Post primary return to schools roadmap

wirelessdude01

We are frustrated with various issues in all our schools but reading that statement there is no one clear issue that they are balloting over.

No appetite in primary schools anyway if they are looking for commonality across all the levels.

Hubertj

wirelessdude01 wrote: »

We are frustrated with various issues in all our schools but reading that statement their is no one clear issue that they are balloting over.

No appetite in primary schools anyway if they are looking for commonality across all the levels.

To the general public it seems a very confrontational approach. If there are genuine concerns, I’m sure there are, and they are not being addressed, there should be a press release or statement outlining them, get input from heath professionals etc. Put pressure on through PR.

jimmytwotimes 2013

Smacruairi wrote: »

Depends on if all the unions go on together... But they won't because the lectures and principals will want to be seen to be good little workers by the DES. So it'll be asti on their own.. Again.

Most universities are going with blended learning and very few students on campus so they won't be voting for industrial action.

I don't want industrial action at all but the return to school hasn't been very well thought out. I'd vote for a "have another think about full return as the only option"

Even a 4-day week (still a 5-day week for teachers tho) rotating each year group's day off, wud have taken 20% of students off most school corridors and freed up space to thin out some of the rooms that are packed with students.

The lack of creative thinking for the return of schools has been very disappointing.

Smacruairi

Hubertj wrote: »

What I don’t understand is this - I listened on radio and saw on tv the marvel is work done by teachers across the country to get schools ready and welcome students back. It was brilliant to see and hear. Then you see the union officials that represent them. It does teachers a disservice. Surely a younger more pragmatic leadership is required?

I agree, but it's like asking why we keep having ff or FG etc. You need to put in serious time pressing flesh and building a base to rise up. Commit to 10 years of arse licking and you'll get there. But if you're that type of person you probably don't care about the real and integral stuff in the first place. Catch 21.

I've no real hunger for a strike, id rather they pushed for equal pay to be honest, but I agree that we need to speak up. The whole debacle around the drogheda school is nonsense. And the categorisation of schools outside of health guidelines basically means they can make us do whatever they like in the future and always have "but the poor children" as their argument.

Bananaleaf

Hi everyone

How are we all getting on in school? How is the social distancing going? How is staff morale?

I never thought we'd still be open to be honest, but here we are! I had a really tough day today so I feel like saying that it's all going to sh1t in our place but if I'm honest I'd have to say that the majority are still doing their best. It's getting harder to contain the bold ones, but that's to be expected I guess.

The rooms are in awful condition since becoming base rooms. I walked into what used to be my room today and the tables are drawn on, the wooden strips that go along the sides of the desks have been torn off, the radiators are all written on. I know I shouldn't care, but

Morale pretty low in our place. I feel bad for management. Apparently the number one piece of feedback coming from the Covid inspections is that there isn't appropriate social distancing being done in schools at break and lunch times. Tell us something we don't know :rolleyes:

Honestly, if I didn't have my dog to come home to, I'd be on the news by now!!!! :pac:

Sorry for being such a Ranty McRanterson. 10 days til the Toy Show, 35 days til the sweet, sweet holidays

km79

Bananaleaf wrote: »

Hi everyone

How are we all getting on in school? How is the social distancing going? How is staff morale?

I never thought we'd still be open to be honest, but here we are! I had a really tough day today so I feel like saying that it's all going to sh1t in our place but if I'm honest I'd have to say that the majority are still doing their best. It's getting harder to contain the bold ones, but that's to be expected I guess.

The rooms are in awful condition since becoming base rooms. I walked into what used to be my room today and the tables are drawn on, the wooden strips that go along the sides of the desks have been torn off, the radiators are all written on. I know I shouldn't care, but

Morale pretty low in our place. I feel bad for management. Apparently the number one piece of feedback coming from the Covid inspections is that there isn't appropriate social distancing being done in schools at break and lunch times. Tell us something we don't know :rolleyes:

Honestly, if I didn't have my dog to come home to, I'd be on the news by now!!!! :pac:

Sorry for being such a Ranty McRanterson. 10 days til the Toy Show, 35 days til the sweet, sweet holidays

I really really hope the Dept acknowledge all the work that has been done to get and keep schools open and tell schools to close for Xmas on Friday 18th instead of having to go back the following week for two pointless days where attendance and morale will be low
I think staff and students need it
Doubt it will happen though

km79

km79 wrote: »

I really really hope the Dept acknowledge all the work that has been done to get and keep schools open and tell schools to close for Xmas on Friday 18th instead of having to go back the following week for two pointless days where attendance and morale will be low
I think staff and students need it
Doubt it will happen though

