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

TalleyRand83 · 25-02-2021 12:48AM

[Deleted User] wrote: »

Yeah this is f#@king crazy.
Anyone that is even contemplating sending their child back Monday and puts their children's lives and trust in this shambles of a government is bat sh#t crazy.
One of mine is scheduled to return to the land of the unknown Monday. The rest mid March.
There isn't a hope in hell I'm sending my child into school Monday. And probably not even until the easter holidays are done.
I'll wait and see how the cases go, and see how the sh#t hits the fan! ( I hope I'm wrong but my gut says otherwise)

Really? You think keeping them off school is better for them? Mine are going back and I won’t be batting an eyelid.....some people revel in the drama rather than look at the logic. You do remember all kids where in school from September to December and if you fears are justified the whole country would have got covid by now

25-02-2021 12:56AM

TalleyRand83 wrote: »

Really? You think keeping them off school is better for them? Mine are going back and I won’t be batting an eyelid.....some people revel in the drama rather than look at the logic. You do remember all kids where in school from September to December and if you fears are justified the whole country would have got covid by now

Good for you!
Revel in the drama.. Wow. I work with covid patients I know the logic.
You do realise the variants and transmission of same are nothing like September right now?
But good for you don't bat an eyelid.
Anything to get the kids out from under the feet hey?

Warbeastrior · 25-02-2021 01:30AM

TalleyRand83 wrote:

Really? You think keeping them off school is better for them? Mine are going back and I wonâ€™t be batting an eyelid.....some people revel in the drama rather than look at the logic. You do remember all kids where in school from September to December and if you fears are justified the whole country would have got covid by now

2500 children contracted the virus in the last two weeks.

Teacher2020 · 25-02-2021 02:50AM

Deleted User wrote: »

Yeah this is f#@king crazy.
Anyone that is even contemplating sending their child back Monday and puts their children's lives and trust in this shambles of a government is bat sh#t crazy.
One of mine is scheduled to return to the land of the unknown Monday. The rest mid March.
There isn't a hope in hell I'm sending my child into school Monday. And probably not even until the easter holidays are done.
I'll wait and see how the cases go, and see how the sh#t hits the fan! ( I hope I'm wrong but my gut says otherwise)

Lying awake worrying about going back next Monday. I'm looking forward to it but trying to get proper masks ordered for myself for Monday as my school won't provide masks for mainstream teachers as it is our choice if we want to weat a mask or not.
I have 27 children in my class.
I'll let you know on Monday but I'm pretty sure I'll have all 27 back. I dont think many parents will keep their kids at home- most are dying to get rid of them for a few hours.
It scares me that there are no additional safety measures for schools in this time. Just crack the window and hope for the best.

Midnight Sundance · 25-02-2021 07:43AM

I have a lot of the cloth masks and the filters to go in. Are they still OK or what other type ot mask should I be looking for? Someone mentioned the disposable ones but I'm guessing there's different types of them. Are they better than the cloth ones?
Or is disposable and cloth ones together the best way.to go?

Tokyo · 25-02-2021 07:57AM

Mod: username2020 - take 48 hours away from the thread do dial it back on the hyperbole.

Theboinkmaster · 25-02-2021 08:30AM

Stateofyou wrote: »

So NPHET and public health officials are the ones speaking from authority, when you have a point to prove against another poster. When you have to answer uncomfortable questions, suddenly you disagree with these experts. Maybe it's you who really doesn't even understand the epidemiology of the virus and different strains. Maybe we can all admit that none of us are virologists/epidemiologists/immunologists/vaccine researchers. :rolleyes:

Nothing uncomfortable at all - I don’t agree with current restrictions but I do believe schools are safe and I’m happy to send my son in on Monday. I’m not worried at all.

Covid and new strains have been overhyped beyond belief IMO.

This thread seems to have a lot of teachers using any excuse not to go back to school.

I do accept government has obligation to provide some safeguards for teachers like correct masks but at the end of the day they’re limited with what they can do. Teachers need to be in a room with 24 other kids for 5 hours a day (in the case of my sons class) - nothing can change that.

Of the government were smart they’d just vaccinate all the teachers in 1-2 weeks to shut down the noise.

Anyway schools back from Monday on and cases won’t jump just like sept-dec so not much else to discuss in this thread. Schools won’t close again.

