Relaxation of Restrictions, Part XII *Read OP For Mod Warnings*

Any parents that i have been speaking to want the schools to reopen they must choose who they speak to very carefully....

Or which opinion they air.

Thats it. Schools should open and if no cover can be found leave the class at home for the few days. Each school should be open but if they have to close for a day or 2 due to staffing so be it. I don't know of any teacher who wants to go back to online teaching. I hated it. And the children hated it.

I know a lot of teachers made a huge effort with online but from my experience, my eldest got a lot of work from their teacher online and the interaction was good.

Our youngest's teacher wasn't anywhere near as involved, he and a large cohort of his classmates have been receiving support this year with things they should have mastered in Junior Infants. He's making really good progress right now and to see the schools closing again would be a disaster, particularly since he still has the same teacher as last year and I'd be shocked if their attitude to online learning would have changed drastically since last year.

Hopefully pragmatism will prevail, but that seems to be in short supply of late.

I did my best with online. Was there all day every day for my class as totally understood that some could only work when their parents came home from work. I did live lessons with the kids 4 out of 5 days. But I hated every minute of it.

When I spoke to my class before Christmas about the possibility of it return their little faces said it all. They were very upset at the thought of it. So I'm hopeful it won't come to that.

I understand where you are coming in relation to your child. It is not possible for junior and senior infants to participate in online learning. There is a big increase in the numbers of children requiring support since this started. And the longer these closures continue the bigger the increase will be.

But theres loads of business closing because of lack of staff due to the current ridiculous isolation rules. My local pub, cafe are all closed for that reason, numerous business in town etc.

What should be done is simply change the stupid isolation rules, if no teachers available then what should be done apart from sending kids home.

This is going to be a little bit of a litmus test for COVID 2022, if they decide to not radically change isolation rules and close schools buckle in for 2022 being even more "abundance of caution"

O, I agree, my point being our National Broadcaster dedicating almost 70% of its news output on Schools, Teachers and barely a mention of other sectors far more impacted by absenteeism.

Indeed 👍

Why an entire school? Should it not be done on a class-by-class basis, at least in primary school? Teacher has to isolate so class works remotely for a few days if no sub available

With secondary schools, if a teacher is out that's only one class that students will miss out or have to catch up on or maybe the 1st year maths class has to be cancelled as the teacher will have to teach the 6th year physics class

There's ways and means

I never said they should close an entire school????

It isnt as easy with secondary schools. That one teacher will likely be teaching multiple classes across multiple years. Its only one class for that one student. What do ye do with that one class if no one to take them, lock them in the room for an hour? If for example 2 teachers are missing without cover it means multiple classes are missed across all years.

Primary is easy imho, if no teacher or no sub then that class is taught remotely.

In secondary what do ye do, stay at home for remote teaching of 1st year maths, then come in for 1st year history for an hour, back to remote for another hour etc etc.

Of course just effin relax the stupid isolation rules and let everyone get on with life but someone tell NPHET that!

Yeah they should.

But dont forget its NPHET and "abundance of caution" it wouldnt surprise me one bit to see them close schools rather than accept stopping the spread is a pointless endeavour and that keeping society functioning is more important!

If its best practise elsewhere and involves taking a risk of any sort expect it not to happen here, juts look at their antigen test stance.

Schools will open IMO. It could be a very bumpy few weeks but if as suggested we do hit the peak very soon, relatively short-lived.