Schools closed until March/April? (part 4) **Mod warning in OP 22/01**

Lisha

Ray Donovan wrote: »

It’s not exactly life changing decision FFS.

It causes uncertainty and worry for children, parents and teachers.

Flippyfloppy

Lisha wrote: »

It causes uncertainty and worry for children, parents and teachers.

I agree, and I think it's quite the statement for schools to make.

On the other hand it may encourage parents to decline that party invite or playdate because they know what is at stake

Messi19

Lisha wrote: »

It causes uncertainty and worry for children, parents and teachers.

Seriously? Don't see anything wrong with schools putting their own contingency plans in place and being proactive. Plan for the worst, hope for the best

jrosen

Its causing unnecessary stress. One of the local primary schools has sent home all books with teachers telling students its incase schools dont open after easter. Really this sort of jumping the gun does nothing but upset people and have parents worried.

Hold My Hand

We’ve decided not to send anything. The children are thrilled to be back and we wanted to keep the positivity going. We have had record attendances for the days we have been in school. Hopefully, we’ll stay open. Have a good Easter break everyone.

wirelessdude01

jrosen wrote: »

Its causing unnecessary stress. One of the local primary schools has sent home all books with teachers telling students its incase schools dont open after easter. Really this sort of jumping the gun does nothing but upset people and have parents worried.

Pros and cons to sending home or leaving in school depending on what happens. As I said we've decided against but can see merit in doing so but wouldn't agree with it myself.

BonsaiKitten

Lisha wrote: »

I don’t agree with the books going home when it’s unknown if kids will be in school or online after Easter. If they are going to be in school then the books will have left the school controlled environment into varied homes. Then to go back into school bringing contamination into from every hone. As does each child every day I suppose I dunno.

TLDR In essence I agree if needed they should have arranged a time for collection after Easter

I do have to admit I don't care at all about that aspect of books going home...the biggest Covid risk is always the people. I think a lot of the book quarantining etc going on in schools is for show. But we agree, just coming at it from different angles

irishblessing

This is crazy!

https://www.rte.ie/news/investigations-unit/2021/0325/1206176-whistleblower-shane-corr-department-of-health-autism-dossiers/

What Mr Corr had seen on his computer that day related to a group of children who had been diagnosed with autism and, in the early to mid-2000s, had seen individual High Court cases taken in their name by parents fighting for access to appropriate services and education.

At the time, other cases were making high-profile journeys to the Supreme Court to ensure children with autism could not be denied their right to a proper education.

It appears that, in most cases, the parents would have incurred significant legal fees because solicitors acting on their behalf prepared detailed case files to build a case to take to court and this incurred instruction fees.

But once the cases got lodged in the High Court, the proceedings never moved on.

In many cases, the Department or other State bodies agreed to provide some services, reducing the urgency of those legal cases.


But this did not happen in all cases: The Department of Health, the Heath Service Executive and the Department of Education had settled more than a hundred cases between 1996 and 2016, at a cost of more than €11m.

Many other cases stayed on the books – at least a further four dozen. They were never heard in court, subject to judgement, withdrawn or settled. Court records indicate that, in all respects, they were dormant.

But Mr Corr discovered that activity in the background had not stopped...



They have money to payout to settle cases of neglect, basically, but not to actually provide the services in education in the first place?!

km79

Full return going ahead Monday April 12th .

Sharpyshoot

km79 wrote: »

Full return going ahead Monday April 12th .

Fair play to minister Foley for getting that over the line. Difficult task.

irishblessing

There's no way Norma didn't know...

"Everything that you would not want to know about the family living beside you – it was there."

Much of the information was drawn from conversations with doctors. It was transcribed and logged in Excel spreadsheets and shared with the Department of Education and the HSE, he said.

Other documents he discovered helped him understand why all of this was happening. It was not being collected for the purposes of responding to something that had been raised in court – or to prepare for an imminent hearing.

It was to strategise, to understand the mindset and mood of the families – to help them figure out if it would be a good time to approach them to withdraw their legal cases.

