Coronavirus- All schools to close? [MOD NOTE POST 346

solerina

Treppen wrote: »

Schools were given thousands in IT funding in the last 3 years in 3 installments. Where did the money go?

IT equipment was bought but it was put into classrooms and specialist rooms, it is minimally used as most people can’t prepare work on them, used to show powerpoints etc that have been prepared elsewhere. We asked for personal computers which could be used to prepare work as well as show powerpoints but the boss was having none of it...money has all been wasted imo.

ThewhiteJesus

20Cent wrote: »

Dunno, but it's doubling every few days do the maths. It's not kids I'm worried about it's their parents and grandparents.

So how can you do the maths ?

Treppen

solerina wrote: »

IT equipment was bought but it was put into classrooms and specialist rooms, it is minimally used as most people can’t prepare work on them, used to show powerpoints etc that have been prepared elsewhere. We asked for personal computers which could be used to prepare work as well as show powerpoints but the boss was having none of it...money has all been wasted imo.

There should still have been enough. Was it one room that was fully kitted out with new desktops? Could you give a ballpark of how many new devices ye got?
1. Write a letter to the minister of education office outlining this. Get a reply.
2. If you ever have an inspection refuse outright to project any slides or use IT. Get that letter to the inspector through a Union rep.

Widdensushi

What will happen if all these teenagers are told to stay at home. For many people who are working proper supervision will be impossible to arrange. They are not going to stay at home. Schools closing has to happen at the same time as a shutdown of the country, similar to Italy.

iguana

ThewhiteJesus wrote: »

So how can you do the maths ?

On average it has very close to doubled every two days since the first confirmed case on Feb 29th. That's actually terrible as exponential growth every two days is disastrous if it isn't slowed dramatically.

Icyseanfitz

10 cases today, surely they have to look at closing now

20Cent

Exponential growth is very scary. The numbers rise very rapidly. Put a grain of rice on the first square if a chessboard. Two on the next four in the next and so fourth doubling each time. The 64 th square will have 18,446,744,073,709,551,615 grains of rice on it.

rainbowtrout

iguana wrote: »

On average it has slightly more than doubled every two days since the first confirmed case on Feb 29th. That's actually terrible as exponential growth every two days is disastrous if it isn't slowed dramatically.

Well of the 10 new cases today, 5 of them are from travel to an affected area (I presume Italy). All of the other 5 cases are connected to the existing cases. It would be far worse if cases were popping up randomly that could not be traced and were in parts of the country where the virus had not been found so far.


Today's cases.

A male healthcare worker in the south who contracted the illness in hospital
A female healthcare worker in the south who contracted the illness in hospital
Three men from the south – associated with travel from affected area
One man in the west – linked to contact with a confirmed case
A woman in the west – associated with contact with a confirmed case
A woman in the south – associated with contact with a confirmed case
A man in the east who had travelled to an affected area
A woman in the east who had travelled to an affected area

iguana

rainbowtrout wrote: »

Well of the 10 new cases today, 5 of them are from travel to an affected area (I presume Italy). All of the other 5 cases are connected to the existing cases. It would be far worse if cases were popping up randomly that could not be traced and were in parts of the country where the virus had not been found so far.

Our testing guidelines specifically only say they will test if you have come from an effected area or have close contact with a confirmed case. We really have no idea what kind of community spread we have. With 3 community spread cases already identified in 2 parts of the country, the strong likelihood is that we're seeing the tip of the iceberg. I'd love to be wrong but it would make Ireland amazingly special.

Icyseanfitz

but it makes you wonder if they are just contact tracing who they suspect might certainly have it based on travel etc. while leaving others with symptoms untested due to not travelling etc. My partner was at the GP yesterday with some cold/flu like symptoms, she wasnt even asked if she was travelling or looked at with regards to corona virus.

TheValeyard

Weepsie wrote: »

Thousands doesn't buy a lot you know. Primary school near me has teachers using close to 15 year old laptops. They just about function so they've had their money's worth. School has a handful of iPads, but you're relying on families and kids to have the same type of equipment and ease of access to internet as each other.