I am thrilled and cannot wait for Monday.

beggars_bush · 25-02-2021 09:15AM

History Queen wrote: »

Unions are looking out for their members, as is their remit. What part of that are you failing to comprehend?

You realise that medical and retail unions look out for their members also?

€60 per shot of vaccine for GPs is a nice deal by their union

beggars_bush · 25-02-2021 09:19AM

Masks
-Temp check on arrival
-Monitored sanitiser on arrival
-Single desks far apart in larger rooms
-How/where they walk is controlled
-Rigorous contact tracing
-Option to study at home
-80% of school staff vaccinated
-Staff required to test every 2 weeks

Ireland
Good f@cking luck to ye

They even cut the funding for schools to reopen!
Surely every school should be given a temperature checker? Even just for staff?
The lack of PPE supplied directly is laughable

Grueller · 25-02-2021 09:20AM

Theboinkmaster wrote: »

Nothing uncomfortable at all - I don’t agree with current restrictions but I do believe schools are safe and I’m happy to send my son in on Monday. I’m not worried at all.

Covid and new strains have been overhyped beyond belief IMO.

This thread seems to have a lot of teachers using any excuse not to go back to school.

I do accept government has obligation to provide some safeguards for teachers like correct masks but at the end of the day they’re limited with what they can do. Teachers need to be in a room with 24 other kids for 5 hours a day (in the case of my sons class) - nothing can change that.

Of the government were smart they’d just vaccinate all the teachers in 1-2 weeks to shut down the noise.

Anyway schools back from Monday on and cases won’t jump just like sept-dec so not much else to discuss in this thread. Schools won’t close again.

I am thrilled and cannot wait for Monday.

To be fair, of course teachers are going to be vocal about this. It is their workplace where the risk is.

wirelessdude01 · 25-02-2021 09:33AM

Theboinkmaster wrote: »

Anyway schools back from Monday on and cases won’t jump just like sept-dec so not much else to discuss in this thread. Schools won’t close again.

I am thrilled and cannot wait for Monday.

Just quoting this as it will be good to come back to it in 6-8 weeks time and see how it all pans out.

25-02-2021 09:47AM

wirelessdude01 wrote: »

Just quoting this as it will be good to come back to it in 6-8 weeks time and see how it all pans out.

Me too

morebabies · 25-02-2021 10:13AM

Am I correct in thinking that the length of immunity provided by the vaccines is unknown at the moment? I vaguely remember Matt Hancock saying something about this. In which case, we could be back to square one in September if immunity has worn off.

Stateofyou · 25-02-2021 10:37AM

Theboinkmaster wrote: »

Nothing uncomfortable at all - I don’t agree with current restrictions but I do believe schools are safe and I’m happy to send my son in on Monday. I’m not worried at all.

Covid and new strains have been overhyped beyond belief IMO.

This thread seems to have a lot of teachers using any excuse not to go back to school.

I do accept government has obligation to provide some safeguards for teachers like correct masks but at the end of the day they’re limited with what they can do. Teachers need to be in a room with 24 other kids for 5 hours a day (in the case of my sons class) - nothing can change that.

Of the government were smart they’d just vaccinate all the teachers in 1-2 weeks to shut down the noise.

Anyway schools back from Monday on and cases won’t jump just like sept-dec so not much else to discuss in this thread. Schools won’t close again.

I am thrilled and cannot wait for Monday.

You're so comfortable, it's just an oversight you can't answer any questions put to you so?

You say over-hyped, some of us say reality. And we are listening to what our science/health/gov't leaders (passing the info on) are saying about it. As I am not a virologist, I choose to trust that if those people are concerned about the research and data, and saying it is 70% more contagious, more virulent, and affecting children more, I'm going to listen.

I'm not a teacher, and there are lots of non-teaching parents on this thread. You're just trying to paint of picture of an agenda. Funny, when the anti-teacher bashers consistently on this thread like your post so the agenda here is plain to see.

You say nothing can change where/how kids need to be in a classroom, and that is just shockingly false and very easy to list a range of solutions that could be implemented. But I'm sure you already knew that.

