If the schools close due to teacher shortages, we will not be making up missed days.
If schools close now it will be because they do not have staff.
The government has been consistent that school will reopen. Teachers unions have tried to bully them into extending the school holidays. If schools close now the days must be made up during the spring break or Easter.
What a **** show, no plan at all by the department. I hope not but considering the amount out sick before Christmas I can see many schools shutting simply due to staff being out.
Maybe when schools are shut down because of government incompetence Vs unions or nasty teachers people will realise who's to blame.
Principles also have flexibility to manage there school year. Over the last 30 years the Christmas holidays have been reduced from being nearly 3 weeks to now barly two weeks. Easter holidays used to be 10 days now 16 days. At the same time you have mid term breaks.
How was it at the most health riskiest time of the year we allowed the holidays to be shortened to such a short time frame.
I reckon principals will be pulling their hair out over the next month. A lot of schools I feel will be forced to close due to staff shortages.
Also I think it's only right that the department state if the LC will be a hybrid model again this year and will the JC actually go ahead this year.
Just back from a jog - I counted 11 teens hanging out on a street corner, practically on top of one another. Of the 11, one was wearing a mask.
They are obviously entitled to do what they want, but if we are worried about staff shortages, that shortage is going to come about as a result of high transmission. There will be higher transmission in the community if schools don't reopen in my opinion. The parents of those 11 are not going to suddenly stop their children socialising (as is their entitlement, no judgement) on Thursday if it were announced that schools would remain closed.
I feel lucky that I'm a secondary teacher - I also passed one of the local creches who were out for a walk and the poor woman couldn't keep the children out of her personal space at all - in fairness, at least in secondary they are mostly far enough away from us and they are all masked and some are also vaxxed and possibly boostered.
As a Primary School teacher I'm delighted to be going back on Thursday. Omicron isn't a big deal for the vast majority, we need to get on with it. Some schools/classes might be disrupted but with the potential new rules around close contacts and a bit of cop o/leeway around that end of things then most schools should function alright
So schools should be safe to stay open until at 8 pm then too, right? 😃
So if the hse thinks its safe to open the schools, then why do we need to vaccinate the kids?
Why did us adults get boosters if we dont need them, as if its safe in a school, its safe anywhere
Restaurants and Cinemas after 8pm
Thats two examples
Leaving aside all the other restrictions we face on a daily basis
And the knock on effect they are having leading to business closures
To be fair, this is coming from the 3 party leaders and the CMO. Norma doesn’t have a say.
Norna couldn't make up her mind about anything she's afraid to step out of line and will do as she is told.
The problem isn't lack of clarity it's lack of planning and preparation. They expected the vaccine to work and stop covid it didn't work out as planned and they had no plan be like hepa filters in schools.
We can count or blessing Omicron is mild compared to Delta, what if it hadn't come along and we were still dealing with Delta or if another strain came along instead of Omicron.
The British government asked their scientist if there was a link between CJD and BSE (mad cow disease) the answer was something like "there is no proven link between CJD and BSE" so the British Government told everybody British beef is safe. However the next sentence in the report was "but more study is needed", which the showed that if you ate beef from a cow that had BSE you were at high risk of CJD which was human from of mad cow disease and horrobile death.
So the health officials are probably saying schools are safe is you keep the kids 2M apart and they all wear mask and none of them have covid. We all saw what before christmas was like, case after case after case..... schools are less safe now than in 2021 it's just the bug isn't as strong. I'll order more antigen tests and calpol before they run out.
The CMO has already told the government there will be no other restrictions this week, an acknowledgement that there is really no point with so much Omicron about. Some NPHET meetings are just ongoing reviews.
the real nphet meeting and proper update on latest figures is not till thursday it will be a different story next week!!!
People are constantly crying about 'lack of clarity' and 'confusion'. However, on this one Minister Foley has been very clear all along, that schools will open on schedule. The unions have tried to muddy the water but she held firm and is supported by the latest medical advice. Top class performance by a minister who puts education first. She may not be popular, but she ain't no populist either. Leave that to O'Riordain et al.
That's what health officials say about schools.
So if schools are "safe" what am I to believe when they tell me it's safe to vaccinate my kids. Because I don't believe for one seconds schools are safe. My kids are happier is school but they aren't as safe as they say or should be.
For example? What should be opened now that has been closed for 2 years?
A lot of the economy
And has been for nearly two years
Schools are "safe" so the unions can complain all they want, as they have done.
It’s so disrespectful. Imagine that pinging on your phone while you think you are having a meaningful discussion?
what is closed at the moment?
Time to reopen everything now so imo
If schools are safe then everywhere is
It's not clear from that if the meeting with the unions, schools and minister has finished but I sense it hasn't and that there will be a strong backlash to this, it's almost like picking a fight.
the whole article is a complete joke "safe to open thursday morning" holohan says but not certain it will be safe when nphet meet after lunch what a bunch of clowns
And schools will open on Thursday.
Let them be infected - everyone old or vulnerable has now been boosted and omicron has been proven to be less severe. Omicron is actually the best thing to happen as it brings the pandemic end to a close much quicker.
The pandemic in Ireland has moved on - nobody is concerned about being in hospital or sick at home at this stage, it's more the hassle of isolating that's the issue.
We will peak over the next week and then cases will keep dropping into the spring.
With better weather, 2nd generation of vaccines and COVID treatments being approved this is all over in a month or two.
As things stand, I’ll be shocked to get to Monday without one of them picking it up.
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