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

SusanC10 wrote: »

I think a lot of people just don't get the prioritisation of Education in a reopening of society. Already this morning, I have read many comments on SM to the effect that - if schools are open and kids are mixing there and on buses and for after-school childcare then it is safe to visit family and friends (with or without kids) and to have kids mixing outside of school.

I said it yesterday that as news of the state exams reached houses yesterday you could pretty much see kids and teenagers being told to go outside. I walk pretty much the same route or a variation of it every day and yesterday there were people out on greens.

Anyone got any idea when the schools will reopen?[/QUOTE]

No. You have the same media reports that we all have access to.

Deleted User wrote: »

Dr Niamh Lynch, Consultant Paediatrician just on Newstalk now. It was sobering. She is seriously concerned about the mental health of children she is seeing now. Silence, sadness, depression...........all from lack of interaction with their peer group. They are getting nothing out of Zoom classes now.

The World Health Organisation and the European Centre for Disease Control have also said children NEED to be in school and they are at such low risk. What we are doing to our children will cause far greater issues down the line than Covid.


Yesterday I was in a petrol station paying for diesel. There was a mother with her baby in a pram and her son who was about 6 years old. He was glued to her , holding the pram and said twice in the shop "can we get Coronavirus here"?? He was pale and quiet. If this is a representation of what's happening its very very worrying.

It's truly a ****e situation for everybody- but I feel kids are starting to be affected more and more. That's certainly the case in this house, some real signs of anxiety creeping in and it's hugely concerning.

[Deleted User] wrote: »

Dr Niamh Lynch, Consultant Paediatrician just on Newstalk now. It was sobering. She is seriously concerned about the mental health of children she is seeing now. Silence, sadness, depression...........all from lack of interaction with their peer group. They are getting nothing out of Zoom classes now.

The World Health Organisation and the European Centre for Disease Control have also said children NEED to be in school and they are at such low risk. What we are doing to our children will cause far greater issues down the line than Covid.


Yesterday I was in a petrol station paying for diesel. There was a mother with her baby in a pram and her son who was about 6 years old. He was glued to her , holding the pram and said twice in the shop "can we get Coronavirus here"?? He was pale and quiet. If this is a representation of what's happening its very very worrying.

Yes it is very concerning that some children are suffering with their mental health. And I hope that with the Rollout of Vaccines that the end is in sight.
But not all children are suffering from mental health issues at the moment.

Yes, our kids miss their friends and their activities and in particular their only surviving Grandparent. But they are doing well online academically this time around. They keep in touch with their friends online. They understand why they cannot physically meet others right now. But they are older and it is easier to have more adult conversations with them.

Obviously none of us want this situation to continue but I am hopeful that with the most vulnerable vaccinated that things will improve.

Deleted User wrote: »

Dr Niamh Lynch, Consultant Paediatrician just on Newstalk now. It was sobering. She is seriously concerned about the mental health of children she is seeing now. Silence, sadness, depression...........all from lack of interaction with their peer group. They are getting nothing out of Zoom classes now.

The World Health Organisation and the European Centre for Disease Control have also said children NEED to be in school and they are at such low risk. What we are doing to our children will cause far greater issues down the line than Covid.


Yesterday I was in a petrol station paying for diesel. There was a mother with her baby in a pram and her son who was about 6 years old. He was glued to her , holding the pram and said twice in the shop "can we get Coronavirus here"?? He was pale and quiet. If this is a representation of what's happening its very very worrying.

100% agree that alot of children are suffering. We made a decision in our house last April that we were not going to let the kids listen to media talk re coronavirus. The kids understand the importance of hand sanitising and masks re preventing coronavirus and thats all they need to know IMO. It is not good for children to hear talk re deaths, positive cases, varients etc.
We are also lucky that we have 3 children who can entertain each other. I feel sorry for kids who have no brothers or sisters to play with - I think it must be so hard on them.

I'm assuming she means by getting infected. With vaccines rolling out we don't want more infections because increases R rate, the vulnerable get infected and variants develop.. UK is seeing new variant infecting young more than previous:

Covid infections in England fall by two-thirds but spreading fastest among young:https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/feb/18/covid-infections-in-england-fall-by-two-thirds-but-spreading-fastest-among-young

Deleted User wrote: »

you believe?? This simply is not true. If anything its been rampant in the older cohort. My own 86 year old mother has Covid right now in her nursing home, despite getting 1 jab of Pfizer vaccine. Two in-laws in their eighties in my family died in the last 2 weeks from it. It is certainly very rampant and deadly to that age group. But to say this affects younger people more so is simply not the case. They are not getting sicker from it.

(my 7 months pregnant daughter also got Covid and her 18 month toddler and they both recovered fully and barely had any symptoms). There is far too much fear about Covid among young people and its caused hysteria and fear and prevented young people living their lives. It needs to stop.

