Schools to close again.. Covid

If they want teachers to run assessments similar to last year, they would have to announce it earlier than Easter I reckon.

How would predicted grades for people unavailable for the exam work? Somebody decides on the day to be "unavailable" and the teacher has to retrospectively cobble together a grade for them?

I think the most logical thing would be that predicted grades would be submitted for all students and they could only avail of the predicted grade if they produced a medical cert/ had a valid PCR test which means their period of isolation covers the exam date.

To be fair I would say the actual dept officials probably can organise a plan,until political interference comes into play.

The only 'plan' would be the pre-2020 default. Dept officials will not create a fresh scenario unless they have no other option.

I don't know why people keep saying "I don't know understand why people want schools closed at this stage". I have not seen anyone looking for that.

Some people feel that with more courage and better judgement decided by educational arguments rather than political considerations, a delayed reopening would have been sensible and more students would have been reached. But schools have opened. Argument over. You need to move on.

But the day the government opened schools with 40k+ cases per day in the community was also the day Accredited Grades emerged again. Probably would have happened anyway, as the Fifth Year students of last year had lost so much time already, but classrooms with so many gaps will bring reality home to even the most reality denying don't-alter-the-process or delighted-to-be-back! teachers.

But the "keep schools open" is a very small echo chamber at this stage. Sorting out the fallout from the decision is the current challenge. ICU numbers do not fill classrooms. People quoting those are missing the point royally.

I don't agree that a "delayed opening would have been sensible and more pupils would have been reached"

From an educational point of view these weeks will be extremely difficult and I know just because schools are open it is not business as usual. But for me schools open is the least worst option. Closures for any length of time are harmful with very little benefit at this time.

Problems with exams are going to be an issue anyway but purely on the issue of the next few days/weeks from an educational point of view I believe the best way to reach the most pupils is schools to be open. With school s closed, there is virtually no education at all for 1000s of kids.

Like I said, schools are open. That argument is redundant now.

yes similarly no guarantee that he doesn’t - Omicron appears to be milder than delta in terms of ICU admissions doesn’t follow that everyone who ends up with omicron will have a sniffle - there’s a wide range of illness between a sniffle and hospital admission and ICU.

It does when you have as an article of faith that there's no way anyone can get sick from Omicron. There are more hidden layers to some discussions that might appear superficially.

Predicted grades can't be announced too early, if they did so students would be doing the dog on playing the system with 100% monthly tests and parental pressure.

For once I think the department would be best to leave the announcement till the last moment.

...and to those students who "need certainty" , just keep studying and learning regardless of the assessment. Learning is good for you apparently.

I'm ploughing ahead with the course and I get the impression other teachers aren't easing up either.

Ya I put stuff up on teams too... I beg them to contact me if they get stuck or need clarification . But the absentees don't really engage.

"Kildare's Fianna Fail senator and former teacher Fiona O'Loughlin is currently volunteering as a substitute, she says opening windows after classes may be a better option." KFMradio.com. Not allowed to post links yet.

It would nearly restore your faith in politicians!

I wouldn't think Ms O'Loughlin has jurisdiction over CO2 monitors being a senator! Once it's red, all out!!