As for your last part I put in bold, I hope you're right but I think you'll be wrong. And the sick thing is we won't even know how wrong you are. Because there has been no improvement on the test/trace system for the schools as the definition of a close contact UNIQUE to the education sector remains, and cases will be obscured once again and/or put down to "community" transmission. That's almost the sickest part of all.

am_zarathustra · 25-02-2021 10:38AM

morebabies wrote: »

Am I correct in thinking that the length of immunity provided by the vaccines is unknown at the moment? I vaguely remember Matt Hancock saying something about this. In which case, we could be back to square one in September if immunity has worn off.

It's more a situation of just not knowing, you can look at memory cell data and try and predict but really you have to monitor it in the population. I wouldn't be very worried about this though, by the summer capacity to produce the vaccine and to alter it will be huge, if boosters are needed it won't be a massive problem. They also might only be needed in certain populations where immunity doesn't take well, like the elderly or immunocompromised.

The curevac vaccine is the one to watch, they went slow and steady, looking for easy to store (3months on a fridge) and high dosage numbers peer vial, along with a focus on long term immunity. The other vaccines are effective but the rush to market meant they sacrificed convince and longevity for speed and initial effectiveneas. Not the wrong idea at all, it's good to have a variety, but I'd imagine the curevac one will make the most difference globally long term.

iamwhoiam · 25-02-2021 10:45AM

Teacher2020 wrote: »

Lying awake worrying about going back next Monday. I'm looking forward to it but trying to get proper masks ordered for myself for Monday as my school won't provide masks for mainstream teachers as it is our choice if we want to weat a mask or not.
I have 27 children in my class.
I'll let you know on Monday but I'm pretty sure I'll have all 27 back. I dont think many parents will keep their kids at home- most are dying to get rid of them for a few hours.
It scares me that there are no additional safety measures for schools in this time. Just crack the window and hope for the best.

If you dont get the masks on time you could double up . A cloth mask over a surgical masks increases effectivness ,.I will try to find you a link to it .

And just to answer another point , I think saying most parents are dying to get rid of the kids for a few hours is being very unfair on parents . Many are worried about their need to be be back among peers and need to avail of trained teachers who are better in class than online for that age group. Teacher bashing is not nice and parent bashing equally so in my opinion
Many parents have done their utmost with home schooling , many while working from home and have babies or toddlers to look after .They are looking forward to the ease of that burden and maybe the able to look after the toddler a bit better or do their job at at a decent hour ,.

25-02-2021 10:46AM

Midnight Sundance wrote: »

I have a lot of the cloth masks and the filters to go in. Are they still OK or what other type ot mask should I be looking for? Someone mentioned the disposable ones but I'm guessing there's different types of them. Are they better than the cloth ones?
Or is disposable and cloth ones together the best way.to go?

https://www.irishtimes.com/life-and-style/health-family/face-masks-which-are-best-and-which-are-best-avoided-1.4401153

Stateofyou · 25-02-2021 10:53AM

beggars_bush wrote: »

Masks
-Temp check on arrival
-Monitored sanitiser on arrival
-Single desks far apart in larger rooms
-How/where they walk is controlled
-Rigorous contact tracing
-Option to study at home
-80% of school staff vaccinated
-Staff required to test every 2 weeks

Ireland
Good f@cking luck to ye

They even cut the funding for schools to reopen!
Surely every school should be given a temperature checker? Even just for staff?
The lack of PPE supplied directly is laughable

I just read the "Covid response plan v3 2021" the school sent to us this week. It's not the whole document, it starts partway through for some reason. Maybe the first pages cover secondary schools??

Anyway, the section on masks says that Primary school children should NOT wear masks. :eek::eek:

Was this always in there? Did our school just choose to allow parents to make the decision for children regardless of what that doc said? My kids have been wearing them all year before Christmas, no issues. According to the document, "... it is known that children will have a lower tolerance and ability to use the face coverings properly."

Oh really. Based on what research? They don't reference any. Anyone seen it out there, and why our document and ECDC goes against WHO and Unicef recommendations? Because anecdotally, children seem to wear them just fine and better than adults on any occasion I've ever observed. :rolleyes:

The ECDC says children 12 and older should wear a mask, citing low tolerance and proper wearing, yet this is after saying children can transmit and spread the virus, and are more transmissible with the new UK variant.

ECDC also says this, which we have NOT mitigated for:
Physical distancing can be achieved through cohorting of classes and groups, ensuring physical distance in the classroom (e.g. separating tables), reducing class sizes, staggering arrival times as well as meal and break times, and holding classes outdoors. Physical distancing measures should aim at decreasing the number of individuals and contacts in tight or closed paces whilst ensuring schooling can take place.

