Schools closed until February? (part 3)

Deeec

JimmyVik wrote: »

If we continue as we are now, schools will be closed for long periods without a proper plan in place for remote learning.
I dont understand why so many people have a problem with preparing for remote learning, so it can work when in inevitably becomes necessary.

Absolutely having to homeschool would be easier if there was a government plan that every school has to follow. I fear that after midterm if the schools close ( which I think would be best for public health) we are back to some schools doing an excellent job on remote learning their pupils and other schools doing bare minimum.

blanch152

irishblessing wrote: »

Give over. All those workers are not parents. Lol.

Once and for all, Jinglejangle: Blended. Remote. Learning. Plan. = one solution

Rotating work schedules = another solution

Childcare subsidy for people if the gov't would get off their árses = another solution.

If homeschooling is so easy, then why are we paying teachers in schools?

We could make all the teachers redundant, produce one centralised plan for remote learning, pay every family a small amount for remote schooling and save the country a fortune.

irishblessing

blanch152 wrote: »

If homeschooling is so easy, then why are we paying teachers in schools?

We could make all the teachers redundant, produce one centralised plan for remote learning, pay every family a small amount for remote schooling and save the country a fortune.

Point out where it was said it was easy. You can't because it wasn't said. Your whole post is irrelevant hyperbole.

Also, you obviously have zero understanding of what blended remote learning (via the school teacher) actually is.

Edited: and what of their social development?

blanch152

irishblessing wrote: »

Point out where it was said it was easy. You can't because it wasn't said. Your whole post is irrelevant hyperbole.

Also, you obviously have zero understanding of what blended remote learning (via the school teacher) actually is.

Edited: and what of their social development?

Well, then we agree. It is vitally important to keep the schools open for the education and social development of children.

Where an outbreak occurs, local measures appropriate to the particular situation should be taken.

All pretty much what the Department is doing.

frank8211

JimmyVik wrote: »

If we continue as we are now, schools will be closed for long periods without a proper plan in place for remote learning.
I dont understand why so many people have a problem with preparing for remote learning, so it can work when in inevitably becomes necessary.

Theyre all well able to order clothes online, check bank accounts online, download Netflix etc. Theyre just having mental block about school online. Stuck in the dark ages

Thats me

blanch152 wrote: »

If homeschooling is so easy, then ...

Anybody promiced it will be easy? Nothing is easy with lockdown. Schools should be closed for the duration of L5. If somebody unable to organise homeschooling this is not their fault, they should have opportunity to make up later, after re-opening.

wirelessdude01

blanch152 wrote: »

If homeschooling is so easy, then why are we paying teachers in schools?

We could make all the teachers redundant, produce one centralised plan for remote learning, pay every family a small amount for remote schooling and save the country a fortune.

Sure we can all grow our food and rear our own animals for slaughter. No need for shops or farmers so. No need for truck drivers either seeing as we all grow our own produce.

I've heard and seen alot of rubbish spouted on boards over the years but the above takes the biscuit.

If you are going to try and have a discussion at least have some semblance of reality to it.

blanch152

Thats me wrote: »

Anybody promiced it will be easy? Nothing is easy with lockdown. Schools should be closed for the duration of L5. If somebody unable to organise homeschooling this is not their fault, they should have opportunity to make up later, after re-opening.

Why should schools be closed for the duration of Level 5?

Hospitals are open, fire stations are open, meat factories are open, police stations are open, physiotherapists are open, essential retail is open. On the same basis, education, which is an essential service should also be open, especially when the risks in schools are less than in many of those other places, especially when the correct protocols are followed.

Thats me

blanch152 wrote: »

Why should schools be closed for the duration of Level 5?

To minimise chances for virus to spread across population and to prevent closure of services enumerated by you... Aren't you teacher BTW?

wirelessdude01

blanch152 wrote: »

Why should schools be closed for the duration of Level 5?

Hospitals are open, fire stations are open, meat factories are open, police stations are open, physiotherapists are open, essential retail is open. On the same basis, education, which is an essential service should also be open, especially when the risks in schools are less than in many of those other places, especially when the correct protocols are followed.

