Schools closed until February? (part 3)

KerryConnor

It's national news because the principal took position he did. Mt own child's school had 6 classes quarentine over space 4 weeks but no information or communication re what was going on except for short text msg when my child became a close contact. No idea at number positive cases. HSE won't tell school re any positive results of school contact tracing (and parents in my own child's class for example never let school know as assumed HSE would).

While no mass testing has taken place in schools which makes it hard to ascertain what's going on... I agree with you that majority of schools seem to have done really well. But there were many issues in schools in areas with high rates and this is where response has been really poor and information essentially unavailable.

If they'd taken approach of keeping schools open, along with selective mass testing and taking cautious approach when rates in community go open and closing schools like claremorris quickly, I'd be right behind them. I'm still shocked by claremorris situation

[Deleted User] wrote: »

Schools are open and rates are low at the moment. I dont believe Foley has had much to do with this, but it is the truth. The figures cant ultimately be hidden for long even if they want to. Look at Claremorris, a small school in a small town and its national news. And this has been associated with a large community outbreak at a food processing plant. As many have said all along, schools will follow communities

Smacruairi

Lillyfae wrote: »

I simply said that if it had occurred to principals to take 2 days from somewhere else when the school calendar for 20/21 was being made then the days could have been taken. I quoted the wrong circular but it can be done.

Youre still wrong. You've been told multiple times why, and even when you try to change the goal posts by saying "oh back when the calendar was being devised", you're still wrong.

Best of luck with everything.

combat14

london mayor now looking to close schools in london due to significant rise in covid numbers in 10-19 year olds

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.bbc.com/news/amp/uk-england-london-55299848

Lillyfae

Smacruairi wrote: »

Youre still wrong. You've been told multiple times why, and even when you try to change the goal posts by saying "oh back when the calendar was being devised", you're still wrong.

Best of luck with everything.

Is History Queen also wrong?

History Queen wrote: »

The school calandar is standardised and published every three years with a little wiggle room around croke park hours/starting a day or two early to 'bank' those days for later in the year (i think primary have a bit more flexibility around summer term midterms but I'm not sure).

mirrorwall14

Lillyfae wrote: »

Is History Queen also wrong?

No they are not. You are allowed wiggle room at the start of the year to gain a day to play with. As already explained.

However as has also been explained schools must be open both before and after all school calendar breaks. You cannot extend the holiday periods

lawrencesummers

People do realize that this virus has virtually no impact on school going children don’t they?

It’s as if people completely forget that important point while getting completely caught up in case numbers and spread of the virus.

You can’t seriously advocate closing schools for a virus that doesn’t affect kids.

Sure you can bring it home to granny, and that’s where I think the health advice is lacking, in the potential to infect high risk people at home caused by school going kids.

deiseindublin

I posted on the SSY last week, just in case some posters still don't understand how it works.

https://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showpost.php?p=115583392&postcount=5359

Boggles

meeeeh wrote: »

That's a very unfair statement.

Nope, it's completely apt.

Not surprising though you would take her side over her labeling terminally ill women wronged by the state as money grabbers.

Anyway, poor form. But off topic.

Stateofyou

lawrencesummers wrote: »

People do realize that this virus has virtually no impact on school going children don’t they?

It’s as if people completely forget that important point while getting completely caught up in case numbers and spread of the virus.

You can’t seriously advocate closing schools for a virus that doesn’t affect kids.

Sure you can bring it home to granny, and that’s where I think the health advice is lacking, in the potential to infect high risk people at home caused by school going kids.

You do realise most people know at this point what the real issues are? Bringing home to Granny, yes- or Mam or Dad or sibling with an underlying condition. And perfectly healthy people can also get flattened by this virus, no one wants to roll that dice. To say it has virtually no impact is a ridiculous statement. We also don't know the long term effects of covid. Lastly, it's important not to overrun the health care system.
Its not really about whether the virus does or doesn't affect kids. I honestly can't believe that mid Dec 2020 we're still needing to have this conversation.

combat14

combat14 wrote: »

london mayor now looking to close schools in london due to significant rise in covid numbers in 10-19 year olds

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.bbc.com/news/amp/uk-england-london-55299848

Relevance to Ireland - The London borough of Havering has 7 day incidence of 509 and in pretty most of London it is above 200. The 7 day rate in Ireland is around 45

Boggles

Deleted User wrote: »

Relevance to Ireland - The London borough of Havering has 7 day incidence of 509 and in pretty most of London it is above 200. The 7 day rate in Ireland is around 45

Irish Public Health pretty much exclusively use international examples as a basis to form recommendations.

To do it ourselves would be "academic" apparently.

lawrencesummers

Stateofyou wrote: »

You do realise most people know at this point what the real issues are? Bringing home to Granny, yes- or Mam or Dad or sibling with an underlying condition. And perfectly healthy people can also get flattened by this virus, no one wants to roll that dice. To say it has virtually no impact is a ridiculous statement. We also don't know the long term effects of covid. Lastly, it's important not to overrun the health care system.
Its not really about whether the virus does or doesn't affect kids. I honestly can't believe that mid Dec 2020 we're still needing to have this conversation.

That’s what I said. Vulnerable people are vulnerable.

But children aren’t, and the advocates for closing schools are just over reacting.

Stateofyou

lawrencesummers wrote: »

That’s what I said. Vulnerable people are vulnerable.

But children aren’t, and the advocates for closing schools are just over reacting.

Show me where anyone is advocating for closing all schools, and over-reacting because of their fear for their (non-underlying condition) children.

lawrencesummers

Stateofyou wrote: »

Show me where anyone is advocating for closing all schools, and over-reacting because of their fear for their (non-underlying condition) children.

All over social media, people over reacting and wanting schools closed. It’s nonsense

HerrKuehn

downthemiddle wrote: »

Dutch schools closed and Irish schools open. Hmmmmmmmm.

Would this be implying Irish schools should be closed because Dutch schools are closing?

meeeeh

Boggles wrote: »

Nope, it's completely apt.

Not surprising though you would take her side over her labeling terminally ill women wronged by the state as money grabbers.

Anyway, poor form. But off topic.

That's the pure example how social media twists any debate worth having about screening services which are not infallible. It's modern version of mob with pitchforks. Quick to react and slow to think. I'm not going to derail debate any further. It will be just an excuse for you to level some more irrational accusations at me because it makes you feel better.

Stateofyou

lawrencesummers wrote: »

All over social media, people over reacting and wanting schools closed. It’s nonsense

Ok, so nothing to do with this thread.

For the record- I don't think anyone is over-reacting when it comes to being in the middle of a global pandemic. Many want to be able to visit their families over Christmas and not be identified as a close contact or need to quarantine due to their children's situation in a school.
And people have different feelings about things and abilities to cope and also depending on what they've been through/going through. This has been rough on many people's mental health. Who are any of us to judge. Your posts sound very unkind and judgemental.

HerrKuehn

Stateofyou wrote: »

Ok, so nothing to do with this thread.

For the record- I don't think anyone is over-reacting when it comes to being in the middle of a global pandemic. Many want to be able to visit their families over Christmas and not be identified as a close contact or need to quarantine due to their children's situation in a school.
And people have different feelings about things and abilities to cope and also depending on what they've been through/going through. This has been rough on many people's mental health. Who are any of us to judge. Your posts sound very unkind and judgemental.

And there is nothing stopping people taking their kids out of school if they are able and feel the need.

Lillyfae

Stateofyou wrote: »

Ok, so nothing to do with this thread.

For the record- I don't think anyone is over-reacting when it comes to being in the middle of a global pandemic. Many want to be able to visit their families over Christmas and not be identified as a close contact or need to quarantine due to their children's situation in a school.
And people have different feelings about things and abilities to cope and also depending on what they've been through/going through. This has been rough on many people's mental health. Who are any of us to judge. Your posts sound very unkind and judgemental.

Yes we all want that, but it's not safe to do whether the schools close or not. Millions of people moving around the country and being in and out of other people's houses right now is not a priority. Not to mention the avalanche of sob stories from the people wanting to come "home" from abroad and deciding that they're the special one that should.

Boggles

Boggles wrote: »

Irish Public Health pretty much exclusively use international examples as a basis to form recommendations.

To do it ourselves would be "academic" apparently.

Yet we have done things differently, and with more success than all our neighbours

Stateofyou

HerrKuehn wrote: »

And there is nothing stopping people taking their kids out of school if they are able and feel the need.

And the teachers and school staff have no families?

meeeeh

Stateofyou wrote: »

Ok, so nothing to do with this thread.

For the record- I don't think anyone is over-reacting when it comes to being in the middle of a global pandemic. Many want to be able to visit their families over Christmas and not be identified as a close contact or need to quarantine due to their children's situation in a school.
And people have different feelings about things and abilities to cope and also depending on what they've been through/going through. This has been rough on many people's mental health. Who are any of us to judge. Your posts sound very unkind and judgemental.

There is irrational over reaction. Possibly fueled by constant stream of media news. The result is that people are slow to go to hospital and seek help if they needed for non covid stuff. Funny thing I know more people who died or will die because their heart attack/cancer wasn't diagnosed early enough than I know of people who died of covid.

I'm not saying Covid is not bad but I was talking to a solicitor friend of mine who mentioned that she never had to deal with as many depressing separation or domestic violence cases as she does now. The fact is that more our lives are limited more potential there is for human suffering. That's why services as schools need to be open as normal as possible and as much as possible.

I'm not saying people are wrong to be worried but we have to be careful that the medicine doesn't cause more damage than disease.

HerrKuehn

Stateofyou wrote: »

And the teachers and school staff have no families?

Well, they are in exactly the same situation as any other profession which has to work on the Monday and Tuesday. I am not sure why you think they should be treated differently.

Stateofyou

Lillyfae wrote: »

Yes we all want that, but it's not safe to do whether the schools close or not. Millions of people moving around the country and being in and out of other people's houses right now is not a priority. Not to mention the avalanche of sob stories from the people wanting to come "home" from abroad and deciding that they're the special one that should.

The government have outlined the small amount of contact that people can have over the holidays and that is what many will do.

Again, who are you to judge what decisions some make to come home.

Edit to add: Sob stories? Sorry, didn't you only just speak out about the impact of all this to your own mental health?

Boggles

Deleted User wrote: »

Yet we have done things differently, and with more success than all our neighbours

Indeed, but you asked for relevance.

AFAIK we have had higher instance rates in parts of this country then London is currently experiencing.

Stateofyou

HerrKuehn wrote: »

Well, they are in exactly the same situation as any other profession which has to work on the Monday and Tuesday. I am not sure why you think they should be treated differently.

So if everyone can't then no-one can? And some workers of other professions have shift work. Not all work every day up to Christmas break.
I didn't say anyone should be treated differently. The reality is government have given the green light for people to visit a small number of other people before the holidays and people will do just that and some will have had their kids in the school only days prior. That's just the way it is.

Lillyfae

Stateofyou wrote: »

That's just the way it is.

The way it is is that schools are open next Monday and Tuesday.

Stateofyou

Lillyfae wrote: »

The way it is is that schools are open next Monday and Tuesday.

Well done, Sherlock. I didn't know that! :rolleyes:

HerrKuehn

Stateofyou wrote: »

So if everyone can't then no-one can? And some workers of other professions have shift work. Not all work every day up to Christmas break.
I didn't say anyone should be treated differently. The reality is government have given the green light for people to visit a small number of other people before the holidays and people will do just that and some will have had their kids in the school only days prior. That's just the way it is.

Teachers are professionals and they are scheduled to work those days. I really don't see how it is any different. It would have been better to shut earlier and maybe it should have been thought about when setting the holidays. It has been clearly established on here that the holidays can't change when they have been set. Also, many will be working over the holidays as well. They might have only a few days off over christmas, so no 2 weeks isolating before seeing vulnerable relatives.
Government have given the green light for 2 households to meet. It isn't compulsory, so it will be up to individuals to assess the level of risk they are happy with.

Boggles

Boggles wrote: »

Indeed, but you asked for relevance.

AFAIK we have had higher instance rates in parts of this country then London is currently experiencing.

Scale - London has a population of 9 million. The highest borough has a 7 day of over 500 and a population of 257k. Only Cavan got anywhere close to those numbers, and it was pulled back without shutting schools