Schools closed until February? (part 3)

Ashbourne hoop

Wombatman wrote: »

This ....... and everything they have done in 6th year has been hampered by Covid restrictions. No lockers, no after school study, restricted movement around the school, no sport etc. Way worse off than the 19/20 6th years as far as quality and quantity of education.

Absolutely. And probably no mock exams where a predictive grade could be calculated.

Endintheclowns

So schools are safe but we are only opening them for LC and special needs. What about school transport for special needs kids? What about whole special needs schools, does the whole school still open as in no change?

xii

This is what happens when you make Enya, Minister for education.

Tippex

so now she has just thrown the schools under the bus to say it is up to them to decide how it's done

FileNotFound

lulublue22 wrote: »

We all have our concerns and areas which we are interested in. If you are happy good for you .

He was merely stating a fact - they will reduce contacts by 90+% compared to standard schools attendance under the plan.

Sure it was for arguments sake but accurate none the less.

Amirani

It's particularly grating for some reason when people (in this case Foley and Martin) refer to students doing the LC exam as "the Leaving Certificates".

NetChat101

FileNotFound wrote: »

Not sure where 3 weeks come from - we are now worse (spread wise) than March last year. Did that not take 12 weeks to reduce? I don't imagine some magic difference will prevent the same again - especially with a worse strain about.


Maybe why they are so desperate to keep the LC students in (Not justifying just guessing at the mindset here)

Absolutely, but in March we knew very little about anything, we were completely flying blind.
Even masks weren't compulsory in shops etc. I just think that 3 weeks of a tough lockdown with everybody buying into it would go a long way to enabling opening up in February. Better than another 3 months of half decisions.

Icsics

Oh she just says includes LCA

TheTorment

TheTorment wrote: »

Bare faced lies from Norma


This mantra of schools being safe needs to stop

horrendous vickers wife head on her. All she has in her arsenal is to appeal to good faith and gesture etc because she's nothing of substance left, it's attempted flattery but the teachers i'd say are not having it.

People need to remember teachers are not robots, they have a variety of ages, BMI's, underlying health issues as per the general populus.. I wouldn't go near a class room.. they're only going to bring it home.

wirelessdude01

This is an utter mess. Why 3 days, surely 5 days would be easier to run from a timetabling point of view?

frank8211

Tippex wrote: »

Norma Foley cannot string a full sentence together jesus wept get on with it FFS

and so patronising

dirkmeister

She is full of sh!t.

She stood on the podium and said extra training was made available for staff through Croke Park.

We’d be doing that anyway.

Does she still think all the retired teachers are coming back to work?

Glebee

People dont seem to like Norma much in this thread do they.

TheTorment

TheTorment wrote: »

What does Norma find so funny that she has to smirk all the time??

What does she find so funny?

Amirani

On this whole idea of schools being safe based on public health data/analysis. When did we last have schools open while having over 6000 cases a day and current levels of community transmission? Not sure we've been able to test things at this level of disease, but I guess 6th year students can be guinea pigs...

FileNotFound

NetChat101 wrote: »

Absolutely, but in March we knew very little about anything, we were completely flying blind.
Even masks weren't compulsory in shops etc. I just think that 3 weeks of a tough lockdown with everybody buying into it would go a long way to enabling opening up in February. Better than another 3 months of half decisions.

You may be right - i worry for the worst - the failure of people to control it over xmas gives me no hope - the first lockdown was epic in how people obeyed rules. We haven't really seen anything like it since.

Hopefully I am just being pessimistic. Not the best start to 2021.

titan18

Glebee wrote: »

People dont seem to like Norma much in this thread do they.

Shes probably the worst minister there and that's saying something considering the state of them

combat14

the TUI is hopping: looks like a prelude to directing members not to enter schools on health & safety grounds till all issues discussed...


TUI expresses serious concerns over return to schools next week

WEDNESDAY, 6TH JANUARY 2021
Responding to today’s announcement regarding provision for Leaving Certificate students next week, the Teachers’ Union of Ireland (TUI) has expressed serious concern around both the health and safety risks and logistical problems posed by the move.

The union has said it is completely unacceptable that it was not consulted by the Department and says that engagement on the matter with the education stakeholders is urgently required.

Comments from TUI President Martin Marjoram

‘We are gravely concerned by today’s developments. This premature decision of Government is deeply damaging to the trust and confidence that has allowed us to keep schools open since September, despite the various problems. Our members do not have trust and confidence that opening schools to Leaving Certificate students as is proposed can be safely achieved under the current circumstances.

We are seriously concerned by both the health and safety risks and logistical problems posed by this move at this time.