[Deleted User] wrote: »

you believe?? This simply is not true. If anything its been rampant in the older cohort. My own 86 year old mother has Covid right now in her nursing home, despite getting 1 jab of Pfizer vaccine. Two in-laws in their eighties in my family died in the last 2 weeks from it. It is certainly very rampant and deadly to that age group. But to say this affects younger people more so is simply not the case. They are not getting sicker from it.

(my 7 months pregnant daughter also got Covid and her 18 month toddler and they both recovered fully and barely had any symptoms). There is far too much fear about Covid among young people and its caused hysteria and fear and prevented young people living their lives. It needs to stop.

But how do you stop the likes of your elderly mother and all the older generation from getting it ( and I agree with you about how deadly for them it is ) if we as a society don't stop it from spreading. Is that not what these lockdowns have all been about?
We are all limiting out social Interactions so limit the spread of it around our communities.
I've been relatively lucky to never have known anyone that has has covid for the last 10 months.
This past month the amount of people whom I would know that have caught it is unreal.
This strain is definitely more contagious.
I've many family members working in care settings
Some of them have caught covid,despite getting the 1st vaccine, and they have said that it's rampant now in the care home for the elderly where it had never managed to take hold before. The poor older generation are dying by themselves in huge numbers at the moment.

Hearing these stories makes it all too real and whilst I've been pretty much living in a little bubble for the last year with very little social Interactions this last 12 months I'm absolutely petrified of breaking this bubble and going back to school.
I've no problem going back if it's deemed safe to do so, but I know full well that once we are back the families of the children i wil be teaching will think we've opened up the country and ",sure they're mixing in school so we might as well mix outside of school " will creep in.
I only hope that if we do go back that the definition of a close contact has been changed. This virus is more easily transmitted so when one Child in a bubble tests positive , I hope the whole bubble at least gets tested, including the teacher and sna

jusvi2001 wrote: »

Yes its a global pandemic...yet people in retail are working so as healthcare workers etc even though they are at more risk than teachers. What if they all stop working saying that they are at risk of getting covid.

Its been an year now . we need to learn to live with covid because covid will be here for long term.we can only minimize the risk and can't prevent it fully. Teachers union are over protective about their members (not children) and think that its members are at risk than any other working class. Pity there is no union for children. the most covid outbreaks are happening in private houses and nursing homes but at not school settings. actually school is at the bottom of that list. no matter what ever goverment's plan teachers union agree to disagree. they tried to prevent school from reopening in september 2020. wanted to close school for early and extended Christmas holidays. now here we go again when government is planning to reopen the schools.

https://www.newstalk.com/news/coronavirus-outbreaks-happening-ireland-1090962

You do know school going children (including asymptomatic ones) live in private homes...

noplacehere wrote: »

To be honest it isn’t just the kids. Everyone I know is seriously struggling with isolation, depression and lack of human interaction. While I sympathise with that doctor, I’d bet if you put any doctor of any age group on they would say the exact same.

There’s a lot of ‘get on with it’ and ‘just knuckle down’ at all levels but everyone is tired. Everyone is sick of it. Everyone wants to get on with it. We need to acknowledge that. But equally we are so close to the ‘end’ with vaccinations no one wants to let it run rampant and flood the hospitals again.

We all selfishly view it from our own point of view. But I know our household is feeling the lack of household visits more than the schools. Not being able to travel across the border to even visit grandparents in the garden is horrible and awful for our children who used to see them nearly every weekend. Ironically it would be far safer for us to visit them now than when the schools open as that’s the most high risk environment affecting our family

Agree with so much of this post.
But I don't believe that any of my Husband, kids or I are actually depressed. Yes, tired and sick of the whole situation and missing wider family and friends.

But equally I do believe that the end is in sight and we don't want to fall at the last hurdle.

SusanC10 wrote: »

Agree with so much of this post.
But I don't believe that any of my Husband, kids or I am actually depressed. Yes, tired and sick of the whole situation and missing wider family and friends.

But equally I do believe that the end is in sight and we don't want to fall at the last hurdle.

This post is far too calm and measured to be posted in this thread.

wirelessdude01 wrote: »

Why? I can honestly say my class haven't missed a beat academically. We are flying along without all the distractions that present themselves throughout the standard primary school day. Now my class are an exceptional bunch who just get on with things. Whenever we are allowed back I know that we won't have the pressure to try and "catch up as thr work is being done now.

My 9 year old is struggling with class work never mind not meeting up with her friends. Looks like it will be mid March at the earliest that she is back in school. I have no issue paying teachers more to teach in July, however its to get back to some routine. Half and academic year has been lost over the past year.

km79 wrote: »

http://twitter.com/newschambers/status/1362353579470774274

More leaks
Just feckin announce it

NF is on Radio one now and talking about about LC and the junior classes.