so mid term is next week), bring them back the following week, and then they have a clear run at it.

I also think bringing forward the easter break should be considered for Leaving Cert Students, or possibly bringing forward one week of it.

(by the way, I'm not in any way suggesting that any breaks should be cancelled, just brought forward. I fully get that teachers are working harder then ever in the remote learning world)

id actually be completely okay with bringing midterm and easter forward, the DES wont do it though

billy_beckham · 27-01-2021 02:42PM

Icyseanfitz wrote: »

Other eu countries are now mandating ffp2 as a minimum in near all situations btw, these variants are a huge factor that no one can afford to gamble with

Ok, higher spec masks. Should be easy 1 to sort...

MerlinSouthDub · 27-01-2021 02:43PM

Icyseanfitz wrote: »

id actually be completely okay with bringing midterm and easter forward, the DES wont do it though

Do they have any rationale for that? Or it just inflexible bureaucracy stuff. Seems like a no-brainer.

Icyseanfitz · 27-01-2021 02:44PM

MerlinSouthDub wrote: »

Do they have any rationale for that? Or it just inflexible bureaucracy stuff. Seems like a no-brainer.

laziness, unwillingness to change, stuck in their ways

Icyseanfitz · 27-01-2021 02:46PM

billy_beckham wrote: »

Ok, higher spec masks. Should be easy 1 to sort...

yeah the DES couldnt even give us all lesser grade masks and ppe correctly throughout the period of sep-dec, we would need to restart contact tracing and testing close contacts as well.

MerlinSouthDub · 27-01-2021 02:47PM

Icyseanfitz wrote: »

laziness, unwillingness to change, stuck in their ways

Thanks, that's what I feared.

billy_beckham · 27-01-2021 02:48PM

jimmytwotimes 2013 wrote: »

Dr. Billy on editorial duty now. Jesus Wept.

Things improving upset you that much??

jimmytwotimes 2013 · 27-01-2021 02:50PM

billy_beckham wrote: »

Things improving upset you that much??

You make some amount of assumptions here Billy

billy_beckham · 27-01-2021 02:51PM

Icyseanfitz wrote: »

id actually be completely okay with bringing midterm and easter forward, the DES wont do it though

You really think FORSA/INTO/ASTI/TUI et al would have no problem? It would be the department..

SusanC10 · 27-01-2021 02:53PM

Personally, I can't see any Students physically back in school buildings ahead of Feb 22nd.
Maybe kids with Special/Additional Needs at that point and then maybe LC and JC before Paddy's Day.
See how things are going then and maybe some other groups (possibly younger Primary kids who find remote learning difficult in general?)
And then everyone all going well after the Easter Break.

Just my opinion mind.

Icyseanfitz · 27-01-2021 02:58PM

billy_beckham wrote: »

You really think FORSA/INTO/ASTI/TUI et al would have no problem? It would be the department..

i dont really see my union or fellow colleagues having much of an issue with mid term and easter being brought forward, summer would be a different issue.

JP100 · 27-01-2021 03:09PM

MerlinSouthDub wrote: »

Yes that's what I'm getting at. Bring forward the mid term for special schools (so mid term is next week), bring them back the following week, and then they have a clear run at it.

I also think bringing forward the easter break should be considered for Leaving Cert Students, or possibly bringing forward one week of it.

(by the way, I'm not in any way suggesting that any breaks should be cancelled, just brought forward. I fully get that teachers are working harder then ever in the remote learning world)

You seem to fail to realise that SEN pupils have siblings and now you want them all to be on different school holidays! Parents have enough going on already without having to manage and juggle all of that too.

wirelessdude01 · 27-01-2021 03:15PM

JP100 wrote: »

You seem to fail to realise that SEN pupils have siblings and now you want them all to be on different school holidays! Parents have enough going on already without having to manage and juggle all of that too.

Small details that most don't think about or realise how they impact on some. If they are to move the mid-term(which they won't) then it needs to be changed for every single student country wide.

JP100 · 27-01-2021 03:19PM

wirelessdude01 wrote: »

Small details that most don't think about or realise how they impact on some. If they are to move the mid-term(which they won't) then it needs to be changed for every single student country wide.

Yep, a number of posters on here have no clue what family life is like with a SEN child in terms of siblings, structure, routine, etc. If they did, they wouldn't be throwing out such thoughtless ideas as putting all SEN pupils on a different holiday period to everyone else. Now, I'm sure some families with a SEN child would manage and would be fine with it but an awful lot wouldn't be.

MerlinSouthDub · 27-01-2021 03:43PM

JP100 wrote: »

You seem to fail to realise that SEN pupils have siblings and now you want them all to be on different school holidays! Parents have enough going on already without having to manage and juggle all of that too.

Bring forward the February mid term for everybody so.

And I don't "want" anyone to have different holidays, I'm just suggesting steps which could be taken to mitigate the time lost in school.

BonsaiKitten · 27-01-2021 03:43PM

JP100 wrote: »

You seem to fail to realise that SEN pupils have siblings and now you want them all to be on different school holidays! Parents have enough going on already without having to manage and juggle all of that too.

I'm glad someone else posted it because this was the first thing into my mind! Either bring midterm forward for all or none. It'll just cause hassle for parents otherwise.

TTLF · 27-01-2021 03:46PM

https://twitter.com/rtenews/status/1354427793568894978

Both good and bad news here,
Good - No more "real" traditional LC seems to be the case
Bad - "A few weeks" :pac:

Kinda a joke at this stage, what happened to this statement 4 days ago?
https://twitter.com/MichealLehane/status/1353020081341689857

wirelessdude01 · 27-01-2021 03:50PM

TTLF wrote: »

https://twitter.com/rtenews/status/1354427793568894978

Both good and bad news here,
Good - No more "real" traditional LC seems to be the case
Bad - "A few weeks" :pac:

Kinda a joke at this stage, what happened to this statement 4 days ago?
https://twitter.com/MichealLehane/status/1353020081341689857

Wonder are students gonna be offered a buffet? Select which option you want.

Norma must feel like some awful idiot with all the bleating about "traditional leaving certificate".

JP100 · 27-01-2021 03:55PM

MerlinSouthDub wrote: »

Bring forward the February mid term for everybody so.

And I don't "want" anyone to have different holidays, I'm just suggesting steps which could be taken to mitigate the time lost in school.

1. You said 'Bring forward the mid-term for special schools' which you are now rowing back from.

2. The steps you were initially suggesting do not mitigate anything. You were just calling for holidays to be moved around without thinking too much in the way of the consequences of it.

vid36 · 27-01-2021 03:56PM

Traditional Leaving Cert looks dead, it is a political no brainer to offer students a choice; preddictive grades or modified Leaving Cert.

TTLF · 27-01-2021 03:56PM

wirelessdude01 wrote: »

Wonder are students gonna be offered a buffet? Select which option you want.

Norma must feel like some awful idiot with all the bleating about "traditional leaving certificate".

That's what I'm wondering too, but also which do you choose?

Gonna be a real fun time over the next month.

MerlinSouthDub · 27-01-2021 04:15PM

JP100 wrote: »

1. You said 'Bring forward the mid-term for special schools' which you are now rowing back from.

2. The steps you were initially suggesting do not mitigate anything. You were just calling for holidays to be moved around without thinking too much in the way of the consequences of it.

So, are you in favour of moving the mid term for everyone?

JP100 · 27-01-2021 04:41PM

MerlinSouthDub wrote: »

So, are you in favour of moving the mid term for everyone?

I don't care what they do, I was just pointing out the problems with your initial ill conceived idea.

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

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