Stateofyou · 25-02-2021 11:08AM

iamwhoiam wrote: »

And just to answer another point , I think saying most parents are dying to get rid of the kids for a few hours is being very unfair on parents . Many are worried about their need to be be back among peers and need to avail of trained teachers who are better in class than online for that age group. Teacher bashing is not nice and parent bashing equally so in my opinion
Many parents have done their utmost with home schooling , many while working from home and have babies or toddlers to look after .They are looking forward to the ease of that burden and maybe the able to look after the toddler a bit better or do their job at at a decent hour ,.

Just to point out, you contradicted yourself in your own post. Parents do indeed want an ease of their burdens. Maybe the phrase "dying to get rid of the kids" sounds a bit harsh, but it's true nevertheless. It's not parent bashing to say so. I see a lot of jokes and excitement on social media too, parents literally doing proverbial backflips for kids to go back so they can get back to 'normal.'

Whether you're a worried parent like me and many others, or whether it's someone who thinks this is all "over-hyped" nonsense, we want our kids back in school. For their own sakes, and for our sakes and sanity too.

As for us as parents we are agonising what to do. Our children are older primary due back for March 15th. We will make a decision closer to the time, but it's absolutely horrible to be faced with this decision (yet again) when on the one hand your kids need to go back and need their friends, yet on the other hand you can see that there is a new more virulent strain affecting children more but there is ZERO safety measures mitigating for it. My kids will be expected to be in a room with 29/30 others each, with no masks, when community transmission (right now) is still high. Who knows where it will be then. Sick of this anxiety and worry, we can't wait for summer and roll on the vaccines.

Lillyfae · 25-02-2021 11:21AM

Stateofyou wrote: »

Just to point out, you contradicted yourself in your own post. Parents do indeed want an ease of their burdens. Maybe the phrase "dying to get rid of the kids" sounds a bit harsh, but it's true nevertheless. It's not parent bashing to say so. I see a lot of jokes and excitement on social media too, parents literally doing proverbial backflips for kids to go back so they can get back to 'normal.'

Whether you're a worried parent like me and many others, or whether it's someone who thinks this is all "over-hyped" nonsense, we want our kids back in school. For their own sakes, and for our sakes and sanity too.

It's not the same to say "dying to get rid of" or "eased burden". Dying to get rid would be people wanting to stick their fit up and watch TV. Eased burden is not having to do your own job and educate, entertain, and ensure your children are getting what they need physically, socially and emotionally.

Stateofyou wrote: »

As for us as parents we are agonising what to do. Our children are older primary due back for March 15th. We will make a decision closer to the time, but it's absolutely horrible to be faced with this decision when on the one hand your kids need to go back and need their friends, yet on the other hand you can see that there is a new more virulent strain affecting children more but there is ZERO safety measures mitigating for it. My kids will be expected to be in a room with 29/30 others each, with no masks, when community transmission (right now) is still high. Who knows where it will be then. Sick of this anxiety and worry, we can't wait for summer and roll on the vaccines.

You're welcome to keep your children off school. No-one is stopping you. If others want to send their children to school because they're open, yours will still be safe. You're willing and able to do the homeschooling and able to keep them physically and mentally well. I do think you need to take a break from this thread and find a way to manage your anxiety- the school opening is not going to affect you if you decide not to send your children back so why are you worrying?

By the way, the vaccines are rolling on- the differences are already being seen in care facility numbers. This is neither here nor there in the context of children because at the moment there is no plan to vaccinate them.

greenbicycle · 25-02-2021 11:25AM

Lillyfae wrote: »

You're welcome to keep your children off school. No-one is stopping you. If others want to send their children to school because they're open, yours will still be safe. You're willing and able to do the homeschooling and able to keep them physically and mentally well. I do think you need to take a break from this thread and find a way to manage your anxiety- the school opening is not going to affect you if you decide not to send your children back so why are you worrying?
.

Not to add to their anxiety, but schools opening will impact the children whose parents choose to keep them home as online learning will end once school buildings open up so home schooling will be in the hands of parents alone without guidance from teachers.

penny piper · 25-02-2021 11:26AM

Both my children will be back teaching in Dublin from next week.....I wish all teachers/students going back all the best... Personally, I feel the situation regarding the return to schools by the Government/Unions has been handled extremely poorly....I've read reports now of how businesses are been urged to open up as well and lets face it it's due to the school re-openings...and this mantra from this so called government saying about vaccines (which they have ordered but haven't received or not sure even will they get them) and promises that the end is near....it's not ...only cause cases to rise again...

Yesterday in the irish sun/irish mirror ( sorry not sure which) the leading article was Michael Martin basically saying that Ireland wouldn't
be scared to ask the UK if they didn't have enough
vaccines here.
Next article underneath was Stephen Donnelly saying he had ordered 10 million vaccines more than enough.
What type of Government is this when again you have such conflicting statements from Michael Martin ..Leo Varadkar..and Eamonn Ryan..

Lillyfae · 25-02-2021 11:29AM

greenbicycle wrote: »

Not to add to their anxiety, but schools opening will impact the children whose parents choose to keep them home as online learning will end once school buildings open up so home schooling will be in the hands of parents alone without guidance from teachers.

Well that is a factor in any decision they make- judging other parents for sending their children to school because of their anxiety won't keep the schools closed.

iamwhoiam · 25-02-2021 11:30AM

Stateofyou wrote: »

Just to point out, you contradicted yourself in your own post. Parents do indeed want an ease of their burdens. Maybe the phrase "dying to get rid of the kids" sounds a bit harsh, but it's true nevertheless. It's not parent bashing to say so. I see a lot of jokes and excitement on social media too, parents literally doing proverbial backflips for kids to go back so they can get back to 'normal.'

Whether you're a worried parent like me and many others, or whether it's someone who thinks this is all "over-hyped" nonsense, we want our kids back in school. For their own sakes, and for our sakes and sanity too.

s.

Big difference between saying easing their burden and dying to get rid of their kids ,Which was my very point actually
One shows empathy and understanding one does not

greenbicycle · 25-02-2021 11:32AM

Lillyfae wrote: »

Well that is a factor in any decision they make- judging other parents for sending their children to school because of their anxiety won't keep the schools closed.

It is a factor, of course, but I'm just pointing out that you are wrong when you say it doesn't impact them.

penny piper · 25-02-2021 11:33AM

Lillyfae wrote: »

You're welcome to keep your children off school. No-one is stopping you. If others want to send their children to school because they're open, yours will still be safe. You're willing and able to do the homeschooling and able to keep them physically and mentally well. I do think you need to take a break from this thread and find a way to manage your anxiety- the school opening is not going to affect you if you decide not to send your children back so why are you worrying?

By the way, the vaccines are rolling on- the differences are already being seen in care facility numbers. This is neither here nor there in the context of children because at the moment there is no plan to vaccinate them.

So do you think teachers should be higher up the list for vaccines?
The vaccination programme here is abismal...and schools aren't care homes...
Remote education should have continued until more vaccinations were carried out...

Lillyfae · 25-02-2021 11:36AM

penny piper wrote: »

So do you think teachers should be higher up the list for vaccines?
The vaccination programme here is abismal...and schools aren't care homes...
Remote education should have continued until more vaccinations were carried out...

They will be, if there is a medical need for it. The vulnerable teachers and their vulnerable family members and close contacts are higher up the list.

The vaccination program is now running and vaccinated people will be in the community, with a lower risk of carrying, catching, passing on and becoming ill from Covid, which will in turn reduce the numbers.

Lillyfae · 25-02-2021 11:40AM

greenbicycle wrote: »

It is a factor, of course, but I'm just pointing out that you are wrong when you say it doesn't impact them.

They've already said that they find homeschooling OK so don't see a reason why they can't keep it up, and that their children are happy at home.

jrosen · 25-02-2021 11:46AM

Lillyfae wrote: »

They've already said that they find homeschooling OK so don't see a reason why they can't keep it up, and that their children are happy at home.

The thing is once school opens for those classes there won’t be home school support.
So the teacher isn’t obliged or required to connect with the kids at home.

Lillyfae · 25-02-2021 11:50AM

jrosen wrote: »

The thing is once school opens for those classes there won’t be home school support.
So the teacher isn’t obliged or required to connect with the kids at home.

Like I said, they need to decide if that is something that they are willing to accept so that they can keep their children at home.

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