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

coffeyt wrote: »

However my children are in junior and senior infants and anyone who says that they have not missed out needs their head examined.

I fully agree with this. I'm very disappointed (and baffled) that anyone involved with teaching would say this.

coffeyt wrote: »

As great as their teacher is, it's also a fact that I have friends and family with children in other schools who are not getting the same level of attention from their teachers and I can understand how frustrated the parents in this situation are.

This is true and I agree that it's a huge source of frustration for parents.

Theboinkmaster wrote: »

What's current view when primary schools will re-open? What needs to happen between now and then?

I keep seeing dates in March bandied about but nothing clear or concrete regarding what needs to happen between this and then.

Theboinkmaster wrote: »

What's current view when primary schools will re-open? What needs to happen between now and then?

We need someone in government to make a decision - unlikely any time soon. Teachers and parents have no clue what the plan is.

Mrsmum wrote: »

My money is on the 8th of March.

For all back?

wirelessdude01 wrote: »

For all back?

Yes all primary back then.

The government are going to be very cautious at opening everything up this time round ( and rightly so). The numbers of cases are still high ( over 1000 on Saturday. I wouldnt be surprised if schools dont fully reopen until after the Easter hols ( with the exception of leaving certs going back earlier than this.).
I can support this if it means we can actually enjoy a 'toned down restriction level' for the summer period. The government need to be making a decision on this ASAP to let everyone know where its at.

wirelessdude01 wrote: »

For all back?

I asked about primary schools.

Deeec wrote: »

The government are going to be very cautious at opening everything up this time round ( and rightly so). The numbers of cases are still high ( over 1000 on Saturday. I wouldnt be surprised if schools dont fully reopen until after the Easter hols ( with the exception of leaving certs going back earlier than this.).
I can support this if it means we can actually enjoy a 'toned down restriction level' for the summer period. The government need to be making a decision on this ASAP to let everyone know where its at.

I wish people would stop picking a random days cases to try to make a point.

You need to look at 5/7 day average - cases are coming down. Average for this week will be a good bit less than 1,000.

Cases were 786 on Sunday (yesterday) - big difference between 786 and 1,000.

wirelessdude01 wrote: »

Who knows and what needs to happen is for the idiots who think the restrictions don't apply to them need to cop the hell on and let the numbers come down.

Personally i think we're focusing on wrong things - rather than €2k fine for going on holiday I'd prefer to see that fine applied to house parties/large social gatherinrgs.

I think there's a massive amount of the latter and the former is immaterial (except for curtain twitchers calling into Joe Duffy).

HermioneJean wrote: »

So just to clarify for someone who only heard rumours on twitter. There is no official line about schools back yet right

Right.

teachinggal123 wrote: »

It is absolutely shocking (and very worrying) that any teacher would claim that "kids have missed nothing" over the last year by being out of school. Makes no difference that the word academically was added retrospectively. In fact, that somehow makes it worse!

For anyone with years of education, training and experience of working in an actual classroom to make that claim is deeply worrying.

Also probably insulting to many parents on here.

My 8 year old is missing out on being able to mix with other children. And that's truly awful for him. The only real reason I send him to school is for his social development. He learns easily and I can teach him well. The only reason I don't homeschool him is because it would stunt his social development. Academically he's doing better at home than he would in school. His teacher sets work everyday through Seesaw and posts up video lessons and he flies through it in 90 minutes or so. Spending less time each day on school work means he's able to do some extra-curricular stuff he wouldn't normally get to do like a daily Irish lesson on Duolingo which we do together so we can both get our heads a little bit more into the language. He watches Homeschool Hub and other educational tv shows about science or history. He's also now starting to learn Luau, a modified version of the programming language, Lua 5.1 used for developing Roblox. Which he just wouldn't have the time to do if he was at school and real life extra curricular activities.

So while there are many very real drawbacks to not being able to be at school - (And lets get real, we're living through a pandemic, drawbacks are part and parcel of that. Governments/societies have no perfect options just least worst.) - There are also ways to make this time positive for our kids. To use this time to do something they normally couldn't.