Did you see the report from the north today where official figures say that half of the schools have had cases? Contrast that with Norma saying that officially 10% have had Covid incidents down here. Someone somewhere is massaging numbers, question is it north or south of the border?

eagle eye

blanch152 wrote:

Well, then we agree. It is vitally important to keep the schools open for the education and social development of children.

There's such a thing as temporary measures.
We call want our kids in school getting educated and having social interaction with their peers.
We all want them to be healthy and safe too.
Keeping schools open at this time is very questionable. We have no definitive proof that it's safe. This virus isn't even a year old so we don't know anything about long term affects from it.

blanch152 wrote:

Where an outbreak occurs, local measures appropriate to the particular situation should be taken.

All pretty much what the Department is doing.

We are seeing huge errors made by every department. We are seeing secrecy come to the fore in the department of education.
How can you trust people who are trying to keep secrets which seem to be with the intent of not letting us know the true nature of covid cases in schools?

irishblessing

blanch152 wrote: »

Well, then we agree. It is vitally important to keep the schools open for the education and social development of children.

Where an outbreak occurs, local measures appropriate to the particular situation should be taken.

All pretty much what the Department is doing.

We agree to a point. I also think that when transmission is so high, we need to use the tools available to us. I also think that in general, we should implement a hybrid remote learning plan. There are students, staff and families at high risk. There is constantly going to be a need to quarantine and recover from illness. People need choice. We need to reduce class sizes. Do you agree with that?

Do you know if the government has stated as part of the exit strategy that local measures will be undertaken going forward? It seems so contradictory. On the one hand I agree local measures are needed, but there is so much mixing in society I'm not sure it's effective.

irishblessing

blanch152 wrote: »

Why should schools be closed for the duration of Level 5?

Hospitals are open, fire stations are open, meat factories are open, police stations are open, physiotherapists are open, essential retail is open. On the same basis, education, which is an essential service should also be open, especially when the risks in schools are less than in many of those other places, especially when the correct protocols are followed.

Because schools are places shown to have transmission of the virus full of students and staff able to pass on the virus as well as anybody else. Here in Ireland our classrooms are often small, overcrowded, unventilated, and especially in primary, not masked. Many (or most?) schools could not properly implement the 1m distance of desks as required. Hence the "where possible" language every other paragraph in that document. Pods are a joke. The risks in school are not less, they are increased.
Dropped my children off this morning to school in their costumes. You know what I saw in 2 of the class rooms as I walked by? Almost every single child up and about moving around the classroom looking at each other's costumes, running around, passing balls and touching each other's costume parts. I saw two girls together fixing one's hair. Controlled environment adhering to protocols my f-g eye.

Oh and the usual unmasked mammies in the carpark having their daily morning chats in each others faces.

byhookorbycrook

irishblessing wrote: »

Because schools are places shown to have transmission of the virus full of students and staff able to pass on the virus as well as anybody else. Here in Ireland our classrooms are often small, overcrowded, unventilated, and especially in primary, not masked. Many (or most?) schools could not properly implement the 1m distance of desks as required. Hence the "where possible" language every other paragraph in that document. Pods are a joke. The risks in school are not less, they are increased.
Dropped my children off this morning to school in their costumes. You know what I saw in 2 of the class rooms as I walked by? Almost every single child up and about moving around the classroom looking at each other's costumes, running around, passing balls and touching each other's costume parts. I saw two girls together fixing one's hair. Controlled environment adhering to protocols my f-g eye.

Oh and the usual unmasked mammies in the carpark having their daily morning chats in each others faces.

Up to and including 2nd aren’t required to be socially distant . I’d put money on it that 99% of schools can’t do 2 m distance , never mind 1 .

irishblessing

byhookorbycrook wrote: »

Up to and including 2nd aren’t required to be socially distant . I’d put money on it that 99% of schools can’t do 2 m distance , never mind 1 .

Madness.

My kids and the classrooms I saw this morning were both older groups, by the way.

mvl

frank8211 wrote: »

Theyre all well able to order clothes online, check bank accounts online, download Netflix etc. Theyre just having mental block about school online. Stuck in the dark ages

and then they might wonder why chinese students based in china would be way ahead of theirs on certain subjects (like Maths) ... makes you wonder allright.

wirelessdude01

See Gillian De Gascun told RTE that the shutting of the lab is due to a Covid outbreak in one of the two lab teams.

Wonder are those posters who have been on here suggesting that outbreaks in schools must be down to teachers not following or breaking the protocols, also going to level the same accusation at the NVRL staff?

Maybe they were licking the swabs..

Thats me

byhookorbycrook wrote: »

Up to and including 2nd aren’t required to be socially distant . I’d put money on it that 99% of schools can’t do 2 m distance , never mind 1 .

This distance just a red herring. It does not guarantee any safety any way. With each exhalation infected person does exhale millions of virions and this aerosol can hang in the air for very long time. If the room ventilated this aerosol will move with air streams narrowing the threat to those who are down stream only. But no guarantee of absolute safety any way.

Lillyfae

irishblessing wrote: »

Madness.

My kids and the classrooms I saw this morning were both older groups, by the way.

You were in the school this morning?

wirelessdude01

Lillyfae wrote: »

You were in the school this morning?

Wondered that myself. We have a strict no parents inside the gate policy.

JimmyVik

wirelessdude01 wrote: »

Wondered that myself. We have a strict no parents inside the gate policy.

We can see inside the windows as we walk by our school.
Would have thought that would be fairly common.

wirelessdude01

JimmyVik wrote: »

We can see inside the windows as we walk by our school.
Would have thought that would be fairly common.

Is the school building directly on the road?

We have signs at all the gates saying no admittance to parents beyond this point along with the school number and email address.

JimmyVik

wirelessdude01 wrote: »

Is the school building directly on the road?

We have signs at all the gates saying no admittance to parents beyond this point along with the school number and email address.

Its probably about 30 or 40 meters from the fence to the wall of the school.
You can clearly see into the rooms walking home. When mine was in a classroom on that side of the school he used to wave out to me as i was walking home.
Now im not the one who made that post by the way.

I just didnt think that was unusual for a school at all.

Deeec

Thank god it is the mid term break and we all dont have to worry about school next week. Thank you to all the teachers on here and out there that have worked so hard to keep our children as safe as possible in the current climate. I know it has been very challenging. I hope you all enjoy a well deserved break next week.

MOH

blanch152 wrote: »

Well, then we agree. It is vitally important to keep the schools open for the education and social development of children.

Where an outbreak occurs, local measures appropriate to the particular situation should be taken.

All pretty much what the Department is doing.

No

blanch152

wirelessdude01 wrote: »

Did you see the report from the north today where official figures say that half of the schools have had cases? Contrast that with Norma saying that officially 10% have had Covid incidents down here. Someone somewhere is massaging numbers, question is it north or south of the border?

The North has three times the number of cases per head of population than us.

wirelessdude01

blanch152 wrote: »

The North has three times the number of cases per head of population than us.

Then using that logic, the north should be 30%, instead they are another 66% higher.

Loafing Oaf

wirelessdude01 wrote: »

See Gillian De Gascun told RTE that the shutting of the lab is due to a Covid outbreak in one of the two lab teams.

Cillian's lesser known but equally accomplished virologist sister

treade1

irishblessing wrote: »

Because schools are places shown to have transmission of the virus full of students and staff able to pass on the virus as well as anybody else. Here in Ireland our classrooms are often small, overcrowded, unventilated, and especially in primary, not masked. Many (or most?) schools could not properly implement the 1m distance of desks as required. Hence the "where possible" language every other paragraph in that document. Pods are a joke. The risks in school are not less, they are increased.
Dropped my children off this morning to school in their costumes. You know what I saw in 2 of the class rooms as I walked by? Almost every single child up and about moving around the classroom looking at each other's costumes, running around, passing balls and touching each other's costume parts. I saw two girls together fixing one's hair. Controlled environment adhering to protocols my f-g eye.

Oh and the usual unmasked mammies in the carpark having their daily morning chats in each others faces.

Oh the horror of it all. Kids having fun playing together. The virus is no worse than a bad flu and for younger people the flu actually poses a greater risk. School's are back a few months now and everything is going very well. Yes there have been a few cases but the symptoms for the vast majority of people under 45 are no worse than that of a common cold. The hysteria and fear mongering needs to end.

Smacruairi

treade1 wrote: »

Oh the horror of it all. Kids having fun playing together. The virus is no worse than a bad flu and for younger people the flu actually poses a greater risk. School's are back a few months now and everything is going very well. Yes there have been a few cases but the symptoms for the vast majority of people under 45 are no worse than that of a common cold. The hysteria and fear mongering needs to end.

Kids have less symptoms. What about the workers though?

eagle eye

treade1 wrote:

Oh the horror of it all. Kids having fun playing together. The virus is no worse than a bad flu and for younger people the flu actually poses a greater risk. School's are back a few months now and everything is going very well. Yes there have been a few cases but the symptoms for the vast majority of people under 45 are no worse than that of a common cold. The hysteria and fear mongering needs to end.

You really are clueless.

Thats me

treade1 wrote: »

Oh the horror of it all. Kids having fun playing together. The virus is no worse than a bad flu and for younger people the flu actually poses a greater risk. School's are back a few months now and everything is going very well. Yes there have been a few cases but the symptoms for the vast majority of people under 45 are no worse than that of a common cold. The hysteria and fear mongering needs to end.

Hoping this was an irony.

irishblessing

Lillyfae wrote: »

You were in the school this morning?

I didn't say in, now did I. Dropping my kids off. The windows and one door to two different classrooms are right along the footpath. One can even see into them driving out the carpark. Satisfied? Yourself and Blanch would love to catch me out behaving badly though, I know. No such luck today I'm afraid.

irishblessing

wirelessdude01 wrote: »

Wondered that myself. We have a strict no parents inside the gate policy.

Jaysus wirelussdude, expected better from you though!

Thats me

irishblessing wrote: »

I didn't say in, now did I. Dropping my kids off. The windows and one door to two different classrooms are right along the footpath. One can even see into them driving out the carpark. Satisfied?

Do you have any hard evidence to confirm it was exactly as you said?

wirelessdude01

irishblessing wrote: »

Jaysus wirelussdude, expected better from you though!

Just wondered. It did sound like you were in the actual school building by the way you described it.

irishblessing

treade1 wrote: »

Oh the horror of it all. Kids having fun playing together. The virus is no worse than a bad flu and for younger people the flu actually poses a greater risk. School's are back a few months now and everything is going very well. Yes there have been a few cases but the symptoms for the vast majority of people under 45 are no worse than that of a common cold. The hysteria and fear mongering needs to end.

Good god. Let me guess, anti-masker, anti-science, and anti-vaxxer? :pac: :rolleyes: Isn't there a pseudoscience forum on here somewhere, I think he/she is lost...

irishblessing

Thats me wrote: »

Do you have any hard evidence to confirm it was exactly as you said?

haha.. why would I be IN the school now? Feel sorry enough for them teachers, wouldn't force me to be in the cramped, hardly ventilated space with a bunch of unmasked virus spreaders. C'mon! :rolleyes:

meeeeh

wirelessdude01 wrote: »

Did you see the report from the north today where official figures say that half of the schools have had cases? Contrast that with Norma saying that officially 10% have had Covid incidents down here. Someone somewhere is massaging numbers, question is it north or south of the border?

North is a different jurisdiction, with different numbers of infections and different rules. Yes maybe Norma is some evil mastermind or maybe just maybe the numbers and response to those numbers isn't the same in two different countries.

meeeeh

irishblessing wrote: »

Good god. Let me guess, anti-masker, anti-science, and anti-vaxxer? :pac: :rolleyes: Isn't there a pseudoscience forum on here somewhere, I think he/she is lost...

I think this thread is full pseudo science. I must say there isn't a thread on boards that I frequent where fake news bs and glofication of Facebook and Twitter nonsense is as prevalent. So if the poster is looking for pseudo science they are in good company.