Oh look there she is
It’s not our intention to extend school Christmas break’ – Norma Foley

https://www.independent.ie/irish-news/education/its-not-our-intention-to-extend-school-christmas-break-norma-foley-39758549.html

Bananaleaf

km79 wrote: »

Oh look there she is
It’s not our intention to extend school Christmas break’ – Norma Foley

https://www.independent.ie/irish-news/education/its-not-our-intention-to-extend-school-christmas-break-norma-foley-39758549.html

I find it astounding that she has come out with this. Two school days is what we are talking about. When you consider the amount of school days taken from 'the poor children' when entire schools were closed down to facilitate day-long CPD sessions for the junior cycle. You know the ones, where all you got out of the day was a massive pain in your hole.

Also, just wondering, what are the additional resources that we got to help promote wellbeing in the classroom? I will ask the wellbeing team in my school tomorrow, but curious if anyone knows what she's on about here

khalessi

Bananaleaf wrote: »

I find it astounding that she has come out with this. Two school days is what we are talking about. When you consider the amount of school days taken from 'the poor children' when entire schools were closed down to facilitate day-long CPD sessions for the junior cycle. You know the ones, where all you got out of the day was a massive pain in your hole.

Also, just wondering, what are the additional resources that we got to help promote wellbeing in the classroom? I will ask the wellbeing team in my school tomorrow, but curious if anyone knows what she's on about here

Where are the extra protection measures that were promised during midterm. Has anything changed since before midterm?

wirelessdude01

Bananaleaf wrote: »

Also, just wondering, what are the additional resources that we got to help promote wellbeing in the classroom? I will ask the wellbeing team in my school tomorrow, but curious if anyone knows what she's on about here

Probably a few videos from the PDST.

Bananaleaf

wirelessdude01 wrote: »

Probably a few videos from the PDST.

LOL. That won't load because the wifi is gone. Again. :rolleyes:

km79

khalessi wrote: »

Where are the extra protection measures that were promised during midterm. Has anything changed since before midterm?

Not a thing

byhookorbycrook

khalessi wrote: »

Where are the extra protection measures that were promised during midterm. Has anything changed since before midterm?

Bar the DES inspectors (and why not HSE/HSA ones) telling schools off, there have been no changes whatsoever. Oh, I lie, schools must now provide "distance learning" to children who are self isolating. Dust off those spare teachers you keep in the store room to provide this, everyone.

khalessi

byhookorbycrook wrote: »

Bar the DES inspectors (and why not HSE/HSA ones) telling schools off, there have been no changes whatsoever. Oh, I lie, schools must now provide "distance learning" to children who are self isolating. Dust off those spare teachers you keep in the store room to provide this, everyone.

Oh I remembered another, the addition of "mitigating circumstances" such as masks access to windows and doors along with sd to decide close contacts

babybuilder

Local secondary school closed tomorrow. Potential covid outbreak not confirmed. Donegal.

km79

If schools open as planned until dec 22nd
And a child becomes ill on 23/24th
Principals will be contacting tracing Xmas day ?
Families will all fall ill
GPS under pressure

The unions have gone at this all wrong
It’s makes huge sense in terms of suppressing the virus over Xmas
Even going “remote “learning for the two days ........

Bananaleaf

km79 wrote: »

If schools open as planned until dec 22nd
And a child becomes ill on 23/24th
Principals will be contacting tracing Xmas day ?
Families will all fall ill
GPS under pressure

The unions have gone at this all wrong
It’s makes huge sense in terms of suppressing the virus over Xmas
Even going “remote “learning for the two days ........

But..... there is no Covid in schools km79


















:pac:

clunked

It was embarrassing as a teacher to hear the TUI rep on the radio this morning.

Bananaleaf

clunked wrote: »

It was embarrassing as a teacher to hear the TUI rep on the radio this morning.

It was. However, while it makes no difference to me going in those extra two days (I'm managing ok), I am seeing colleagues at their absolute wits end, stressed to the max, who could really benefit from those two days and who will probably end up in a position where they will have to take them, and more.

Senior students are losing it. They are so stressed out and exhausted. Junior students have discovered just how anonymous they really are with the masks and that, coupled with the fact that cabin fever is also (understandably) getting to them now, is making lunchtime supervisions feel like the most humiliating experience of the week - I am so so glad that I didn't sign up for extra.

It's all well and good some teachers texting in to Newstalk this morning saying how the TUI doesn't represent their view and they're delighted to be back in the classroom, but there are colleagues of mine with elderly parents who haven't seen them in a long long time and between the upset of that, the worry around Christmas and the absolute pressure-cooker situation they are going into every day, they are broken. Fair enough if some folk think they are 'jokers' and 'wasters', but anyone who feels that way, please take a moment to consider that some teachers are very very close to breakdown.