Teaching online, etc just isn't feasible in the same way it would be for colleges and unis who have dedicated it teams and HEAnet behind them to support them

Well I'm just wondering how do I teach from home if creche is closed and you have Toddlers running around the house.

jimmytwotimes 2013

As regards days owed. If schools close next week until Easter finishes, most schools lose 13 days (Patrick's weekend is 4-day weekend for most schools). If we push LC back a week, schools can gain 5 of those days back.

Reduce house exams to class tests and you save more class contact time.

There wud be less than 8 teaching days lost. Overall, this would not be a bad outcome for 5 weeks of a shutdown and hopefully slow the virus in return.

Orals to take place at end of written exams in late June/early July. Results for these could be returned immediately to Dept. This, most importantly, gives students a definite idea of what's ahead of them and they can plan accordingly regarding study.

Widdensushi

jimmytwotimes 2013 wrote: »

As regards days owed. If schools close next week until Easter finishes, most schools lose 13 days (Patrick's weekend is 4-day weekend for most schools). If we push LC back a week, schools can gain 5 of those days back.

Reduce house exams to class tests and you save more class contact time.

There wud be less than 8 teaching days lost. Overall, this would not be a bad outcome for 5 weeks of a shutdown and hopefully slow the virus in return.

Orals to take place at end of written exams in late June/early July. Results for these could be returned immediately to Dept. This, most importantly, gives students a definite idea of what's ahead of them and they can plan accordingly regarding study.

it is unlikely that the schools will open that soon once they close.

bladespin

Trying to be 'real' about this and avoid the hysteria:

km79 wrote: »

168 dead in Italy. TODAY

Italy has a very old population (second oldest in the world I think) so it would be badly affected by anything like Covid19, they also let the virus run rampant through hospitals in the early days, absolute disaster scenario.

km79 wrote: »

10 new cases just confirmed
So numbers are doubling
Time to act

This is very normal for any 'new' virus, it's how soon the numbers plateau that's important in my opinion.

Widdensushi wrote: »

how are the 34 confirmed patients ?Are they in ICU ?

No, some are in hospital quarantine others are home and self isolating under supervision according to reports.

20Cent wrote: »

Dunno, but it's doubling every few days do the maths. It's not kids I'm worried about it's their parents and grandparents.

This, for the average person this is nothing more than a bad flu, it's the vulnerable we should be concerned for.

ThewhiteJesus

iguana wrote: »

On average it has very close to doubled every two days since the first confirmed case on Feb 29th. That's actually terrible as exponential growth every two days is disastrous if it isn't slowed dramatically.

Of school going children ? How many confirmed cases ?

jimmytwotimes 2013

Widdensushi wrote: »

it is unlikely that the schools will open that soon once they close.

Can only plan and then reassess

Widdensushi

jimmytwotimes 2013 wrote: »

Can only plan and then reassess

or leave them open and reassess at easter,the days will be getting longer, those who feel vulnerable can self isolate for now.By the sounds of it we don't have anyone seriously ill from this in the country yet.

drunkmonkey

TheValeyard wrote: »

Well I'm just wondering how do I teach from home if creche is closed and you have Toddlers running around the house.

You hire someone from the creche to come work for you while it's closed. I wouldn't hesitate I've already done it. Staff are being told to isolate themselves and not go work for families so I'd have a quite word in the morning with one of them.

ted1

20Cent wrote: »

The schools need to close asap, this is going to go downhill very quickly.

Why schools , many offices are bigger than schools ? Shopping centres ?

solerina

Treppen wrote: »

There should still have been enough. Was it one room that was fully kitted out with new desktops? Could you give a ballpark of how many new devices ye got?
1. Write a letter to the minister of education office outlining this. Get a reply.
2. If you ever have an inspection refuse outright to project any slides or use IT. Get that letter to the inspector through a Union rep.

No, every room got one PC, 5 laptops and 5 tablets were also bought. The PCs in the rooms just don’t get used much, we don’t have base classrooms so everyone is constantly moving so individual laptops would have been much better value for money.

jimmytwotimes 2013

Widdensushi wrote: »

or leave them open and reassess at easter,the days will be getting longer, those who feel vulnerable can self isolate for now.By the sounds of it we don't have anyone seriously ill from this in the country yet.

Or try and get ahead of it

TheValeyard

drunkmonkey wrote: »

You hire someone from the creche to come work for you while it's closed. I wouldn't hesitate I've already done it. Staff are being told to isolate themselves and not go work for families so I'd have a quite word in the morning with one of them.

So paying creche fees and hire a nanny. Aint happening.

drunkmonkey

TheValeyard wrote: »

So paying creche fees and hire a nanny. Aint happening.

I don't have a choice. There €305 supplement for isolation should be extended to working parents who still have to pay creche fees.

glack

ted1 wrote: »

Why schools , many offices are bigger than schools ? Shopping centres ?

Because children are notorious germ spreaders. I teach 8 year olds. They spend a shocking amount of time rubbing their faces, picking their noses, touching everything in sight. They also can’t keep their hands off each other and have no concept of personal space. They are also in big numbers in small classrooms making the notion of “social distancing” laughable even if they kids were capable of keeping away from each other-which they are not. They are poor hand washers. One person arrives to a school with the virus and it will spread rapidly around classes. Then those children are bringing it home infecting the community. You can’t compare a school with 300 children with an office of the same numbers.

byhookorbycrook

Treppen wrote: »

There should still have been enough. Was it one room that was fully kitted out with new desktops? Could you give a ballpark of how many new devices ye got?
1. Write a letter to the minister of education office outlining this. Get a reply.
2. If you ever have an inspection refuse outright to project any slides or use IT. Get that letter to the inspector through a Union rep.

Interactive whiteboards took a huge chunk. School broadband is awful, many have paid for upgrades .

byhookorbycrook

Double post , sorry .

TheValeyard

byhookorbycrook wrote: »

Double post , sorry .

I think the Boards server is drunk tonight.

political analyst

There would be an outcry if the Junior and Leaving Cert exams were either postponed or didn't take place at all this year. I can only imagine the hysteria there would be among students.

Rosita

jimmytwotimes 2013 wrote: »

As regards days owed. If schools close next week until Easter finishes, most schools lose 13 days (Patrick's weekend is 4-day weekend for most schools). If we push LC back a week, schools can gain 5 of those days back.

Reduce house exams to class tests and you save more class contact time.

There wud be less than 8 teaching days lost. Overall, this would not be a bad outcome for 5 weeks of a shutdown and hopefully slow the virus in return.

Orals to take place at end of written exams in late June/early July. Results for these could be returned immediately to Dept. This, most importantly, gives students a definite idea of what's ahead of them and they can plan accordingly regarding study.

Orals, in your scenario where schools are back immediately after Easter, can take place immediately after Easter as happens many years. The oral exam will take just 15 minutes of a student’s time. If schools are back then the orals are not an issue. Many students’ families will already have plans for July that do not involve the orals and you are allowing no time for the monitoring process either. Getting the results back the “Department” (SEC you mean) is the easy and quick part. It’s the processing at that stage that takes time.

And I would think that any teacher who desperately needs “class contact time” in June is in trouble. I’d say many students would see that as a waste of time a week before their exam and you’d have a fairly empty room.

Funnily enough for students who are so inclined a few weeks out of school and a curb on social activity outside the home could provide an extraordinary opportunity to study which plodding into class after class when the course is already covered can sometimes just hinder,

Rosita

ted1 wrote: »

Why schools , many offices are bigger than schools ? Shopping centres ?

The government controls education. It does not control private industry so cannot so easily dictate that they close. That’s why they have been “recommending” against travel to Italy rather than trying to dictate.