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

MerlinSouthDub wrote: »

That's why we have discussion forums, to discuss ideas.... bringing forward the mid term for everyone seems like a no brainer with no downside. Hope they do it.

Doubt Norma or Joseph's are trawling the forums of boards for ideas. They have enough hair rained ideas all on their own.

Norma wouldn't go for this even if it was the only sensible option as she didn't come up with it.

Theboinkmaster wrote: »

4 weeks into the surge what don't you understand? Meant to open 4 Jan which was almost 4 weeks ago and during a period of a surge in cases.

I don't accept the delay - it's not that complicated to organize 30,000 students back with the same process as before Xmas and now added in some additional safeguards.

It really is not complicated. Just to back like you were before Xmas.

Crèche workers are already back since 4 Jan. Why? Because if they don't work they don't get paid.

Special needs educators? Still getting paid, whilst off work.

Is there any difference in risk to a crèche worker v risk to special needs teacher? No there's actually less as special needs teacher would only have 1-3 kids in room with them.

Really honestly do you know what I'd do if I was a special needs educator right now? I'd contact the parents of my students and I'd pop on PPE and go to their homes Monday - Friday each day and make sure those kids got what they needed and did not regress.

Meant to open 6th of January which is 3 weeks ago not nearly 4 weeks.
‘Special needs educators’ is a very broad group of people. The ‘special needs educators’ or SET as they are called in my school are all working every day supporting the pupils on their caseload. They are doing 1:1 Zoom calls with children, phoning and emailing parents, setting and responding to activities set on our online learning platform and working with class teachers on differentiated lessons. So yes getting paid and working.
Also crèches have been allowed to open for limited numbers of children. Not all crèches have reopened either. It isn’t full opening at all. Many have greatly reduced numbers of children and staff. Even with that, quite a number have been closed by the HSE due to COVID outbreaks.
As for a ‘special needs educator’ being less at risk as they only have 1-3 in the room, that comment shows how little you know about special education settings. Special classes attached to a mainstream school can have 6 pupils and 3 adults in them. Others will have 8-10 pupils and 2 adults. A class in a special school can have similar numbers but possibly more adults, so maybe 12 children and 3-4 adults. In some of these schools, the pupils can be up to 18 years old but it’s within the primary system.
In a mainstream primary, a SET may have a withdrawal group of 4-6 at a time, or work 1:1 or in a small group but that is each half hour do over the course of the day, they are working with maybe 15-20+ children from a number of different classes. This is just an example of some settings. There are many more.
Many educators and SNA are calling to houses and dropping in resources for the children they work with. However, to prevent regression, what many of the children need is OT, SLT and physiotherapy and these services have in many cases been severely curtailed or stopped since last March.

[quote="Theboinkmaster;

Really honestly do you know what I'd do if I was a special needs educator right now? I'd contact the parents of my students and I'd pop on PPE and go to their homes Monday - Friday each day and make sure those kids got what they needed and did not regress.[/quote]

Ohh my dear god. Heard it all now. Most parents don't want someone knocking on their door.

Also insurance issues as using car for work purposes.

Lovely idea in theory though.

Assume you have your application in to retrain as a teacher such is your level of expertise.

Hospital numbers starting to drop properly now thankfully, ICU numbers levelling off too and a positivity rate of 8% from today's numbers with approx 23k people tested.

Things are definitely improving and at a good rate too. 143k vaccines administered to date, averaging 35k a week. They need to seriously ramp that up otherwise it will be October before the 700k are fully covered and we'll be in continuous in and out of lockdown.

billy_beckham wrote: »

He's reporting that teachers are offering their services on social media to do house visits? Said INTO have asked them to desist and follow the rules. Hopefully the nixers will stop soon....

That level of stupidity is mind boggling - selective following of the rules and or feeling the rules don’t apply to us is what has us in this position in the first place. Who wants random people coming in and out of their house 🀪

Wife just got tx from secondary school,online classes wont happen next monday, teacher training day ,wtf....

Mrsmum wrote: »

I'm not sure if this is unusual but I am aware of teachers from a DEIS school doing it.

I'm in a DEIS school, there are drops offs happening, food, books, laptops, copies, pens....art supplies all sorts. Whatever the kids need bit don't have. No one is going in teaching the kids though, at most they might go in to set up a laptop with masks and ppe

mosii wrote: »

Wife just got tx from secondary school,online classes wont happen next monday, teacher training day ,wtf....

That’s mandated by the dep not the school - email dep and complain.

Getting closer and closer to Friday and the 7:30pm department email to schools and principals

Mrsmum wrote: »

I'm not sure if this is unusual but I am aware of teachers from a DEIS school doing it.

Actually going into people's houses? This kind of stupidity is what got us where we have been. Now I dropped some packages to the doors of families who were self isolating after Christmas so that their kids weren't being left behind but it literally was leave at the doorstep, ring the doorbell and say hello from the gate. Obviously it was all pre-arranged.

mosii wrote: »

I wont ,I just cant believe it.

Please do. It might have some impact rather then coming on here to complain.

wirelessdude01 wrote: »

Please do. It might have some impact rather then coming on here to complain.

Michael Collins died just down the road from me, so I can have the freedom to complain .

mosii wrote: »

Michael Collins died just down the road from me, so I can have the freedom to complain .

As I said it has ZERO impact in here. Emailing the dept may actually resonate with them in some small way.

lulublue22 wrote: »

That level of stupidity is mind boggling - selective following of the rules and or feeling the rules don’t apply to us is what has us in this position in the first place. Who wants random people coming in and out of their house ��

Yeah seems mad

"
Out of just five teachers contacted this morning, two agreed to go provide in-home tuition.

One teacher said, in doing so, they wear a mask and ask the pupils to do the same.

Meanwhile another was willing to travel beyond their 5km limit to tutor.

The station has also learned that a third teacher spent two hours in a family home yesterday to tutor children while the schools are closed."

https://www.newstalk.com/news/union-issues-warning-to-teachers-after-some-found-offering-in-person-grinds-1141404

wirelessdude01 wrote: »

Also insurance issues as using car for work purposes.
.

Ah I’ve heard it all now - you will literally use any excuse not to get teachers back to work.

What insurance issues exactly?!