Schools closed until February? (part 3)

wirelessdude01

SusanC10 wrote: »

Is there any further research on whether or not this new UK variant is worse for children or more easily transmissible between kids?

No one seems to know for sure.

As regards online in Ireland, the Department and government have very firmly stuck their heads inthe sand with regards to it. That baby is very firmly left in the hands of schools and then the individual teachers for them to decide what platform to use and also how to implement it. Very smart of the department as if and when things don't work properly or if a parent/child has a grievance then the Department can just point as their guidance and say well we did tell them what to do and thus wash their hands of it.

SusanC10

wirelessdude01 wrote: »

No one seems to know for sure.

As regards online in Ireland, the Department and government have very firmly stuck their heads inthe sand with regards to it. That baby is very firmly left in the hands of schools and then the individual teachers for them to decide what platform to use and also how to implement it. Very smart of the department as if and when things don't work properly or if a parent/child has a grievance then the Department can just point as their guidance and say well we did tell them what to do and thus wash their hands of it.

I guess we are very lucky then with our child's 5th Class Teacher.

Dempo1

average_runner wrote: »

Gps are open, was down at ours around 6 times over the last 9 months.

Gp's goes into nursing homes every week to check on patients.

So need more info on the why from you

They are but only for advance appointments. The advice however is very very clear, any Covid-19 symptoms (DO NOT GO TO YOUR GP), you must call and they'll request a test. This has been stated policy since last march.

kippy

Icyseanfitz wrote: »

I always find its such a bs excuse, particularly at post primary where every kid is using til tok, has a phone with data, or playing xbox or PlayStation online every day, the vast majority have the means to take part in remote learning, its just the parents don't have the discipline to make them and would rather blame the "system" or "teachers".

There's a bit of that no doubt but there's a bit of lack of appropriate technology, lack of appropriate delivery mechanisms, lack of tech knowledge from the parent and child and/or the parent is under pressure to deliver on their own work.
And to be honest there were definetly plenty teachers who simply did not engage enough or appropriately last time out.
Have any age appropriate national standards been defined as to what is expected of teachers and parents for remote learning in the past nine months or so?

wirelessdude01

SusanC10 wrote: »

I guess we are very lucky then with our child's 5th Class Teacher.

As I said every teacher themselves has to decide what they are doing and then what is the best way to achieve it. In reality the Department have washed their hands of it by the publication of a wishy washy document. Nothing proactive at all.

khalessi

Dempo1 wrote: »

If there was a hint of objectivity here, it's blatantly obvious Teachers have been at the forefront of pushing for closures through their representative organisations. It's a simple statement of fact that teachers have not lost a single cent throughout this pandemic, the same certainly can not be said for secretaries, SNA"s, maintaince and cleaning staff.

Yes objectivity would be a great thing, from yourself too. Seems you have an axe to grind. Interesting that teachers here and elsewhere wanted schools kept open but with proper testing, transparency and consistency.

Instead we are facing into higher numbers and a 40% cut to the cleaning budget it seems, but hopefully time to row back on that before next week.

wirelessdude01

kippy wrote: »

Have any age appropriate national standards been defined as to what is expected of teachers and parents for remote learning in the past nine months or so?
People seem to think that multichild households have multi

Great pearls of wisdom there, pity the likes of Norma don't see the value and worth in producing them so that at least their would be some version of a starting point.

Chatting to my sister last week and what their parents want and what my parents want with regards to online/remote is chalk and cheese. Like they are from different planets.

Icyseanfitz

kippy wrote: »

There's a bit of that no doubt but there's a bit of lack of appropriate technology, lack of appropriate delivery mechanisms, lack of tech knowledge from the parent and child and/or the parent is under pressure to deliver on their own work.
And to be honest there were definetly plenty teachers who simply did not engage enough or appropriately last time out.
Have any age appropriate national standards been defined as to what is expected of teachers and parents for remote learning in the past nine months or so?
People seem to think that multichild households have multi

A defined government initiative could have helped with regards a unified approach to remote or hybrid learning, they've had since march to devise it. Could easily have devised a system to help those without the means at home (a small minority id wager) and to ensure everyone in the education sector was working on the same set of rules and ststems to avoid a lack of teaching.

wirelessdude01

khalessi wrote: »

Yes objectivity would be a great thing, from yourself too. Seems you have an axe to grind. Interesting that teachers here and elsewhere wanted schools kept open but with proper testing, transparency and consistency.

Instead we are facing into higher numbers and a 40% cut to the cleaning budget it seems, but hopefully time to row back on that before next week.

I'd love to see where the unions have been looking for school closures. I must have missed all those requests and demands.

Also love how money always reara its ugly head. Funny that.

KathleenGrant

Dempo1 wrote: »

If there was a hint of objectivity here, it's blatantly obvious Teachers have been at the forefront of pushing for closures through their representative organisations. It's a simple statement of fact that teachers have not lost a single cent throughout this pandemic, the same certainly can not be said for secretaries, SNA"s, maintaince and cleaning staff.

SNA's got paid the same as teachers did. Secreraries and caretakers were to be paid as normal from the grants which had been paid. I read that online. Cleaners and maintenance staff i have no idea about.

wirelessdude01

KathleenGrant wrote: »

SNA's got paid the same as teachers did. Secreraries and caretakers were to be paid as normal from the grants which had been paid. I read that online. Cleaners and maintenance staff i have no idea about.

Was chatting to one of our cleaners just before we finished up and she was saying how she was in while we were kicked out of the building. Didn't see the point in it myself but she wasn't complaining.

eastie17

wirelessdude01 wrote: »

It's like the kid who when asked where is the online homework says they don't have WiFi at home inly for their friend to stick their hand up and say but I was online gaming with you yesterday. That is actually a true story from my room.

And the sudden interest from some on doing some work and being able to do it online once they realised part of the random number generator LC was going to involve their teachers opinions!

wirelessdude01

eastie17 wrote: »

And the sudden interest from some on doing some work and being able to do it online once they realised part of the random number generator LC was going to involve their teachers opinions!

I'm primary but a parent of a leaving center last year couldn't understand why their child was getting 0% from assignments even though they had been submitted. Turns out they were all being submitted late and the teacher had been very clear that anything turned in after the date and time got zero. Harsh life lesson which will serve them well out in the real world.

kippy

wirelessdude01 wrote: »

Great pearls of wisdom there, pity the likes of Norma don't see the value and worth in producing them so that at least their would be some version of a starting point.

Chatting to my sister last week and what their parents want and what my parents want with regards to online/remote is chalk and cheese. Like they are from different planets.

Yes, I've seen the varying expectations alright from parents of similiarily aged kids. From we would like the teacher on zoom with all the kids for the normal school day to we'd like the teacher do a one to one on zoom for a few minutes a day, to we'd like the teacher speak with the kids once a week to just send out the work for the next week on Friday evening and be available for email questions.....these were all of the same aged kids (aged 7 or 8)
While all environments are different some guidelines to set expectations from the parents and of the teacher would be a good starting point.
The technology was an issue however. Primary aged kids tend not to have their own laptop or capable tablet. I think as an audience on boards or a tech audience in general, don't appreciate this factor at all.
But the point is, we are nine months down this path and I've yet to see any overarching policy work done on this to clear things up and remove barriers if they exist. This is an issue.
It's a departmental failure I'd say more so than ministerial.

wirelessdude01

kippy wrote: »

Yes, I've seen the varying expectations alright from parents of similiarily aged kids. From we would like the teacher on zoom with all the kids for the normal school day to we'd like the teacher do a one to one on zoom for a few minutes a day, to we'd like the teacher speak with the kids once a week to just send out the work for the next week on Friday evening and be available for email questions.....these were all of the same aged kids (aged 7 or 8)
While all environments are different some guidelines to set expectations from the parents and of the teacher would be a good starting point.
The technology was an issue however. Primary aged kids tend not to have their own laptop or capable tablet. I think as an audience on boards or a tech audience in general, don't appreciate this factor at all.
But the point is, we are nine months down this path and I've yet to see any overarching policy work done on this to clear things up and remove barriers if they exist. This is an issue.
It's a departmental failure I'd say more so than ministerial.

Yet the great minister has been nominated as the political newcomer of the year for talking to Seamus the dog.

Necro

Mod:

Folks stop calling people trolls, report any posts you feel are suspect.

SusanC10

Does anyone know what is the current Definition of Close Contact for Schools please ?
How many days do they go back? I think it was 48 hours.
Also are they now considering whole Classes (Primary) as Close Contacts?

Friend of mine took her son out on December 18th. Got a message yesterday from HSE saying that her son was a Close Contact of a positive case and also a message from the school saying that the whole Class (4th) are Close Contacts.

wirelessdude01

SusanC10 wrote: »

Does anyone know what is the current Definition of Close Contact for Schools please ?
How many days do they go back? I think it was 48 hours.
Also are they now considering whole Classes (Primary) as Close Contacts?

Friend of mine took her son out on December 18th. Got a message yesterday from HSE saying that her son was a Close Contact of a positive case and also a message from the school saying that the whole Class (4th) are Close Contacts.

As far am I am aware it's still 48hrs.

So I'm taking it that the kid was tested and found positive on the 20th/21st. Why is your friend only being contacted yesterday so?

SusanC10

wirelessdude01 wrote: »

As far am I am aware it's still 48hrs.

So I'm taking it that the kid was tested and found positive on the 20th/21st. Why is your friend only being contacted yesterday so?

Letter from HSE to School dated 27th.
My friend's son was not at school since Friday 18th. She is a bit confused.

Our own School ( not same school) had a similar letter dated 26th and whole Class deemed Close Contacts. But I don't know if Kids absent on 21st/22nd are still Close Contacts.

wirelessdude01

In England only primary school children, children of key workers and secondary school children in years 11 and 13 will go back to school on the 4th January.
Other years to go remote for at least a week.

I predicted last week that something similar could come in here.

wirelessdude01

SusanC10 wrote: »

Letter from HSE to School dated 27th.
My friend's son was not at school since Friday 18th. She is a bit confused.

Our own School ( not same school) had a similar letter dated 26th and whole Class deemed Close Contacts. But I don't know if Kids absent on 21st/22nd are still Close Contacts.

Ring the HSE helpline so for clarification.

grind gremlin

SusanC10 wrote: »

Letter from HSE to School dated 27th.
My friend's son was not at school since Friday 18th. She is a bit confused.

Our own School ( not same school) had a similar letter dated 26th and whole Class deemed Close Contacts. But I don't know if Kids absent on 21st/22nd are still Close Contacts.

This poses an interesting question as, let’s say that child isn’t deemed a close contact and therefore doesn’t have to isolate, if the rest of the class have to stay at home when school returns, can this child then theoretically attend school. If the teacher and other pupils are at home does this child also have to remain at home.

Murple

grind gremlin wrote: »

This poses an interesting question as, let’s say that child isn’t deemed a close contact and therefore doesn’t have to isolate, if the rest of the class have to stay at home when school returns, can this child then theoretically attend school. If the teacher and other pupils are at home does this child also have to remain at home.

Where would the pupil go? Who would supervise/ teach them?
I’m sure the department would consider the teacher as still working so wouldn’t allow for a sub so there would be nowhere for the child to go and no one to supervise/ teach them.

E36Ross

I see there's a petition floating around on BookFace (Change.Org) to delay schools opening....

North of 3k signatures.

Blondini

E36Ross wrote: »

I see there's a petition floating around on Bookcase (Change.Org) to delay schools opening....

North of 3k signatures.

Even if the Lord Jaysus himself rose again and signed that petition, it wouldn't make a blind bit of difference.

Stateofyou

Blondini wrote: »

Even if the Lord Jaysus himself rose again and signed that petition, it wouldn't make a blind bit of difference.

And so it goes, He was persecuted for his efforts then as well as in 2020... will nothing ever change. :pac:

wirelessdude01

E36Ross wrote: »

I see there's a petition floating around on BookFace (Change.Org) to delay schools opening....

North of 3k signatures.

Sick of seeing that.

combat14

wirelessdude01 wrote: »

Sick of seeing that.

exactly numbers are very low at moment only about 700 a day at present

kippy

combat14 wrote: »

exactly numbers are very low at moment only about 700 a day at present

We will be up on 2k a day by this day week.

2ndcoming

combat14 wrote: »

exactly numbers are very low at moment only about 700 a day at present

Let's see if they stay that way :rolleyes: