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

km79 wrote: »

Here is the “new” video that the DES are asking to be shared with PP students before they return to school
Have a look and see if ye see any problem or indication that perhaps it is just a rehash of another one . Like all the “guidance “ that has been issues t to schools

http://twitter.com/JCforTeachers/status/1364915973308973061

But but it says there are new rules and routines!!

wirelessdude01 wrote: »

Say nothing until told to go back.

Could your principal possibly be using their intelligence and cop on and not bursting bubbles for no real reason.

I know the bubbles that the SNAs are allocated to are being well and truly burst next week in our school with them being put into rooms where they aren't normally and then straight back into their normal rooms from the 15th.

SET and SNAs that don't need to be in is a silly and unnecessary part of this reopening.

I said that about the bubbles was told I might not be needed. but still have to go in. Daft

wirelessdude01 wrote: »

But but it says there are new rules and routines!!

It also welcomes 1st years into their new schools where they it will be a big change from Primary and they will make lots of new friends
Someone did a bad job on the cutting and pasting on that video.......

Stateofyou wrote: »

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.

What specific questions are put to me? The question posed was the contradiction of government restrictions (walk v classroom) and I answered that. Do you have more questions for me? Fire ahead.

New variant is not 70% more contagious that's already been proven to be lower than 40% - do some research.

In terms of case nos over next 3-4 weeks and schools - we will have to agree to disagree. But schools were open Sept-Dec and this thread was full of teachers complaining yet life went on, case nos remained low enough - hospitals were not overrun and ICU was low enough.

In January that all changed - due to people going mad at Christmas, nothing to do with schools.

Mayo had one of the the highest incident rates in Ireland in January - because a nightclub opened up in Belmullet for New Years Eve and people acted like COVID did not exist. Locals blamed UK variant and people travelling from UK rather than admit their own mistakes.

We're now back to school on Monday and March-June will be exact same as Sept-Dec - low cases, hospitals and ICU nos plus we have benefit of weather to offset variant increased transmissibility as well as L4/5 lockdown.

No real reason to come back to this thread March-June once schools are open happy days. This thread will once again be full of teachers complaining yet life will go on, case nos will remain low enough - hospitals will not not overrun and ICU will be low.

Parents won't have a reason to come back to this thread once schools are open.

I do agree DES should do more to protect teachers though - better masks, temperature checks coming onto site and probably vaccinate teachers in Feb/Mar so yes definitely issues there and government have let down teachers for sure but I'd blame capabilities of unions on that. They've an open cheque book for health service but not for education which is unfortunate.

Teacher unions have failed their members IMO. However priority is children and once they're in school that's the most important thing.

Stateofyou wrote: »

The stupid thing is being a numbered list of those vaccinated in the first place.

Why isn't there a grouping instead, so to indicate those groups at the same time of more or less equal priority...

Like, a prioritization indicated by order of numbers?

Does anyone know what the above is supposed to mean??

Mrsmum wrote:

I totally get your point except when you start looking at who to bump down, that's where the problem is. I remember looking at the list and I would move teachers up a few layers but not before quite a few other groups. Unless you vaccinate teachers immediately, that's no use and there is alot of people more vulnerable to the Covid virus imho. I mean many many teachers are just as fit and healthy as your average LC who will not be vaccinated either. Would young teachers want to be vaccinated before their own parents ? Maybe teachers over 50 could be prioritized or something. I presume teachers with conditions should fall into other groups.

But herein lies the problem.

Why are we as frontline workers expected to work on the frontline but not get the necessary safety measures of other frontline workers (healthcare etc)

I'm in my 20's and work as a SNA with Leaving Cert Applied students. It is true that I would consider myself fit and healthy but I live with my Dad who is in the high risk category so I'm very worried about bringing it back home.

I am now expected back into a classroom with a group of 16 year olds that have quite a lot of behavioural issues.

Before Christmas, they nearly refused to wear the masks properly.

Stateofyou wrote: »

I honestly stopped just after the disingenuous first question I put in bold. You know the questions you dodged. Go back and look, I'm not the only one who pointed it out. I'm not reading the rest of your post in light of that first hurdle.

Exactly - back in your box.

Mrsmum wrote: »

I might be wrong on this but I very much doubt Nphet would involve themselves in the specifics of what classes should or should not go back to school except to speak in terms of a phased return and other such language around it. I would be amazed if they mentioned any class.

The specifics did not come from NPHET . They recommended a slow opening but not which classes .

iamwhoiam wrote: »

The specifics did not come from NPHET . They recommended a slow opening but not which classes .

Quote:
5. A cautious and sustainable approach should be adopted in relation to the easing of measures. Subject to
continued improvement to the end of February 2021, there should, however, be scope to faciliate the
safe return of in-school education and childcare services but this must be on a cautious and phased
basis. It is also critical that non-COVID health and social care services are resumed. All efforts should be
made to ensure that these measures are associated with a minimum level of linked mobility, and in
particular, it will be essential that all those working from home continue to do so.

Stateofyou wrote: »

I'm starting to get so frustrated at the lack of clear sources of information. Or maybe it's just me who doesn't know about them.

1. Where we can see what NPHET has explicitly recommended, is this available to us?

2. Where can we see what the Unions have battled for specifically in regards to schools reopening? Is that also available to us?

Or is this all being filtered by government/media announcements.

I remember the unions saying that they need reassurances that schools will be safe to reopen in light of the new variant - so what were those reassurances given that satisfied them? They said they wanted medical data to verify schools are safe in the context of the new variant. So was that received or what? Can we not see this for ourselves?

What are the changes, just for pregnant teachers to remain remote working?

Sigh...

Poor communication coming from everyone. Probably deliberately. Can't hold anyone to anything if they've all been vague.

Stateofyou wrote: »

Thanks - can you point me to a website where this correspondence is? So how did we move from Jr/Sr infants to also including 1st/2nd classes?

All the letters are available on gov.ie.