Schools to close again.. Covid

Interesting to see approaches around the world.

Delayed by a couple of days to get more hepa filters (on top of 70000 already in the schools) and n95 masks for teachers with free 3 ply medical masks for kids .........

Norma is doing what now?

A phrase like "acute teacher shortage" suggests 40-50% shortage but the reality is presumably closer to 10%, at most, using data from various hospitals and the guards. I presume there would always be some absence this time of year anyway, even without covid.

I accept that the odd class may have to be sent home but it seems a bit OTT to close all schools.

Most country's are modeling for 25% absense. From my own circles this seems about right. That's a dangerous level of staffing for a school with supervision ect decimated. Insurance may not allow opening, never mind what anyone on the ground thinks can be done. I'd imagine it's more acute at primary, although individual classes can be sent home there.

It's also not just the covid issue. Like with hospitals, care home ect substitutes are thin on the grlhdn for years, schools have been kept open by good will, mixing classes, favours, DPs, Ps and SNAs in the classrooms and all manner of creative thinking. This is pressure on a system already under massive pressure. I know teachers teaching way outside their subject areas just to keep the show on the road with all the prep that comes with that.

I'm not suggesting the extra two days as anything other than a way to break the 2 week infection cycle cleanly and then hope it's enough to keep enough staff in schools to keep them open. A small change might make all the difference.

govt meeting with unions on tuesday today is a bank holiday

nphet having own meeting on thursday (after schools return!) ..

hard to see how schools can return safely without latest health advice given radically deteriorating situation in case numbers over last week..

If NPHET were concerned I am sure they would have met before schools were planned to open. In fact I would say it was planned to meet on the day schools open to reduce pressure on them to keep the schools closed.

Good article. I believe there should be no further school closures except in the case of widespread collapse of the health system and we are nowhere near that.

I'm a teacher and I like to think the work I do has a very significant importance in a functioning society.

Further school closures on top of what already has happened should be considered a tragedy at this stage.

Obviously I'm talking a few weeks. If thur and Fri this would have any benefit then maybe that could be considered.

Other countries are further along the omicron wave with lower vaccination numbers. We have guidance in this.

That seems like it would take a very great coordinated campaign, with senior civil servants having to have worked over Christmas holidays. Also cost a few bob.

Zero chance of it happening here.

Government wanted to open special schools and had a lot of trouble getting unions to agree to it, so yes I do think teachers prevented schools from opening the last time.

It's depressing when you read the extent of precautions in others countries. It's not like sending a rake of antigen tests to schools would even logistically be that difficult

The inspectorate have lost any and all respect in this climate. Secondments should have been revoked and any available teacher should be back in the class.

.....but you are both completely right about the type of people generally in there

Looks like covid hospital numbers are up 74% in a week according to latest figures and we haven't seen true extent of festive season mixing yet - surely makes sense to wait for kids to get their booster vaccines first before sending hundreds of thousands of kids back to school and college ..?

The number of people with Covid-19 in hospitals has risen to 804, an increase of 87 compared to the same time yesterday morning.

This day last week there were 461 people in hospital with Covid-19.

https://www.rte.ie/news/2022/0103/1269600-covid-figures/

Schools run anyway, that's the problem! Everyone has a random opinion about schools based on the fact they went to one and their Irish teacher was mean or whatever. We produce generally good teachers, thanks to a history of education being valued, and they sort of just figure it out on the ground day by day. Even the articles around the Rapporteur for Children are telling, kids left in domestic violence situation, no access to food, lack of personal care.......this is not the job of schools, it's Tusla, the gaurds and social protection but closing schools is the issue 🙄

It's like they think kids aren't traumatised going home to this after being in school. Schools are there to educate, obviously the people attracted to it are generally caring and won't be able to help empathizing with the students but to lay the failures of the state in protecting our children on school closures is a weak arguement. Maybe that time could be spent disbanding tusla and just starting again.