Covid 19 Part XXXV-956,720 ROI (5,952 deaths) 452,946 NI (3,002 deaths) (08/01) Read OP

Nothing unconstitutional with that. The Bunreacht says that the state will provide free(!) primary education. That will continue to be the case. If someone decides not to avail of that because they won't wear a mask then that's their choice.

Every child will have breathing difficulties and asthma and get out of wearing the masks.

A lot of schools in Ireland have far more pressing concerns than covid and whether the pupils are wearing masks or not.

Great news if this is the case BUT… how do they know this? The variant barely existed a week ago…

All sounds like great news. Like half the planet just spent five days panicking over nothing. 🙄

On the masks for kids thing we were initially spitting feathers. A relative said, "It's ok, the kids love wearing them", and we were thinking, "**** off they do".

Asked our eldest yesterday who said half their class had come in wearing masks and if they were allowed to wear one too. So yeah, they did the whole day in a mask today.

"How did it go?"

"Grand!"

🤷‍♂️

You'll do a lot more damage ranting and raving and fighting against mask wearing if the child actually wants to wear one.

The Irish Times article suggests a hard line on it from the DES but if you read past the headline it's clear that an exemption is available for any child who really doesn't want to wear a mask.

Usefulness of masks aside, I'm less concerned now about mental or social impact. Seems most kids don't need any arm twisting. It's practically a fashion accessory at this stage.

Sounds like masks have become normailised and all we're seeing is kids wanting to be like the adults who wear masks.

Its more complicated than that. If a child or parent doesn't want a uniform, and the school won't budge, then they can source a place in another school without a uniform code. And the State's obligation is fulfilled.

In this case if the child won't wear a mask, there isn't an alternative school they can go to.

The school could put the child on remote learning, but that's OK for a child who's isolating. The time working remote is fixed and temporary.

If it's because they're not wearing a mask, the time working remotely is indefinite, so it could be argued that by treating the child differently and providing them with a substandard education, the State is failing in it's obligation.

This is why I think there won't be a hardline on it and they will relent if a parent/child digs their heels in. But if there is a hard line, no doubt a High Court case will appear in short order to sort it out.

I don't get it..

If its a pcr test, you mean to say that they have enough swabbed to swab anyone who wants a pcr test for their passport so that they can go put on Friday night?

That test would then be redundant in what 3 days? So it's back again for another test and passport update for the following Friday night's pub entry?

If it's to record antigen tests, then who polices that the person actually did his antigen test at all?

If the passport only captures your vaccination status, then it's just the same as the Covid pass here?

Sorry, maybe I'm missing something but genuinely, I don't get it!

Some waiting for the day that they can put their own on like everyone else?? WTF have I just read, each day I think it can’t get anymore crazy but I’m always wrong what a country what a world.

Protect one set by costing others their jobs doesn't seem very protective tbh

Same, we've been resisting them for a while but the kids don't seem to care about them as much as the adults do.

My guess is someone in the media got a hold of the SA data. Had it have been bad news, maybe more would have reported on it.

i have been trying to be upbeat and flippant about mask wearing with my 11 yr old daughter. She has some learning difficulties and is a shy, anxious child. She is refusing to wear a mask all day in school and I’m reluctant to tell her she has to. Out of the country for the next couple of weeks so will have to coax her around or go down the homeschool route.

They won’t get rid of them without looking for something in return- next spring it will be kids who have been vaccinated can remove their masks.