treade1

There's no talking to you guys. It's not the end of the world. The Infection Fatality Rate for anyone under 70 is < 0.05%. For flu is it 0.1%. For people under 45 the risk is almost zero. Lockdowns don't work. Covid-19 is a seasonal respiratory virus. Cases will fall in summer and rise in winter just like what happens with regular cold and flus. If masks worked we wouldn't be having 1200 positive cases per day. The reality is that the virus has been in the country since last November and the School year was proceeding just fine until panic set in on March 12th. Yes many teachers and pupils were out of school sick in January but it was no different than any other School year. The Death rates for the first 6 months of 2020 are available and the reality is that that although there was a peak in deaths among elderly people in April 2020 the total number of deaths for the first 6 months of 2020 is actually lower than the first 6 months of 2018. People died in April instead of in May & June.
What I am saying is essentially good news in that the virus is significantly less deadly than initially feared - Coronavirus should be respected just like flu should be but the hysteria generated is irrational. The big killers in Ireland are cancer, heart disease and stroke. Alcohol, cigarettes, lack of exercise and unhealthy diets are all major problems. 3 elderly people passed away yesterday with Coronavirus but what about the other 80 people who died of other illnesses. The response has been disproportionate. Who's going to pay the teachers salaries when the private sector has been decimated?

Thats me

irishblessing wrote: »

haha.. why would I be IN the school now? Feel sorry enough for them teachers, wouldn't force me to be in the cramped, hardly ventilated space with a bunch of unmasked virus spreaders. C'mon! :rolleyes:

Written confirmation from 2-3 eye witnesses would work better than these pathetic excuses :cool:

irishblessing

meeeeh wrote: »

I think this thread is full pseudo science. I must say there isn't a thread on boards that I frequent where fake news bs and glofication of Facebook and Twitter nonsense is as prevalent. So if the poster is looking for pseudo science they are in good company.

No better person to speak to that..

irishblessing

Thats me wrote: »

Written confirmation from 2-3 eye witnesses would work better than these pathetic excuses :cool:

I'm on it. Will have a full report for you in the morning, PPS numbers included. I'm sure the few parents next to me looking in at all the kiddo's as well and laughing away will vouch for me.

wirelessdude01

meeeeh wrote: »

I think this thread is full pseudo science. I must say there isn't a thread on boards that I frequent where fake news bs and glofication of Facebook and Twitter nonsense is as prevalent. So if the poster is looking for pseudo science they are in good company.

Pot, kettle, black comes to mind.

blanch152

irishblessing wrote: »

Because schools are places shown to have transmission of the virus full of students and staff able to pass on the virus as well as anybody else. Here in Ireland our classrooms are often small, overcrowded, unventilated, and especially in primary, not masked. Many (or most?) schools could not properly implement the 1m distance of desks as required. Hence the "where possible" language every other paragraph in that document. Pods are a joke. The risks in school are not less, they are increased.
Dropped my children off this morning to school in their costumes. You know what I saw in 2 of the class rooms as I walked by? Almost every single child up and about moving around the classroom looking at each other's costumes, running around, passing balls and touching each other's costume parts. I saw two girls together fixing one's hair. Controlled environment adhering to protocols my f-g eye.

Oh and the usual unmasked mammies in the carpark having their daily morning chats in each others faces.

Schools are not places shown to have transmission of the virus - all the evidence to date points to schools as being lower risk than care homes, hospitals, meat factories, pubs and restaurants, as well as many other locations.

The unmasked mammies are a real problem, but that is not on the school.

meeeeh

irishblessing wrote: »

No better person to speak to that..

Says someone who misrepresents reports and newspaper articles, screams about media cover up and considers Facebook hard news. Trump would be proud.

Thats me

treade1 wrote: »

The Infection Fatality Rate for anyone under 70 is < 0.05%.

Only in your age group: https://www.hpsc.ie/a-z/respiratory/coronavirus/novelcoronavirus/casesinireland/epidemiologyofcovid-19inireland/COVID-19_Daily_epidemiology_report_(NPHET)_20201022%20-%20website.pdf

meeeeh

wirelessdude01 wrote: »

Pot, kettle, black comes to mind.

Find me one statement where I dismissed research as being fake or took Twitter at face value. One. At the same time you can also count how many times you did it.

JDD

blanch152 wrote: »

Schools are not places shown to have transmission of the virus - all the evidence to date points to schools as being lower risk than care homes, hospitals, meat factories, pubs and restaurants, as well as many other locations.

The unmasked mammies are a real problem, but that is not on the school.

I've seen parents of both genders chatting without masks outside school. I'm uncomfortable with the "mammies" caricature as if it's the 1950's and the hysterical wimmin clearly don't understand the rules. Y'know, them with their small brains and all.