At the right time, a family might be willing to withdraw their historic case, rather than to settle it. In this scenario, the Department would not owe the family their legal costs.

But only one side – the Department – was aware the case was still being worked on in this way.

"If you're running a litigation case, it's an extraordinary advantage if you know the mindset of the person who has entered into litigation against you," Mr Corr said.
Once I saw the piece of correspondence from the Department, there was no way I was ever going to let that lie"

Sammy2012

BonsaiKitten wrote: »

I do have to admit I don't care at all about that aspect of books going home...the biggest Covid risk is always the people. I think a lot of the book quarantining etc going on in schools is for show. But we agree, just coming at it from different angles

Haven't been doing any of that at all this year. I take home copies to correct and bring them back the next day. They bring in their readers daily. Whole load of nonsense if you ask me. The odds of catching something from a book is miniscule. If the kids can stand beside me unmasked to read or work on something I can surely manage to correct a copy they are working on. I mean who has 3 days to quarantine a book.

irishblessing

irishblessing wrote: »

There's no way Norma didn't know...

Feck sake, she is a bit of an empty vessel but this happened long before her time

irishblessing

Deleted User wrote: »

Feck sake, she is a bit of an empty vessel but this happened long before her time

Did you read the article? It's been a year and nothing has been done about it. The dept is taking active steps to defend those actions.

TheValeyard

Sharpyshoot wrote: »

Fair play to minister Foley for getting that over the line. Difficult task.

Doubt she had anything to do with it. Probably still playing hide and seek.

Sammy2012

https://extra.ie/2021/03/26/news/irish-news/teachers-from-fee-paying-school-get-covid-jab-from-private-hospital

Have ye seen this?

wirelessdude01

The amount of people whining on social media about a few schools sending home books over Easter is ludicrous. Some of these schools seem to send home books every school break so that rooms can be properly cleaned but now it's being taken as a sign that schools have been told that we are closed after Easter.

I also saw two tweets from people giving out that books weren't sent home yesterday with the reasoning being that the teachers were lazy and could then miss a few days remote teaching on the flip side of Easter until book collection could be organised.

No winning with some is there!!!

KathleenGrant

I very seldom comment on threads like this but i was very angry when i heard Ronan Glynn or whoever mention playdates driving up cases along with Mother's Day visits. I haven't seen my grandchildren for weeks and Mother's Day they left a card and present on the doorstep and i had a 5 minute conversation from 10 metres away.

But the playdates? I live close to our local school and what is going on in there for the last month are the biggest playdates you could have.

I can see why people are frustrated and cross. No outside Easter Camps, no playdates of 2-3 kids but schools are ok? Ok my arse.

copeyhagen

wirelessdude01 wrote: »

The amount of people whining on social media about a few schools sending home books over Easter is ludicrous. Some of these schools seem to send home books every school break so that rooms can be properly cleaned but now it's being taken as a sign that schools have been told that we are closed after Easter.

I also saw two tweets from people giving out that books weren't sent home yesterday with the reasoning being that the teachers were lazy and could then miss a few days remote teaching on the flip side of Easter until book collection could be organised.

No winning with some is there!!!

our school has never sent books home and the kids books are going home. pretty obvious whats going to happen

wirelessdude01

What do people think of this? One of the secondary schools that we feed into are having their entrance assessments onsite tomorrow.

wirelessdude01

copeyhagen wrote: »

our school has never sent books home and the kids books are going home. pretty obvious whats going to happen

Please do tell us and most importantly CoB of the IT as he hasn't announced it yet.

Deeec

wirelessdude01 wrote: »

What do people think of this? One of the secondary schools that we feed into are having their entrance assessments onsite tomorrow.

This shouldnt be happening. Surely they could just ask the primary school to rate the childs ability instead. Ive always felt secondary school entrance exams are unfair. I remember being so nervous going to mine that I didnt perform well. Luckily the principle of my primary school appealed on my behalf.

KathleenGrant

wirelessdude01 wrote: »

What do people think of this? One of the secondary schools that we feed into are having their entrance assessments onsite tomorrow.

Surely that couldn't be allowed.

wirelessdude01

Deeec wrote: »

This shouldnt be happening. Surely they could just ask the primary school to rate the childs ability instead. Ive always felt secondary school entrance exams are unfair. I remember being so nervous going to mine that I didnt perform well. Luckily the principle of my primary school appealed on my behalf.

They are the only school going ahead with them.

They are actually pretty much redundant now anyway. Other schools have asked for whatever standardised scores and NRIT we have and they will set their classes up based on that.

History Queen

wirelessdude01 wrote: »

What do people think of this? One of the secondary schools that we feed into are having their entrance assessments onsite tomorrow.

Really shocked they are doing that. Surprised there hasn't been a backlash from parents.

combat14

Two more months of lockdown and Easter play dates on banned list as toll on children revealed

There has been a 40-50 per cent increase in Covid cases in young children since February

looks like no summer this year thanks to early school return

https://m.independent.ie/irish-news/health/two-more-months-of-lockdownand-easter-play-dates-on-banned-list-as-toll-on-children-revealed-40241248.html

KathleenGrant

combat14 wrote: »

Two more months of lockdown and Easter play dates on banned list as toll on children revealed

There has been a 40-50 per cent increase in Covid cases in young children since February

looks like no summer this year thanks to early school return

https://m.independent.ie/irish-news/health/two-more-months-of-lockdownand-easter-play-dates-on-banned-list-as-toll-on-children-revealed-40241248.html

This is exactly my point. A school classroom is surely one huge play date.

Locotastic

combat14 wrote: »

Two more months of lockdown and Easter play dates on banned list as toll on children revealed

There has been a 40-50 per cent increase in Covid cases in young children since February

looks like no summer this year thanks to early school return

https://m.independent.ie/irish-news/health/two-more-months-of-lockdownand-easter-play-dates-on-banned-list-as-toll-on-children-revealed-40241248.html

Early??? Are you kidding, there are still some students haven't gone back and will have had 4 months of closures by the time they do.

penny piper

Until the vaccination programme improves significantly in this country, nothing will change....false promises of delivery of vaccines are not what this government should be doing......especially when it can't keep those promises....cases will go up/down .....

A limerick secondary school has sent home it's 5th/6th year students because of covid outbreak in school ...hse have stated to parents work will be given online to students ....

Random sample

KathleenGrant wrote: »

This is exactly my point. A school classroom is surely one huge play date.

It’s not a play date though. It’s essential education.

Some students (through no fault of their teachers) have not been in contact with teachers since December. Their parents either can’t or wont encourage them to engage online.

the kelt

Random sample wrote: »

It’s not a play date though. It’s essential education.

Some students (through no fault of their teachers) have not been in contact with teachers since December. Their parents either can’t or wont encourage them to engage online.

I think people are missing the point though.

Schools going back cause increases in cases, its not rocket science. SO just admit it.

Stop this bull of it must be something else, its not, its schools going back end of.

The vast majority of people understand this and the vast majority teachers included understand this and understand an increase in cases is a price to pay for schools going back.

So NPHET need to stop treating people like idiots and then wonder why people arent following them and giving up listening to them.

Stop with the "schools are safe bull" theyre not, they cant be! Treating people like idiots claiming play dates are the reason serves nothing only to frustrate and raise peoples suspicions

It would serve them far better to be up front, "schools are as safe as we can possibly make them but cases will and do happen but its a trade off required for childrens education"

Stop treating people like idiots and wonder why people are railing against ye!

P2C

The classroom is a bit more controlled than a play date. If they play outside and keep a meter apart it is perfectly safe or safer than inside a classroom. As long as they don’t travel to the play date together. It’s hard to keep younger kids separated

quote="KathleenGrant;116696521"]This is exactly my point. A school classroom is surely one huge play date.[/quote]

Icyseanfitz

the kelt wrote: »

I think people are missing the point though.

Schools going back cause increases in cases, its not rocket science. SO just admit it.

Stop this bull of it must be something else, its not, its schools going back end of.

The vast majority of people understand this and the vast majority teachers included understand this and understand an increase in cases is a price to pay for schools going back.

So NPHET need to stop treating people like idiots and then wonder why people arent following them and giving up listening to them.

Stop with the "schools are safe bull" theyre not, they cant be! Treating people like idiots claiming play dates are the reason serves nothing only to frustrate and raise peoples suspicions

It would serve them far better to be up front, "schools are as safe as we can possibly make them but cases will and do happen but its a trade off required for childrens education"

Stop treating people like idiots and wonder why people are railing against ye!

exactly

Locotastic

Why don't we have a rapid testing programme similar to UK, not just for schools but community wide?

I know it's not going to catch all but it will certainly help and has a part to play in a multi solution approach.

They just keep locking down, and people no longer follow restrictions.

beggars_bush

P2C wrote: »

The classroom is a bit more controlled than a play date. If they play outside and keep a meter apart it is perfectly safe or safer than inside a classroom. As long as they don’t travel to the play date together. It’s hard to keep younger kids separated

quote="KathleenGrant;116696521"]This is exactly my point. A school classroom is surely one huge play date.

[/QUOTE]
kids don't play 1m apart

KathleenGrant

People are missing my point. I know schools are controlled environments, i absolutely agree they are essential. But being essential does not equate with safe.

Education is not the only essential in a child's life or in a family's. I'm not just talking about children here, i am talking about parents under pressure, particularly those isolated already, single parents, working from home etc.

If it's ok to be in a room with 25-30 other people for hours at a time because it's essential why are education staff not afforded the same safety conditions as other essential workers?

Education is essential for children so they can play outsisde safely in school. But it's not safe to have an Easter Camp with 25-30 people. Physical and mental well-being is not as essential as academic?

My point was not that education should not be happening. My point was and is that if education is so essential give workers in that environment the same safety conditions as others. And if school is safe because children don't transmit the virus then let children have outside games.

Richard tea

Just out of curiosity if any teachers could answer this for me
. Out of all the industries and working sectors in the country right now, which should be shut down for safety reasons?

wirelessdude01

Richard tea wrote: »

Just out of curiosity if any teachers could answer this for me
. Out of all the industries and working sectors in the country right now, which should be shut down for safety reasons?

Why are you asking teachers?

Random sample

Richard tea wrote: »

I would imagine the vast majority here whinging are teachers. Or retired teachers.

I don’t know what you consider to be whinging, but I haven’t seen any teachers talk about shutting industries down.

penny piper

Richard tea wrote: »

I would imagine the vast majority here whinging are teachers. Or retired teachers.

I'm a mother of two teachers................I genuinely don't see any teachers on here "whinging" only making positive comments....

DSN

irishblessing wrote: »

There's no way Norma didn't know...

KathleenGrant wrote: »

I very seldom comment on threads like this but i was very angry when i heard Ronan Glynn or whoever mention playdates driving up cases along with Mother's Day visits. I haven't seen my grandchildren for weeks and Mother's Day they left a card and present on the doorstep and i had a 5 minute conversation from 10 metres away.

But the playdates? I live close to our local school and what is going on in there for the last month are the biggest playdates you could have.

I can see why people are frustrated and cross. No outside Easter Camps, no playdates of 2-3 kids but schools are ok? Ok my arse.

"What's going on in there" you'd swear was a hive of criminal activity. Poor kids.
So you'd rather your grandkids didn't go back to school yet then? So when? Cases not coming down kids missed enough in schooling now need a few weeks before they break up the summer.

Richard tea

Random sample wrote: »

I don’t know what you consider to be whinging, but I haven’t seen any teachers talk about shutting industries down.

See this is why I hold back commenting on this thread so much. The vast majority not teachers posing here want schools closed. I'm simply asking what other jobs country wide should be closed. And dont count remote learning as teaching. It's far from it and the stats will show that in years to come.

A poster here summed it up will with a quote a while back "skin in the game". A teacher made a comment on drive time yesterday evening that sums it up for me. She has decided to keep her two children home even though her school is open. That's all very well for her as I'm sure her children won't suffer any loss of schooling. And I get it. If I was teaching I would do the same. Makes absolute sense to work from home. No commute. Possibly no child minding fees. More free time to do some house work. Catch up on a box set. Which leads me to some commenting here stating that they have worked from 9am to 10pm. If thats the case and that's a big if I would suggest a career change.

wirelessdude01

Richard tea wrote: »

See this is why I hold back commenting on this thread so much. The vast majority not teachers posing here want schools closed. I'm simply asking what other jobs country wide should be closed. And dont count remote learning as teaching. It's far from it and the stats will show that in years to come.

A poster here summed it up will with a quote a while back "skin in the game". A teacher made a comment on drive time yesterday evening that sums it up for me. She has decided to keep her two children home even though her school is open. That's all very well for her as I'm sure her children won't suffer any loss of schooling. And I get it. If I was teaching I would do the same. Makes absolute sense to work from home. No commute. Possibly no child minding fees. More free time to do some house work. Catch up on a box set. Which leads me to some commenting here stating that they have worked from 9am to 10pm. If thats the case and that's a big if I would suggest a career change.

What exact point are you trying to make? That just comes across as a rant.

History Queen

Richard tea wrote: »

See this is why I hold back commenting on this thread so much. The vast majority not teachers posing here want schools closed. I'm simply asking what other jobs country wide should be closed. And dont count remote learning as teaching. It's far from it and the stats will show that in years to come.

A poster here summed it up will with a quote a while back "skin in the game". A teacher made a comment on drive time yesterday evening that sums it up for me. She has decided to keep her two children home even though her school is open. That's all very well for her as I'm sure her children won't suffer any loss of schooling. And I get it. If I was teaching I would do the same. Makes absolute sense to work from home. No commute. Possibly no child minding fees. More free time to do some house work. Catch up on a box set. Which leads me to some commenting here stating that they have worked from 9am to 10pm. If thats the case and that's a big if I would suggest a career change.

You're not simply asking anything. You're trying to inflame. Your comments above show your bias.

Richard tea

wirelessdude01 wrote: »

What exact point are you trying to make? That just comes across as a rant.

Point is there is too much negativity posted on this thread. It time to suck it up and move on. Every other worker is trying their best to carry on best they can. Giving out about Government/Nephet or Norma decisions gets us nowhere. Time to get back to normal teaching standards.

History Queen

Richard tea wrote: »

Point is there is too much negativity posted on this thread. It time to suck it up and move on. Every other worker is trying their best to carry on best they can. Giving out about Government/Nephet or Norma decisions gets us nowhere. Time to get back to normal teaching standards.

You don't get to dictate to people, particularly in a sector you have very little knowledge of, about how they should feel about their working conditions. Particularly when other sectors have also raised concerns, so your "every other worker" comment comes across as ignorant at best.

Richard tea

History Queen wrote: »

You're not simply asking anything. You're trying to inflame. Your comments above show your bias.

Dont be that person. Why not just answer my original question. Is it answerable

Christy42

Richard tea wrote: »

Point is there is too much negativity posted on this thread. It time to suck it up and move on. Every other worker is trying their best to carry on best they can. Giving out about Government/Nephet or Norma decisions gets us nowhere. Time to get back to normal teaching standards.

Not complaining also gets us nowhere... This is a nebulous point. If you don't want to discuss it you don't have to. You could easily say the same about every thread. Stop all complaints on the Man U thread, the manager won't read it so there is no point in complaining.


This is a discussion thread, people giving their opinion, positive or negative is what happens. Neither side is likely to drive actual policy.

History Queen

Richard tea wrote: »

Dont be that person

What person?

Richard tea

History Queen wrote: »

What person?

Accusing me of trying to inflame the situation. It goes against boards policy. This thread will end up like and echo chamber with no debate.