That dingbat Orla Hegarty is the chief architect of this public drive to have hepa filters installed in schools
I know that I have regularly emailed the Minister for Education throughout my career back as far as Mary Hanafin. Every minister in the past has always replied to me with a nice and courteous email that is signed by the minister. Once or twice suggestions I made were acted upon. I have emailed Norma at least 4 times since she has started as Minister. Every time I have emailed her (all emails were education related obviously), her secretary has sent me a curt email saying that this is not the remit of the Minister of Education and would be better taking it up with another Minister. She is without doubt the worst Education Minister we have had in my 16 year teaching career. You'd get more satisfaction talking to the wall as emailing Norma Foley.
I can't disagree with that, she is appalling.
I work in the type of environment they are used in and I would definitely be no expert in them. Anyone I have spoken too from engineering side that actually would be an expert in them has made similar points to yourself. Initially I thought it sounded like an idea worth exploring but now it just sounds like it would be a huge waste of money.
Today was a repeat of yesterday except more students out.
Same here.
Same
The thing is though, the vast majority of those working adults that would normally be in work sitting at a desk are now sitting at home, so ....
That's a lot of staff absences - how is your principal managing the S&S?
If this is considered 'keeping quiet' I don't know how loud they are expected to shout!!!!
Links below and for the utmost clarity, I have even cropped the relevant bits out for you
ASTI
TUI
https://www.tui.ie/news/reopening-of-schools-%e2%80%93-january-2022-update-on-the-current-position.14360.html
Presume the 2-day week has contributed in part to the low numbers attending school this week.
There are a lot out with covid or as close contacts but not all absences are related to covid. Hopefully we'll see better attendance next week.
Didn't have over 1/2 of any class present today and some classes didn't even hit double figures out of 24+
If I remember correctly, teacher unions were to a point of up to strike action last year when they weren't getting priority in vaccines, saying they weren't safe, and also included pay in the arguments! Didn't hear them shouting for vaccines for vulnerable kids before going back to school this term....didn't hear them threaten strike for filters during the week either. Putting a proposal/demand into writing is far different than what they did last year.
I've written unions above, I don't think teachers have a say anymore tbh.
Do you believe that it is within a teaching union's right to demand that other people's children be vaccinated?
Are you saying that teacher unions should have announced a strike this week if they didn't get HEPA filters?
Teachers never have a say. We are the foot soldiers. (Not comparing myself to someone going to fight the Taliban as someone suggested a few days ago, LOL, it's an expression)
I'm totally okay being a foot soldier by the way. Love it. Go in, do my job, go home. Have no desire to be a principal. Far more hours, far more stress and I'd say far less thanks involved too.
Unions aren't there to fight for the needs of the children. They are there to fight for the pay and working conditions of teachers. We pay them 400 euro a year each for the privilege. The national parents Council are there to represent parents and children. Yes the teaching unions aren't popular but thats only because they tend to be stronger than the other unions.
Never seen morale as low as today in my school. The coldness of the building and the amount of staff absences was tough going.
We had about 50% student attendance out of a school of 800 pupils.
HEPAs are scientifically proven . Órla Hegarty isn’t a “ ding bat “ she has verified qualifications , unlike many random Covid “ internet experts .”
I bought a HEPA for my own room as I’m very high risk ( despite Medmark saying I’m not , because I can stay behind a screen ( erm, airborne?) and enforce 2m SD ( again , in my room as an SET, even if there was the space to be 2 m back from children, you can’t SD from the children )
Well put it this way -it can't hurt to have HEPA filters.
Opening windows is a guideline.
Its not the law.
Sometimes in life its OK to use a bit of common sense.
Close the windows next week. Kids are freezing.
oh I don’t know… I think it has a few disadvantages.
It gives a false sense of security
it wastes energy
it wastes the earths resources to create them
it costs money to buy
it needs maintenance
it takes up space
it is destined for landfill
But I get ya, no more than all the other pointless unused things that are bought, left in a corner and later binned. Just the destruction of the environment.
Orla Hegarty has absolutely no relevant qualifications with respect to infectious diseases, immunology or epidemiology.
If that is what we are measuring by, I think HEPA filters are the least of our problems.
Agreed!
Just pick a day while you're at it! Say Wednesday, the virus doesn't like Wednesdays!
I am torn , I want my child in school he has missed so much and he needs the extra help he does an extra class to help him along . Home schooling was not great in my house as I have a special needs child as well .. so home school was a nightmare.
He had been well all over Christmas and thank god covid hasn’t hit us yet , but just two days into the new school term and he is chesty and runny noise , he has asthma so he gets infections very easily.
He rarely complains but he was frozen in school yesterday and his teacher said it barely got about 7 in the classroom .. because he now had symptoms of covid it’s back to antigen tests but I know it’s only a heavy cold and his asthma
I honestly don’t think I can bring myself to send him in on Monday . He wants to be in school with his mates so bad
harr - is your child primary or secondary? What kind of extra help? If I can help you with anything, I will, if that makes your decision any easier. I am an English teacher and I've lots of SEN experience
Hi , thanks so much , he is in primary school and just at the moment gets an extra hour a day one on one to help with his math and English. The school in fairness have been excellent and his teacher has set additional home work for him and has adjusted his home schooling work if needed.
Fair play to Sinn Fein calling for another year of predicted grades for the current 6th years.
The minister needs to announce this asap.
It is totally incorrect for him to do so. If predicted grades are announced too early, too many students opt for them and give up working. This will effect them at third level. In the end it is the disadvantaged child that will lose in the long term
Wasn't announced for another 7+ weeks in 2021. I can't see us not having AG this year, but hopefully there will still be exams as there were last year.
AG and exams by far the fairest option. I have 6th years this year who have never sat a state exam or even mocks. They have missed So much in person school last year. This year, the student absenteeism rate is hugh with many teachers absent also. Fear now is some will be absent for orals, mocks etc. a very stressful time for these young people.