Theboinkmaster wrote: »

I asked about primary schools.

I asked the poster in question did they mean all back, as in all primary.

wirelessdude01 wrote: »

I asked the poster in question did they mean all back, as in all primary.

yes and he was responding to my question about primary schools

I’d like to see junior and senior infants back earliest. They are least able to work online. My older primary kids are fine with the academics.

Preschool won’t be back til 8 March at the earliest, so maybe junior side of primary school could be the same?

I’d like to see leaving certs back the first week back, even if it isn’t the Monday.

I’d like some sort of call on the junior cert too.

And I think all those decisions need to be announced this week. I don’t need concrete dates, but an order should be possible. They need to stop talking about how schools are a priority and actually prioritise them.

iguana wrote: »

He's also now starting to learn Luau, a modified version of the programming language, Lua 5.1 used for developing Roblox. Which he just wouldn't have the time to do if he was at school and real life extra curricular activities.

Jeez that really unlocked a memory, I remember going back on ROBLOX with a friend back in 2011-12 and he would teach me how to write some LUA scripts to create cool explosions and wings etc in this game, It really helped me understand how the coding world works, good job to your son! It is a very useful skill according to my friend so let him at it, it's very interesting and I believe there's ROBLOX games on it!

As for RE: Education -> can we please keep this thread on some topic? I understand we're all in this horrible loop of "will it won't it" and it's making everyone on nerve, but we need to keep a sense of consistency for the discussion outside of the comments made to teachers or about how education is ran so we can understand if any real news has come about.


What I've been up to as a 6th Year
I've seen some stupid news articles now claiming all about when people are going back and what will happen with exams, for it to then change the next day, or a statement to be said which delays the process. The LC decision has once again been delayed this week, and at this point I just find it cruel. I know it's not any easy decision with school openings, or how the LC will be fair for everyone, but I think this midterm break is going to be one of the toughest ones I had to endure ever. I'm seeing people around me asking "Hey who wants to go outside" to hang out, and I'm stuck in my house, unable to have any real social interaction with friends. I haven't seen my friends in 8 weeks now, and It's really starting to get to me. I've called them here and there, and that's good... but you reach a point where even that becomes monotonous. I really hope we can go back in the next few weeks to I can see them. A friend and I were planning to hang outside to skateboard but my mother said "I wouldn't risk it yet" and when I had to break the news to that friend, he said "na it's fine, there's no point if we can't all do it" and it broke my heart.

People are really starting to not care about this new lockdown, my friend next door had a lovely dinner date outside with her bf for valentines, while I couldn't do much but send a heart-filled card to my gf for valentines, and she's been super stressed over the HPAT test, so its been an emotionally draining time for her.

My school work is starting to crack and suffer now, there's really only so much "power on, keep going" you can do before you just feel numb inside as you realize the only breaks you get are still distractions on your screen or going for a boring walk. I should be studying hard for my eventual mocks, but I just don't feel bothered anymore. I can't get any sense of enjoyment or satisfaction from learning and it feels like a chore (it used to not) because I was able to go outside and see people, forget about school and have lovely interactions with people, but now it's just Internet Internet Internet Internet everyday. I don't want this to sound over-dramatic but its the best way I can describe my head currently. I feel absolutely guilt ridden that I'm not studying hard, but yet I refuse to change or act upon it, and then everyday it feels slightly worse (for example, I feel a little sick in the stomach right now from the thought, but instead of working here I am browsing this thread :rolleyes:)

I just wish this could work out for the better and students across the board get some sort of compensation for what we've endured. Teacher's who have worked so hard during these tough times also deserve something for their efforts. I'm really at an emotional limit right now. The snow last week was a perfect distraction however the stress has now hit me like a train. This midterm is absolutely horrible and unforgiving with the lack of clarity still ongoing, rumours in the media and complete un motivation I'm currently in.

I'm also a little worried that, if PG and the real exam get announced, I'll be pressured into doing the real exam and PG will be looked down upon.

I hope this all gets cleared up soon, I really need to to be.