As we represent the staff who will be at risk next week, it is also completely unacceptable that we were only consulted by the Department of Education after this proposal was brought to Cabinet.

Further engagement with the TUI and the other stakeholders, including public health representatives, is urgently required.

The proposed opening of schools for Leaving Certificate students will inevitably see large numbers of people – teachers, other staff and students – mixing in confined spaces at a time when the unambiguous public health advice to the population is to do the exact opposite. At a time of significant rise in positive COVID-19 cases and large numbers in isolation due to contact tracing plus the serious concerns about the new variant of the disease, this appears to be an extremely dangerous risk to take.

Moreover, if COVID-19 gains a foothold in schools, the inevitable result will be an increase in infection rates and resultant teacher absence, putting at severe risk the service to all students.

Aside from the very real health and safety concerns for students, staff and the wider community, implementing the proposed return for Leaving Certificate students will be a logistical nightmare, not least in terms of timetabling. Students in other years still have to be catered for, along with those Leaving Certificate students who, for a variety of reasons, will not be in a position to attend.

There are also unanswered questions across a wide range of other issues.

In addition, significant numbers of teachers are themselves parents of young children and will have childcare issues of their own from next Monday as a result of the move to remote learning across the education system.

The TUI has consistently sought to work with the Department of Education to ensure that, in spite of the constraints associated with the pandemic, our students can continue to have access to high quality education provision. Much has been achieved on the basis of this collaborative approach. The teachers and principal teachers we represent have not been found wanting.

Our sole and entirely reasonable insistence is that school re-opening must, to be greatest extent possible, be safe for all in the school community.

The TUI would strongly urge government and the Minister to engage with us and re-consider the matter.’

KrustyUCC

Of course Norma's not going to be popular

She's making teachers have to work

Some like special needs teachers when others will be at home

eviltwin

Amirani wrote: »

On this whole idea of schools being safe based on public health data/analysis. When did we last have schools open while having over 6000 cases a day and current levels of community transmission? Not sure we've been able to test things at this level of disease, but I guess 6th year students can be guinea pigs...

Not to mention a new, more contagious, strain of Covid that children appear to catch more easily

Endintheclowns

Amirani wrote: »

On this whole idea of schools being safe based on public health data/analysis. When did we last have schools open while having over 6000 cases a day and current levels of community transmission? Not sure we've been able to test things at this level of disease, but I guess 6th year students can be guinea pigs...

I can't imagine being a teacher and being thrown into that environment. 25 young adults in a room and all you have is a mask to protect yourself from a very aggressive virus that can cause serious issues or even death..

Wouldn't be surprised if we see teachers refuse to put themselves in harms way like that.

A broken record.....

ax530

for primary school will it be online school\learning or is it that school holidays have been extended ?
not sure I have it in me to try keep up the online schooling while I work. Print outs I can manage but handing young children a tablet to try do school work on see saw doesnt work here they are straight to you tube.

wirelessdude01

Glebee wrote: »

People dont seem to like Norma much in this thread do they.

Do you understand why?

Summer2020

Are learning support classes in mainstream schools included in the special schools which are to remain open?

hesaidshesaid

titan18 wrote: »

Shes probably the worst minister there and that's saying something considering the state of them

I think what irks teachers most is that she was in a classroom herself until February. And now it's as if she walked out her school door and just wiped the reality of school from her brain. She is the very opposite of our advocate.

I think wirelessdude is right, they are looking to the unions to rise against this, just like in the UK. Then gov will abdicate blame.

hesaidshesaid

TheTorment wrote: »

A broken record.....

Your username encapsulates this press conference perfectly.

Endintheclowns

Endintheclowns wrote: »

I can't imagine being a teacher and being thrown into that environment. 25 young adults in a room and all you have is a mask to protect yourself from a very aggressive virus that can cause serious issues or even death..

Wouldn't be surprised if we see teachers refuse to put themselves in harms way like that.

They should, here's the simple fact of the case, you cannot use words like Deadly! and Virus in the same sentence whilst sending kids into a potentially super spreader event..then come and blame it on the rest of us..

Why didn't they let the schools finish earlier when it was asked of them?? less time in the class room, less chance of it spreading and spilling out on the xmas holidays.

mohawk

Summer2020 wrote: »

Are learning support classes in mainstream schools included in the special schools which are to remain open?

Do the government even know themselves...

eviltwin

Endintheclowns wrote: »

Wouldn't be surprised if we see teachers refuse to put themselves in harms way like that.

Would not blame them one bit. Nor the parents who decide to keep their child at home.

Did Norma mention anything about additional safety measures for the staff and students expected to go to school as normal?