Schools and Covid 19 (part 5) **Mod warnings in OP**

That's because the Government are ethically bound to ignore and multiply any quote they got. Remember being shocked a few years ago when the Dept of Ed spent almost 23m for the Harolds Cross Greyhound site, when the valuation had been 12m...

https://www.irishtimes.com/business/construction/bord-na-gcon-to-use-6m-from-harold-s-cross-sale-to-improve-other-dog-tracks-1.4044458

I'm sure I remember similar for the Shellybanks site

They reduce outbreaks among those unlikely to be seriously affected?

They provide a calming influence for those led by the hysteria and hyperbolic nonsense that characterises virtually our entire response to this "crisis" and the media coverage/level of "debate" on same.

I don't know if it's the whole school this time, but 2 classes at least. Back in September when they abstained from homework, it was school-wide.

I'm presuming Covid overheads for the teacher is the justification, but those Covid overheads often seem to apply in the run-up to a break. There were also homework-less periods for the week leading up to mid term, sub week and some other random treat days for the pupils. Out of 90ish school days this term, I think there has been homework for around 30 of them.

I'm not understanding why homework is an issue wrt covid?

Our school has plenty of homework.

Will be interesting to hear what teachers had to say about masks today once kids get home. My 2 are wearing them ok, they have no issue with them but I know some parents (not many) were taking a stand.

Would the fact that the teachers might be handling thirty copybooks a day every day, coming from all different households not be a bit of an issue

No. Well it shouldn't be. Fomite transmission looks to be very unlikely. Almost negligible. Its all about the air we breathe.

This is incompetently (or conveniently, depending on which way you look at it) rarely talked about by government and health officials in Ireland.

Alot of parents fail to realize that a significant proportion of teachers who like to give out significant amounts of homework are sometimes compensating for what should have been done in the classroom. If the material was properly covered in the classroom that day, there's little need for much in the way of homework and this is particularly true in primary schools and in the younger classes. Parents would do well to remember this and that giving out lots of homework does not necessarily equate to a good teacher and good teaching.

Homework can be beneficial. One rencounters information in a different setting (home) and helps embed knowledge and skill. But too much of anything is counterproductive. School day could be shortened -too much emphasis on knowledge and not enough on cultivating wisdom. I wonder if students feel tirder after a days mask wearing - Whatever about benefits, I would assume oxygen intake is decreased with some significance with partially restrictive breathing?

When all this is over, and a review of how things were handled is done, will it be found that the Government/NPHET blatently lied about the schools being safe originally?

Over the last few days, I have heard various experts say how the schools are a hive of infections at present, and they are accounting for a third of all cases in the country.

Yet they were safe as houses only a few months back, claimed many times by NPHET.

What changed? Or as stated, was it all a pack of lies to keep them open?

Why do you want your kids getting so much homework?

It is good to show an interest in a child’s work - build encouragement, connect, observe, guide, and show pride and reward in work well done. When I train students I watch them work and ask what they think of the result -each day guiding, striving to be better until it becomes natural - instilling a sense of pride and self-value. The fruits of this labour shape character and bear reward at a later time. 👍

Well as parents we do that in every other aspect of his life so I don't see the problem with letting him have 5 minutes a day to do something independently of us that his teacher will check anyway. He's 10, not 5, so I trust that he will do the work to the best of his ability and according to his teacher his homework is always of an excellent standard.

Yeah thats all correct. Close contact procedures were changed a few weeks ago for everyone not just schools. Household contacts restrict movement for 5 days while doing antigen tests