Schools closed until February? (part 3)

combat14

wirelessdude01 wrote: »

She is repeatedly not answering the questions she is asked.

this is the lawyer that advised the swing gate clown?

beggars_bush

Rosita wrote: »

It has been said that schools are safe and that they should be the last things to close. Presumably they remain the safest of places and we are a very long way from satisfying the latter criterion so schools closures should not even be up for discussion.

Safe when they don't record school covid cases properly

the kelt

Bananaleaf wrote: »

It doesn't stack up in your experience. And that is fine. By the sounds of things, you may be in a part of the country where transmission is low at the moment anyway.

I said this before a couple of times on this thread and another, but if the schools close then EVERYTHING has to close. It is not false to say that if schools are closed and shopping centres are open that people will go to them. It is fact.

You obviously think this doesn't happen because you and yours don't do it and that is admirable. But it happens.

I am not joking you when I tell you that during the last lockdown I was having to record my classes for one 6th year because their part-time job in the local supermarket deemed them an essential worker

I don't think schools are the safest place in the world, absolutely not. I would, at this stage, prefer to be remote teaching for a bit. But if the wider community could keep itself in check, the schools would be fine.

Of course it happens, I’m not denying it happens.

But the point is it is in the community, rampant and actually my part of the country has been affected badly.

The point I’m making is there’s this belief if schools are closed the vast majority are apparently all going to hang around in shopping centres etc, they’re really not for the most part because it isn’t possible for them to do so. That’s been said on this thread by the way.

The second point is saying schools are safe is fine but completely ignores the rest of the journey to get to these schools for hundreds of thousands of kids and what happens during lunchtimes, before school, after school etc. For example is it safe to have over 1000 people xtra people mingling in small towns going in and out of shops, takeaways etc or at this stage would we be better avoiding that?

But you do have a point in regards to closing everything, I agree if schools close so should shopping centres etc but keeping schools open at this level of infections simply doesn’t compute.

Icyseanfitz

So seems schools are opening as normal Monday, you couldn't make this up at this stage.

Bananaleaf

Tpcl20 wrote: »

https://twitter.com/AmandaFBelfast/status/1346072498610311168?s=20

In the north they want special schools open and school for key workers kids but the rest closed for 2 - 4 weeks.

What will be key workers here though? I can see it now being a mess, with the form the dept have when it comes to clarity

Rosita

eviltwin wrote: »

How many parents here will send their children to school if they open on the 11th?

A significant majority I'd say.

the kelt

Rosita wrote: »

It has been said that schools are safe and that they should be the last things to close. Presumably they remain the safest of places and we are a very long way from satisfying the latter criterion so schools closures should not even be up for discussion.

What about the journey for these kids to get to schools is that safe?

Is it safe for small towns around the country to have thousands of people bussed into that town daily, mingling, congregating, in and out of shops and takeaways etc?

Does that seem wise to you when apparently we will be hitting 7k cases per day for the next few days?

Benimar

Rosita wrote: »

It has been said that schools are safe and that they should be the last things to close. Presumably they remain the safest of places and we are a very long way from satisfying the latter criterion so schools closures should not even be up for discussion.

The latter criteria was that case numbers in the community remain low. As you say, we are a long way from satisfying that criteria...which is exactly why School closures should be up for discussion!

khalessi

Waterford Whisper News strikes again lol

Nation breaks into nearest school to escape Covid19

https://waterfordwhispersnews.com/2021/01/04/nation-breaks-into-nearest-school-to-escape-covid-19/

Stateofyou

Rosita wrote: »

A significant majority I'd say.

I disagree. I've been looking at the comment sections under multiple media reports about school closure possibilities this morning, and the overwhelming majority seem to be saying no, it's madness.

Bananaleaf

the kelt wrote: »

What about the journey for these kids to get to schools is that safe?

Is it safe for small towns around the country to have thousands of people bussed into that town daily, mingling, congregating, in and out of shops and takeaways etc?

Does that seem wise to you?

How are they going in and out of the shops though? Is the school in question allowing them out during lunchtime?

Our school busses students into the area for school but we have been containing them and they are not allowed to go down the town. We have worked with the community to make sure everyone was happy. Kids get off the bus, go to school, get back on the bus and go home.

Would you contact the parents association or your board of management and communicate this with the school to see if there is anything that can be done?

Mrsmum

Even though mine will go back if schools open next week, for the first time,I don't think schools should be opening - because of the spread in the community at the moment. I was thinking they could at least keep them off for another week after this one and forget about the week off at midterm. Give them a long weekend for St Patrick's instead. Not sure if all primary schools take a week off for midterm but am fairly sure post primarys do ? Every day never mind week matters at this point in time.

History Queen

Bananaleaf wrote: »

How are they going in and out of the shops though? Is the school in question allowing them out during lunchtime?

Our school busses students into the area for school but we have been containing them and they are not allowed to go down the town. We have worked with the community to make sure everyone was happy. Kids get off the bus, go to school, get back on the bus and go home.

Would you contact the parents association or your board of management and communicate this with the school to see if there is anything that can be done?

Allowed down town in our school for senior cycle, we don't have enough social area to have them all on site at lunchtime

Bananaleaf

Stateofyou wrote: »

I disagree. I've been looking at the comment sections under multiple media reports about school closure possibilities this morning, and the overwhelming majority seem to be saying no, it's madness.

I dunno. We would have to wait to see to be honest. The internet was full of the same in August ahead of the initial reopening and again on 18th December, but we still had far more in than we had out.

Bananaleaf

History Queen wrote: »

Allowed down town in our school for senior cycle, we don't have enough social area to have them all on site at lunchtime

Okay, fair enough. We are blessed with quite a big campus.

See this is the problem, there is such a variation of circumstances from one school to the next that it is even difficult to get a consensus here sometimes. For all their faults, I don't envy our government trying to figure this one out

xhomelezz

Fully agree with O'Neill

https://extra.ie/2021/01/04/news/irish-news/luke-oneill-schools-covid-19-norma-foley

the kelt

Bananaleaf wrote: »

How are they going in and out of the shops though? Is the school in question allowing them out during lunchtime?

Our school busses students into the area for school but we have been containing them and they are not allowed to go down the town. We have worked with the community to make sure everyone was happy. Kids get off the bus, go to school, get back on the bus and go home.

Would you contact the parents association or your board of management and communicate this with the school to see if there is anything that can be done?

Kids aren’t dropped at the schools doors, 3 secondary schools in the town, all students dropped at relatively centre location, some kids have 5 to 10min walk to schools, others more all passing shops etc on the way.

Kids allowed out during lunchtime, not enough area to contain them also parents complained when it was suggested locking kids into school during lunchtime as it means they would have to go to the bother of making lunches for them etc.

piplip87

Stateofyou wrote: »

I disagree. I've been looking at the comment sections under multiple media reports about school closure possibilities this morning, and the overwhelming majority seem to be saying no, it's madness.

I'd the reckon the vast majority of those commenting are stay at home parents, or those who work from home. Not a real indication of how things will pan out.

SusanC10

Bananaleaf wrote: »

How are they going in and out of the shops though? Is the school in question allowing them out during lunchtime?

Our school busses students into the area for school but we have been containing them and they are not allowed to go down the town. We have worked with the community to make sure everyone was happy. Kids get off the bus, go to school, get back on the bus and go home.

Would you contact the parents association or your board of management and communicate this with the school to see if there is anything that can be done?

I drive our kids to/from school since they reopened (previously on the bus)
The Secondary School Buses drop the kids near (not at) the School. There are 2 Shops close to the School and the kids are every day in and out both before and after school. Not a bit of social distancing. Also, Senior Students are allowed out of the school grounds at lunchtime.

History Queen

Bananaleaf wrote: »

Okay, fair enough. We are blessed with quite a big campus.

See this is the problem, there is such a variation of circumstances from one school to the next that it is even difficult to get a consensus here sometimes. For all their faults, I don't envy our government trying to figure this one out

Agreed, however if they would bloody listen to the people on the ground instead of dismissing us it'd be a start.

Stateofyou

Bananaleaf wrote: »

I dunno. We would have to wait to see to be honest. The internet was full of the same in August ahead of the initial reopening and again on 18th December, but we still had far more in than we had out.

Well hopefully we don't have to wait and see, and the call will be made. I think if the schools open, there are many who will send them in feeling it's the right thing to do if gov't say so, not having leave from work, fearing Tulsa, not knowing how to homeschool on their own (same honestly, but I will be figuring it out one way or another) or cave to peer pressure or pressure from their own kids... so will feel they have to but stress levels will be huge.

CharlieHaghy

No schools reopening Monday and won’t be back open till paddy’s day at least and that’s a fact.

Link

Stateofyou

piplip87 wrote: »

I'd the reckon the vast majority of those commenting are stay at home parents, or those who work from home. Not a real indication of how things will pan out.

Which would mean that without support from the government for working parents outside the home, they would be forced into a decision they are very uncomfortable with. That's a horrible place to be in.

NetChat101

micks_address wrote: »

There might be an argument to bring back leaving cert years and home school everyone else

It's hard on LC students, especially those who did TY. They started into their LC cycle in 5th year and got back into study mode after their TY year. Then after 6 months Covid hit. Back to school this September and 4 months in, more uncertainty.

kippy

Rosita wrote: »

It has been said that schools are safe and that they should be the last things to close. Presumably they remain the safest of places and we are a very long way from satisfying the latter criterion so schools closures should not even be up for discussion.

What exactly is your issue here?

You keep repeating this.

The politicians have a lot of interests to massage and keep in check. What they say today, may not necessarily what they say tomorrow - this is based on past performance and the realities of the world. So let's park that there.
NPHET will however be strongly advising to ensure the same numbers that were in school buildings prior to Xmas, dont be there again for a number of weeks until the case numbers (which, while not reliable as an upper count of case numbers, are reliable as a lower count of case numbers) go down significantly.

How any logically minded person cannot see this is beyond me, but a lot of things that have happened the past 9 months are beyond me.

Schools are only relatively safe places when community numbers are manageable. They aren't at the moment and in reality anyone who thinks they will be as the week goes on..............

So forget about the politics for a minute.

Widdensushi

CharlieHaghy wrote: »

No schools reopening Monday and won’t be back open till paddy’s day at least and that’s a fact.

Link

??? Have you information that is not publicly available?

Bananaleaf

kippy wrote: »

What exactly is your issue here?

You keep repeating this.

The politicians have a lot of interests to massage and keep in check. What they say today, may not necessarily what they say tomorrow - this is based on past performance and the realities of the world. So let's park that there.
NPHET will however be strongly advising to ensure the same numbers that were in school buildings prior to Xmas, dont be there again for a number of weeks until the case numbers (which, while not reliable as an upper count of case numbers, are reliable as a lower count of case numbers) go down significantly.

How any logically minded person cannot see this is beyond me, but a lot of things that have happened the past 9 months are beyond me.

Schools are only relatively safe places when community numbers are manageable. They aren't at the moment and in reality anyone who thinks they will be as the week goes on..............

So forget about the politics for a minute.

Maybe I have understood it wrong, but is Rosita's point not that school closure shouldn't be up for discussion because it is a given that it must happen?

km79

http://twitter.com/newschambers/status/1346084317378859008

downthemiddle

CharlieHaghy wrote: »

No schools reopening Monday and won’t be back open till paddy’s day at least and that’s a fact.

Link

Sorry Charlie. Schools will reopen after the February midterm. FACT!!!!

This game is easy

There will be an announcement after the Cabinet meets on Wednesday. You don't have to be Mystic Meg to see what's coming.

frank8211

Bananaleaf wrote: »

I doubt that when they go around to each others houses they are all sitting 1.2m apart with masks on for 90% of the time they are there, but maybe they are

Theyre not there all day with 30 people different houses though. Nothing could be more guaranteed to be unsafe than that