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social distancing unnecessary at school

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  • 15-05-2020 1:42pm
    #1
    mullinr2
    Registered Users Posts: 557 ✭✭✭


    I truly believe that social distancing is not needed for kids, especially primary kids. How is it going to work, where you might have your kids in school for half a day, then have to collect them at 12.30. What if both sets of parents work?How are kids going to play at school?Are teachers not going to allow them to play at break time?
    I think it's completely unnecessary. If a student has a compromised immune system, then they should stay at home. Opinions?


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    #2
    One eyed Jack
    Registered Users Posts: 23,693 ✭✭✭✭One eyed Jack


    mullinr2 wrote: »
    I truly believe that social distancing is not needed for kids, especially primary kids. How is it going to work, where you might have your kids in school for half a day, then have to collect them at 12.30. What if both sets of parents work?How are kids going to play at school?Are teachers not going to allow them to play at break time?
    I think it's completely unnecessary. If a student has a compromised immune system, then they should stay at home. Opinions?


    Most children only have two parents?

    That being said, it’s necessary, but there aren’t any ideal solutions that are guaranteed to be effective or can be applied across the board to all circumstances. I think it will be decided by the Board of Management of each school what logistics and practical measures can be put in place to prevent the spread of infection among the school community, whether that applies to teachers, parents and pupils. Their children’s welfare is ultimately a consideration for their parents, and it’s the parents will have to decide for their children whether the measures implemented by the school are to their satisfaction or not, while weighing that against the value of their children receiving an education in a formal setting.


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    #3
    1hnr79jr65
    Registered Users Posts: 916 ✭✭✭1hnr79jr65


    So OP, you are suggesting that children with various medical problems should be excluded from having the same level of educational support as those without health issues ? Parents of children with pre-existing conditions also have to work, so they should be disadvantaged also to suit some ?

    Another concern with the point you have made is that children don't need social distancing, children can still be carriers of c19, many children without medical conditions have died from this all over the world, as a carrier they could infect another child at school and bring it home to you or your loved ones.

    Very short sighted view on not having social distancing.


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    #4
    byhookorbycrook
    Moderators, Education Moderators, Regional South East Moderators Posts: 12,481 Mod ✭✭✭✭byhookorbycrook


    Taking this as not being an attempt to troll, I’d like to see the “ evidence “ on which this is based . As well as children with all kinds of health issues, what about the adults in the school community? Not just teachers , SNAs, school secretaries and caretakers , grandparents collecting children from school?
    Being charitable, the OP is naive and has never seen how nits and tummy bugs spread in a primary school.
    And it won’t be teachers “not allowing “ children to play at breaks , it will be qualified medical professionals.
    Oh and me truly believing I will win the Lotto won’t make it happen.


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    #5
    ShamoBuc
    Moderators, Category Moderators, Recreation & Hobbies Moderators, Sports Moderators Posts: 32,421 CMod ✭✭✭✭ShamoBuc


    mullinr2 wrote: »
    I truly believe that social distancing is not needed for kids, especially primary kids. How is it going to work, where you might have your kids in school for half a day, then have to collect them at 12.30. What if both sets of parents work?How are kids going to play at school?Are teachers not going to allow them to play at break time?
    I think it's completely unnecessary. If a student has a compromised immune system, then they should stay at home. Opinions?

    My opinion is that your post would suggest you go away and back up your opinion with a few studies and facts.

    If both parents are working? Who has been minding the kids for the past 2 months???
    Teachers not allowing them to play....Bold teachers :rolleyes:

    France are allowing students back to class, around a dozen in a class, not the standard 30 that we have - though I'm confident we will have no more than half a class a day come September, probably a mix of distance learning and every second day in class - but only time will tell. They will have masks etc line up 2-3m apart etc and I look forward to seeing how they get on. Giving out books, copies, correcting etc will be a bit of a nightmare. Even going to the toilet, passing other kids desks. Yard times will be a nightmare of course, staggering them will be a mess in a big school.

    At least it will only be from September for us and we might be able to learn from other countries as to how to best approach it.
    Interestingly, France have said it is not compulsory for students to go to school. It will be interesting to see how many parents will keep them at home, for various reasons.


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    #6
    spaceHopper
    Registered Users Posts: 3,970 ✭✭✭spaceHopper


    Two things spring to mind,
    1 Every day off sick I've had in the last few years were as a result of something my kids picked up from another kids and gave to me. They are super spreaders.

    2 Young kids won't social distance even up to the age of 10 won't.

    I think we need rapid community testing rolled out. As well as antibody testing at a national level or even sampling. They did that in New York and saw 13% of 3000 tests comeback positive, they recon it's been that a lot earlier than first thought

    https://www.axios.com/coronavirus-new-york-antibody-test-f4fbed78-646f-4b46-90b8-5e8ca75380e4.html
    https://www.livescience.com/covid-antibody-test-results-new-york-test.html


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    #7
    mullinr2
    Registered Users Posts: 557 ✭✭✭mullinr2


    spaceHopper wrote: »
    Two things spring to mind,
    1 Every day off sick I've had in the last few years were as a result of something my kids picked up from another kids and gave to me. They are super spreaders.