In a world where we are so sensitive to all these lives that apparently matter, I wish the Ciara Kelly brigade could see some of what I am seeing on a daily basis. Not everyone is at breaking point and no, the needs of a few probably don't warrant us all getting an extra two days off (what use is an extra two days anyway? You could still be asymptomatic going home to family I ) but all media platforms have a huge amount to answer for when they facilitate teacher bashing to this level. The phrase is a parody of itself at this stage but for God's sake, teachers are people too.

TheValeyard

clunked wrote: »

It was embarrassing as a teacher to hear the TUI rep on the radio this morning.

He was utterly destroyed by Ciara Kelly. It was horrific to listen too.

clunked

My worry is that you have to pick battles with a hint of intelligence because it will be too easy for the knee jerk brigade to dismiss legitimate grievances. It arguably shows the TUI as incompetent.

km79

The most sensible solution is to agree that teaching and learning on those days takes place remotely if people are going to get so bent out of shape at closing a day and a half early

I wonder how some of them will feel when a child develops symptoms Xmas Eve or is identified as a close contact (that won’t happen anyway!)

km79

Bananaleaf wrote: »

It was. However, while it makes no difference to me going in those extra two days (I'm managing ok), I am seeing colleagues at their absolute wits end, stressed to the max, who could really benefit from those two days and who will probably end up in a position where they will have to take them, and more.

Senior students are losing it. They are so stressed out and exhausted. Junior students have discovered just how anonymous they really are with the masks and that, coupled with the fact that cabin fever is also (understandably) getting to them now, is making lunchtime supervisions feel like the most humiliating experience of the week - I am so so glad that I didn't sign up for extra.

It's all well and good some teachers texting in to Newstalk this morning saying how the TUI doesn't represent their view and they're delighted to be back in the classroom, but there are colleagues of mine with elderly parents who haven't seen them in a long long time and between the upset of that, the worry around Christmas and the absolute pressure-cooker situation they are going into every day, they are broken. Fair enough if some folk think they are 'jokers' and 'wasters', but anyone who feels that way, please take a moment to consider that some teachers are very very close to breakdown.

In a world where we are so sensitive to all these lives that apparently matter, I wish the Ciara Kelly brigade could see some of what I am seeing on a daily basis. Not everyone is at breaking point and no, the needs of a few probably don't warrant us all getting an extra two days off (what use is an extra two days anyway? You could still be asymptomatic going home to family I ) but all media platforms have a huge amount to answer for when they facilitate teacher bashing to this level. The phrase is a parody of itself at this stage but for God's sake, teachers are people too.

In terms of symptoms and contact tracing though it would be 4 days not 2
That’s a huge difference leading into holidays
As it stands there will be principals all over the country contact tracing with the HSE on Xmas day

Alex86Eire

km79 wrote: »

The most sensible solution is to agree that teaching and learning on those days takes place remotely if people are going to get so bent out of shape at closing a day and a half early

Would many schools be teaching during the last days anyway?

clunked

I hope the former ASTI members who jumped ship to the TUI for their 30 pieces of silver are suitably embarrassed at themselves. But probably not...

khalessi

Were any TUI teachers asked about this or did the TUI just go off on a whim?

deiseindublin

km79 wrote: »

As it stands there will be principals all over the country contact tracing with the HSE on Xmas day

In fairness, Principals should turn off their phones on the 22nd. They're on holidays, and there's no CV in schools anyway.

babybuilder

TUI have lost it. While carrying out the whims of the Department and NCCA to the letter of the law now they go and make an ass of themselves.

The only way a early Xmas break would work would be if there was a total lockdown or circuit breaker similar to the one in spring. Rigourously enforced. They'd be better off carrying out inspections in schools re-covid than what they proposed this morning.

Bananaleaf

km79 wrote: »

In terms of symptoms and contact tracing though it would be 4 days not 2
That’s a huge difference leading into holidays
As it stands there will be principals all over the country contact tracing with the HSE on Xmas day

Well now, I hadn't even thought of that.

Why the hell didn't the TUI make that point instead of what they did come out and say. Honestly, are they on the same planet as the rest of us in that place? Why are we paying them????

Bananaleaf

khalessi wrote: »

Were any TUI teachers asked about this or did the TUI just go off on a whim?

None were asked. And when I say none, I mean none.

It was really cringy this morning on Newstalk. Ciara Kelly asked the TUI rep if they had asked teachers and he said no. To clarify she asked him if they had just come up with this themselves and he responded that yes, they had just come up with it themselves. :eek: