Schools and Covid 19 (part 5) **Mod warnings in OP**

Furze99

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118421819#Comment_118421819

Because the expression that schools are safe environments re covid comes from same Dept Education/ HSE/ Public Health etc. It's they who have coined the concept.

Furze99

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118421052#Comment_118421052

Sure no problem, stick your head in the sand 'cos you don't like the message!

FWIW I have nobody blocked/ ignored. I'll happily read all views. I only bother though to reply to ones that I deem worth the effort.

Bananaleaf

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118421819#Comment_118421819

Well, I didn't use it.

You're happy to waste your time here, repeatedly asking strangers to define it for you. Since you weren't getting an answer (and an answer was what you wanted, I thought) I suggested going to the source.

But an answer is obviously not what you wanted so never mind me - continue to go about your productive day

solerina

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118420058#Comment_118420058

I am a teacher and I have junior certs, I am further ahead this year than I have ever been so it’s always that teachers are behind. The new Jc is very dumbed down anyway so they will be fine, they just need to be reassured of this fact !!

French Toast

Secondary teacher. Happy to be going back tomorrow. Sanitize, distance and keep the masks on and it's business as usual.

I foresee individual schools possibly having difficulties regarding staffing and substitution but delighted not to be teaching from home tomorrow.

airy fairy

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118422076#Comment_118422076

Where your issues may lie is the domino effect coming from siblings of your students who are in unmasked, packed to capacity classrooms who may test positive.

I do believe secondary schools are safer than primary, safer as in less possibility of transmission of Covid. They are safer for having cop on alone to mind themselves, particularly exam years.

It's still a balls though when project work is not being given any concession for the loss of school hours either by teacher or student over the next few weeks.

Anything4883

Interesting to read how some Teachers think they are been sent into Afghanistan to fight the Taliban; by returning to classes.

When most of them had no problem socializing over the last year in Pubs/Houses/Restaurants and Weddings.

Bananaleaf

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118422326#Comment_118422326

Someone has been busy, monitoring the movements of most of the teachers in the country over the past two weeks. Jesus lads, we have an expert tracker and tracer here - someone give him a job in the test centres. He'll have us all PCR tested by midnight!! 🤡

Bananaleaf

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118422469#Comment_118422469

Despite the abusive language in your post, I will define it for you as I understand it.

Schools are safer than the home environment for a lot of students.

Safer for the community as a whole.

At home there will be children who are out on the streets, in each others homes, mixing, playing, socialising, all without masks and all without social distancing. It doesn't matter whether this is because their parents are not bothered looking after them or if they are too busy with their own WFH. No matter how in the minority those are, or what the reason for it, there will be more of them out there mixing (in ways that are considered risky in terms of transmission) than there would be if they were in school.

In school, they will be sitting, at least 1.1m from everyone else, even further apart if space and class size allows. They will be sanitising their hands and desks regularly and if they are secondary students they will be masked.

Not to mention the individuals who like to go about the place wearing the mask on their chin/over their nose. I'm sure there are some teachers who do that too. ALL of those people, in a school environment are forced - whether they like it or not - to wear the mask correctly. The fear of confronting someone who isn't wearing a mask correctly is not as pronounced in many a school as it is in a supermarket or a shopping centre. Teachers, principals and even students will call one another out on it far quicker than a supermarket worker would do with a customer (totally understandable btw)

So, on balance, while it is wrong to assert that schools are safe (which is why you won't find me saying it), they are safer. The department mean safer, but in a world where people now get triggered by their own shadow, they can't say that because the permanently outraged will snap back "safer that what???"

hesaidshesaid

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118422540#Comment_118422540

Agree with the vast majority of your post, but just to clarify for parents, children in most primary schools are definitely not sitting 1.1m away from each other. There’s no space for that. Table groups are as on top of each other as they ever were, renaming them ‘pods’ didn’t make the classroom grow bigger. The newer built schools have fairly large classrooms which facilitate better social distancing, but there are hundreds of schools operating in older buildings and in prefabs. The spacing out of kids is pointless anyway considering the virus is airborne. It’s just yet another of Norma’s Covid theatre ‘suite of measures’, like having kids come in at different times in the morning and through different doors. And then they all use the same toilets all day. Ridiculous.

Fathom

Omicron is sweeping USA. School closings spotted across the country. No uniform plan or practices implemented as a nation. Hit and miss. Hence huge COVID spike after holidays and face-to- face instruction.

There are exceptions. My university employer remains consistent. ALL students, faculty, staff, administration, and campus visitors: Thou shall be vaccinated. No exceptions. Plus masking will be enforced. No exceptions. Science not politics rules on campus.

Bananaleaf

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118422641#Comment_118422641

Thanks for clarifying. I'm not a primary teacher so didn't realise that. Wow, feel for you guys going back. To be fair, in secondary, we've at least got a couple of measures going.

Tombo2001

Hi folks

Can anyone tell me what they think the isolation period is for children who are negative, but household close contacts?

In simple terms, how many days and from when....

I cant work it out.

Thanks.

Vaccinated30

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118422725#Comment_118422725

17 days from when the +ve case had symptoms / had pcr

Msbookeeper

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118422540#Comment_118422540

As a post primary teacher, in a modern school, students are definitely not that far away from each other in class. Regardless at break/lunchtime they're all over each other, no masks as they are "eating/drinking" it's a fallacy to believe these measures are enforceable in a secondary school with 100s of kids walking the halls during breaks vs 4/5 teachers on supervision.

