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

hesaidshesaid wrote: »

Are we to assume that midterm is still happening in special schools? No mention of it but it's a thorny issue. Schools have some leeway with dates around midterm ie. they can decide to take a week in Feb or May. This is pre-arranged 12 months in advance.

Let's not go down the road of circulars and exceptional circumstances, for all our sakes. We all know these are exceptional circumstances but DES trumps individual schools as we have seen on many occasions during this crisis.

I'm just wondering if parents are clear that some special schools will be open for just 2 days before closing for midterm on Fri 12th. Others will be open until the following Wednesday I think, but it's messy. And not really ideal for kids with additional needs.

Being back in school is better than nothing, but those 2 days seem like a bit of a political move. 'We began our phased return on Feb 11th with those children with the greatest need...etc etc.' Does this really serve those with the greatest need?

According to my sons school calender their midterm in Feb is 2 days the 18th and 19th im not sure about other special schools?
Im happy to get him back for as ever many days that are available!

Always great to get the opinion of someone of has no skin in the game.

Responder XY wrote: »

Not overly impacted myself as I don't have kids, but there are quite a few in that wider group who do...........

Don't agree at all. Damage the variants do is less than the damage done to children kept out of education. 

So you don't have kids, fair enough.
Do you teach? Are you an SNA? A principal? Maybe have your thesis does on studying this subject?

I'm trying to figure if you just read "teachers are sh!te" on the family Whatsapp and ran with it, or what?

deiseindublin wrote: »

So you don't have kids, fair enough.
Do you teach? Are you an SNA? A principal? Maybe have your thesis does on studying this subject?

I'm trying to figure if you just read "teachers are sh!te" on the family Whatsapp and ran with it, or what?

I'm not an educator of any kind. I'm not a parent. That doesn't make my viewpoint less valid.

I never said teachers are sh!te. I said their unions are wrong on this one (the few teachers I've talked to personally in recent weeks agree with me on this.)

To spell it out. Education is worth the risk. I'm calling for schools to open as soon as possible and for teachers to act like all the rest of the essential workers in the state and not too oppose what should be seen as one of the most essential services in the state.

You responded to this statement

Slow return with new variants in the mix is the right course of action.

by saying this.

Don't agree at all. Damage the variants do is less than the damage done to children kept out of education

.

so I presume you have some research to back it up? Or some tangible experience?

Or, maybe, just maybe, you're making it up as you go along?

deiseindublin wrote: »

You responded to this statement

by saying this.
.

so I presume you have some research to back it up? Or some tangible experience?

Or, maybe, just maybe, you're making it up as you go along?

Of course there's not going to be a piece of research saying damage due to loss of education = 10 and damage from variants =9, ergo we should open education. There's going to be some judgement involved here. Most people think schools should be open after applying their judgement.

There is plenty of research out there saying that covid in general and it's variants do not present any significant risk to children. I'm not going out in a limb in saying that lack of education does harm children. If you dispute either of these facts then go for it. I'm not googling it for you.

I realise that virus spread might damage others in society. I am of the view that education needs to be prioritised none the less and other measures need to be taken to protect those vulnerable to covid.

Responder XY wrote: »

If you dispute either of these facts then go for it. I'm not googling it for you.

Ah, ok, you have no kids, don't work in education, have no qualifications to assess kids, BUT you can Google, why didn't you just say?

https://www.instagram.com/p/CKwkgFDBLiW/

I'm going to scream.

jimmytwotimes 2013 wrote: »

ffs, a joke

It’s better that they wait a week and get it right then rush out a plan that falls apart bit by bit last last year ?
It’s the start of February . Time is running out but it’s still in it .
Decision before mid term is time enough IF it means it’s not a thrown together plan riddled with problems

km79 wrote: »

It’s better that they wait a week and get it right then rush out a plan that falls apart bit by bit last last year ?
It’s the start of February . Time is running out but it’s still in it .
Decision before mid term is time enough IF it means it’s not a thrown together plan riddled with problems

Sure, I don't want a rushed plan, but then you see news articles like this pop up which completely contradict each-other in the 2 paragraphs

https://www.instagram.com/p/CKwYOVIBSDa/

Then you're told week after week, "It'll be said this week" "It'll be said this week" "Final plan this week."

I'm just so tired. :mad:

What the F* is happening at those talks which causes so much controversy? Then you have the two teacher's unions saying they want exams to go ahead and "it's a greater stress if they didn't do them" for whatever reason despite the clear surveys that the majority of students don't think they're eligible to sit the exam.

Put it this way, if it was predicted/exams, I would prefer sitting my worst subjects, intensely study them for the next 3 months like they do in A-Levels and walk out with decent points, huge stress off my back. Sitting the exams "with amendments" isn't worth it at this point considering we don't even have a date back to school. It could be early march before we're allowed back in school and then it'll probably only be LC probably on a rotational basis.

wirelessdude01 wrote: »

Always great to get the opinion of someone of has no skin in the game.

Disputes are usually resolved by same.if your ignorant to that,then there's not much point in anyone trying to help you.

I am not going through 338 pages of this, because I can wrap this up in sub 30 words!

Put the teachers and school staff way higher up the vaccine priority list! Objections removed, problem sorted! Or is that too simple for the irish government?

Idbatterim wrote: »

I am not going through 338 pages of this, because I can wrap this up in sub 30 words!

Put the teachers and school staff way higher up the vaccine priority list! Objections removed, problem sorted! Or is that too simple for the irish government?

SNE teachers and SNAs have been bumped up as part of the agreement to reopen on the 11th.

jimmytwotimes 2013 wrote: »

Plenty of us home schooling and working from home.

Yeah and it’s no good for anyone

noserider wrote: »

Yeah and it’s no good for anyone

Agree but it's the lesser of 2 evils