    2 Young kids won't social distance even up to the age of 10 won't.

    I think we need rapid community testing rolled out. As well as antibody testing at a national level or even sampling. They did that in New York and saw 13% of 3000 tests comeback positive, they recon it's been that a lot earlier than first thought

    https://www.axios.com/coronavirus-new-york-antibody-test-f4fbed78-646f-4b46-90b8-5e8ca75380e4.html
    https://www.livescience.com/covid-antibody-test-results-new-york-test.html
    So what do you suggest? Keep kids off school until we have rapid testing? Of coarse kids won't social distance. Every city, town or village you will see kids, teenagers hanging out. Yet our infection rate is going down.
    The government needs to reduce social distancing to 1 metre for schools. It just wont work at 2


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    #8
    spaceHopper
    Registered Users Posts: 3,970 ✭✭✭spaceHopper


    mullinr2 wrote: »
    So what do you suggest? Keep kids off school until we have rapid testing? Of coarse kids won't social distance. Every city, town or village you will see kids, teenagers hanging out. Yet our infection rate is going down.
    The government needs to reduce social distancing to 1 metre for schools. It just wont work at 2

    I want the kids to go back to school. But I don't believe that 1 M is safe or that kids aren't super spreaders and I wish that the government would just own up to that instead of trying to BS us.

    We my have to risk opening the schools anyway but we would need to have
    Good testing.
    At risk teaches put on paid leave, and backfilled by new younger teachers we can't have lots of teachers dieing or off sick for months because of it.

    We may end up with half weeks in schools with half classes too


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    #9
    spaceHopper
    Registered Users Posts: 3,970 ✭✭✭spaceHopper


    Mix of school and home learning for next term discussed at education meetings

    https://www.rte.ie/news/2020/0527/1143040-school-reopening-planning/


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    #10
    mullinr2
    Registered Users Posts: 557 ✭✭✭mullinr2


    I'm a stay at home dad and I do accept that my kids won't be in school as was before. School time was my quiet time, albeit still having a baby at home.
    I just cannot see how they think the 2 metre rule will work for school. 1 metre is more manageable.


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    #11
    Murple
    Registered Users Posts: 337 ✭✭Murple


    Do you think that with a 1m distance that we will be able to have all children back at the same time? Thinking of my own school, we'd be able to manage a full class of 30 with a 1m distance between them in about 2 of our classrooms and that would be with each child sitting on a chair but with no desk, unless of course we are supplied with single desks for each child. In the rest of the classrooms, we'd fit 10-15 pupils in with similar conditions.
    I'm really getting sick of the idea being put out there that schools and teachers are somehow putting a block on schools opening or that we want there to be all these restrictions. I think all any teacher wants is that come September, we can welcome all our pupils back and get on with a normal start to, and hopefully continuation of, the new school year. God knows that start of the year is hard enough without having to juggle a whole set of regulations around distancing. But we have to adhere to government guidelines whatever they may be so if the guidelines dictate a 2m, 1.5m or 1m distance, then we have to abide by that.


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    #12
    spaceHopper
    Registered Users Posts: 3,970 ✭✭✭spaceHopper


    More news articles in the press about it being low risk to open schools, on the same day Korea close 256 schools again after out break linked to a distribution centre outside Seoul. Sorry I want to go back to normal but my gut tells me what we are been told is not true.


    https://www.rte.ie/news/coronavirus/2020/0529/1143334-covid-19-school-hse-report/

    https://www.rte.ie/news/2020/0529/1143297-holohan-schools-reopening/

    https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-52845015


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    #13
    Moonbeam
    Moderators, Education Moderators, Society & Culture Moderators Posts: 18,953 Mod ✭✭✭✭Moonbeam


    Our schools in Norway are back a few weeks.
    The kids 6-11 have to social distance inside but are a bit more relaxed outside,we have seen no spike.


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    #14
    ShamoBuc
    Moderators, Category Moderators, Recreation & Hobbies Moderators, Sports Moderators Posts: 32,421 CMod ✭✭✭✭ShamoBuc


    Moonbeam wrote: »
    Our schools in Norway are back a few weeks.
    The kids 6-11 have to social distance inside but are a bit more relaxed outside,we have seen no spike.

    What would be the average class size and is it 2m social distance or 1?
    Are all the kids back or are some parents keeping them at home do you know?


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    #15
    kandr10
    Registered Users Posts: 1,601 ✭✭✭kandr10


    Moonbeam wrote: »
    Our schools in Norway are back a few weeks.
    The kids 6-11 have to social distance inside but are a bit more relaxed outside,we have seen no spike.

    That’s really interesting. Is it school as normal or kind of babysitting as it is in other countries. As in, are they in their normal class groups doing lessons?


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    #16
    Spanish Eyes
    Registered Users Posts: 15,903 ✭✭✭✭Spanish Eyes


    Wonder about teachers and SNAs etc. The forgotten cohort in all this really.

    Kids might not infect each other, but they can infect others.


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    #17
    ShamoBuc
    Moderators, Category Moderators, Recreation & Hobbies Moderators, Sports Moderators Posts: 32,421 CMod ✭✭✭✭ShamoBuc


    Spanish Eyes wrote: »
    Wonder about teachers and SNAs etc. The forgotten cohort in all this really.

    Kids might not infect each other, but they can infect others.

    True, staff rooms would be a nightmare with social distancing, especially with a large staff.


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    #18
    shesty
    Moderators, Recreation & Hobbies Moderators, Social & Fun Moderators, Society & Culture Moderators Posts: 6,894 Mod ✭✭✭✭shesty


    How are teachers supposed to teach full time (because it will be full time for them) and keep online learning going for the rest of the class?That is double-jobbing.

    Hpw are those kids who are not at home with parents, but are instead in creches, grandparents or minders, on off-days, meant to keep up with their schoolwork?

    There is a long, long way to run on this one yet.


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