Pigeon Chaser

FAO Teachers. Yes, schools are "safe" .. not because of any mitigation measures put in place. They are safe because Covid is a very mild disease. It's likely you have had it / will have it and not even realise 😮

FAO Teachers Unions. There's nothing I love more than seeing you put back in your box. 😁

Looking forward to walking my 3 kids to school tomorrow. They are driving me mad 😨

RocketRaccoon

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118422888#Comment_118422888

What a parent you are. Maybe you shouldn't have had kids if they're that much of a burden?

Msbookeeper

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118422888#Comment_118422888

I'm sure your kids feel the same about you, being that bitter of person must wear on people.

Bananaleaf

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118422867#Comment_118422867

Your desks and chairs are not 1.1m apart in your school? They should be - why are your lead workers not enforcing this with your principal?

At break and lunch they eat, but in our school there is a strict policy of remaining in their seats to eat with mask off if they must remain indoors, but they are encouraged to go outdoors to eat. A huge amount of planning went into rezoning areas of the school to make sure every year group has access to outdoor space. Yes, we have the space to do it, we are lucky.

You guys need to go to your lead workers and tell them you need more supervisors. There is money to provide additional supervision, it can be used on the halls and corridors if that's where you need it. Your principal and deputy should be patrolling too to ensure compliance.

How long is your lunch time? Ours was 50mins but we reduced it to 30mins and shortened the school day by 20mins. 30mins is less time to supervise so you can have more teachers and it also doesn't allow students to get too wound up because, to be fair to them, they are only doing what comes natural to them at break and lunch.

Tombo2001

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118422832#Comment_118422832

17 days?

Not to be shooting the messenger, but janey mack - if you were a builder I'd definitely be looking for a second quote....

Msbookeeper

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118422921#Comment_118422921

Haha no,at least in my experience in the classroom for the last 2 years. Perhaps from the far corner of a desk to the back of next person's chair but of course students sit behind desks not at the front so definitely not 1.1m apart. Even if it was the desks would need to be bolted to floor or else they get moved throughout the day. Not to mention most classes are plus 30 seats/desks and all the other things like cabinets etc. Have to fit into rooms. Again this "control" has no impact on an airborne virus, like most of all the other measures, like spaces between seats in a canteen or washing hands, it's airborne. The only effective thing is open windows/wear masks, which should be done, the rest of it is for optics/hubris that the Dept or school can control the school environment regarding this virus and keep mammy and daddy from calling their local TD.

Look I'm happy to be back in, easier to teach in person but the PR spin put on these covid measures is frustrating and flat out lies in some contexts.

As regards making demands of our management, c'mon, your having a laugh there?

Gusser09

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118422867#Comment_118422867

Agreed. I think though we have reached a point where we don't need measures enforced anymore. This thing will rip. Children aren't in danger at all from it. I wouldn't be worried at all if they got rid of all measures in my kids school in the morning. They just don't help.

Bananaleaf

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118422986#Comment_118422986

Well, I dunno. Your principal is not very good in that case. It is hardly making demands either - the role of the lead worker is to liaise with the principal on your behalf, regarding all things Covid-related.

I don't know, maybe I am just really really lucky, but we have two lead workers and they are absolutely smashing! Cabinets, lockers, presses etc were removed from all the classrooms to make space to separate students out. They painted little dots on the floor to mark out the 1.1m distances so that when the tables and chairs got moved, they could easily be fixed back to where they were supposed to be.

Our principal is 100% open to everything that is suggested. Our principal assists with S&S if we are stuck or if we point out a black or blind spot.

The Department is beyond useless, but that's not a Covid thing. They've been like that since as far back as I can remember. At least Covid has outed them to the general public!

Bananaleaf

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118422989#Comment_118422989

Wow. That's interesting. What is it that they just don't help?

Gusser09

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118423057#Comment_118423057

Well the kids mix anyway. Way to school and way home. Outside of school. In the yard.

Just let them at it now. Obviously masks should remain but anything apart from that is probably not helping a lot.

Bananaleaf

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118423094#Comment_118423094

Probably not. I'll be honest, I don't know. But, my principal and lead workers made huge efforts to at least make the effort and I really appreciate that and I tell them that regularly too.

In an era where wellbeing is the buzz word of the century, what harm in taking out a couple of presses and bookshelves if it makes teachers and some kids feel better? (there are some students nervous of Covid, whether they need to be or not)

Msbookeeper

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118423045#Comment_118423045

Well that's sort of my point, there's been millions spent on hand sanitizer, stickers etc., measure after measure, euro after euro, to what gain? Placating the public and keeping them off the Govs back. They won't bloody purchase masks/air purifiers or test kits for school and they are the only thing half useful.

Even in your situation, which sounds perfect, but really I doubt it's much safer than our classrooms despite having what sounds like military precision planning. I mean there's no virologist in the world who would stand over 1.1 M being an effective measure for airborne virus, someone in the Dept got out their calculator and divided the avg class size in M by avg class size in students and voila the Dept have a safety measure to be rolled out, it's a red herring.

The Government needs to be seen to have an element of control and hence these easy to repeat measures are parroted and if they do it enough times people believe them. It's all optics and I wish they were called out on it by the media.

Pigeon Chaser

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118422898#Comment_118422898

Never said they were a burden ... Just that they are driving me daft.

Anyway, I'm happy common sense has prevailed and schools will open as normal tomorrow.

noplacehere

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118422056#Comment_118422056

I’m VHR so they had spotty teaching last year, then I went down with a bad dose of illness this year and they missed more time. It’s not their fault and not like I could have done anything about being sick but there’s no qualified subs. So they’ve missed a lot

History Queen

Just got word that we'll be missing between 35 and 40% of the students tomorrow going by the parents that have emailed so far. Not sure about staff. Going to make continuity of education a bloody disaster.... this is going to be a long month....