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

14-02-2022 9:39pm

INTO not wanting any Covid theatre, sorry protection, measures lifted for at least 2 months. 2 months, ffs.

Too long we’ve let dinosaurs like Boyle and the head honchos rule the union the way they want and pander to the loud, vociferous minority who try to push misery on schools. I don’t know any teacher who wants this BS kept for another day, let alone 2 months. Leave the profession if you’re scared of a child without a mask IMO.

I will be giving up my membership, I do hope people vote with their feet with regard to the unions, it’s the only thing that they listen to.

is_that_so · 15-02-2022 8:48am

Louder noises now about masks going in schools

https://www.irishtimes.com/news/health/mask-requirement-for-schoolchildren-may-be-lifted-next-week-1.4802333

15-02-2022 9:36am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118633130#Comment_118633130

Great news. Hopefully the government and NPHET do stand firm and not listen to the whining from ISAG and their supporters at the head of our unions.

Leftwaffe · 15-02-2022 4:53pm

I cannot wait for the day I can go into work and teach students without a mask. Too long have they not been able to read my facial expression when joking or serious, etc.

There will still be teachers who will wear them but I don’t envisage it will last long. Students will abandon them and most of staff. Looking at peers getting on nudist fine without one will be enough to turn the rest.

A real sign the pandemic is over. Glorious. Even sweeter if it goes against what the unions want. I actually hate my union. I’ve disagreed with most of what the ASTI have been calling for for the past few years. Do not represent me at all.

15-02-2022 6:02pm

Even Aodhan O Riordain of Labour commenting on the mask thing that society has moved on but schools are being treated differently and that Covid has dominated the school agenda.

I agree fully. Good article too in the times this morning too about how the fun has essentially been sucked out of schools. I sense the tide is turning and sense will be seen.

political analyst · 15-02-2022 6:23pm

Instead of whinging to the press, why don't parents who are against the idea of their children being compelled to wear masks in class take the matter up with the principals or the boards of management? After all, parents are represented on the boards - I'm not saying that it gives parents a veto but it does mean that school authorities must consider parents' views.

josip · 15-02-2022 7:04pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118636411#Comment_118636411

"All communication, that is not specific to an individual child, should be communicated to the Class Reps who will raise it with the school principal during the monthly meeting. Parents should not contact the teacher or principal directly regarding general issues."

political analyst · 15-02-2022 7:20pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118636593#Comment_118636593

Presumably, that means that the parents of a particular child can contact the teacher or principal about that child. Parents of different children can make a general inquiry as a group, can't they?

Sammy2012 · 15-02-2022 10:03pm

He's on Prime time just now and very much in favour of masks staying in schools and saying that the poor vaccination roll out in children is why they should stay.

I assume to the roll out has been so poor is because a lot of parents are choosing not to vaccinate their children.

15-02-2022 10:55pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118636411#Comment_118636411

Fair point, but a few points against it.

There was a small movement from the national primary parents council against it at the start. All concerns were labelled as far right / anti vaccine.

Secondly, none of it is in the hands of school authorities (in primary anyway). Thankfully, they can’t do anything more than advise masks. The problem I see is so many parents who are following what they are told because they feel they have to, to fit in, to confirm, to stop them being labelled as all sorts.

I’ve seen it myself. Since restrictions were practically ended, masks in our school dropped off massively. I’d say less than half our kids have them at any one time. The rest seem to be just waiting to be told they don’t have to wear them. Unscientific, but I’d hazard a guess that if the government gave the ok tonight to end masks in school, there wouldn’t be one staff member or child in ours wearing them tomorrow.

glack · 16-02-2022 7:37am

I agree with the sentiments here, I hate the kids in primary schools having to wear masks and can’t wait until they are gone. In my school, they are working though (far, far more cases from juniors to second than in senior classes) so removing masks will have an impact. Our only worry is staffing, a lot of the junior end teachers and SNAs have already had covid since the beginning of December, the senior end staff have not. My concern is if the covid numbers in schools go up after the removal of mask wearing, we’ll really struggle for staff. Has been impossible over the past 2 weeks to get substitutes in our area.

now it obviously has to happen at some point (and hopefully soon!), but I do think the general a public is a bit oblivious to the reality of what that will mean for their child’s class/teacher.

political analyst · 16-02-2022 12:03pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118638122#Comment_118638122

Obviously, such 'labelling' would be bullying and so teachers will deal with it appropriately.

Birdy · 17-02-2022 4:37pm

I think many children will continue to wear masks in class. It is an easy way to keep themselves safe. I know many teachers will continue to wear them too.

17-02-2022 4:38pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118647984#Comment_118647984

1 of my 23 kids wore one today. And that 1 took it off for at least 1 hour in the classroom - pointless. Of the other class I supervised on yard, 1 of 20 odd had one coming back in.

They’re already gone except for the optics in some places. They’ll be dropped like a hot potato.

Birdy · 17-02-2022 4:48pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118647992#Comment_118647992

It was up to you to enforce it. They don't have to wear them outside.

It says more about those places. Kids were reluctant to wear them at first because they weren't used to wearing them. There have been far fewer cases in the older classes due to the masks.

17-02-2022 4:56pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118648062#Comment_118648062

I’m a teacher, not a public health enforcer. Not my job and never will be. Thankfully our principal, and indeed the department seen sense that it was never a teachers job to enforce covering up a child’s face.

josip · 17-02-2022 4:59pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118647984#Comment_118647984

Vaccinations are the best way to keep 'safe'. Since vaccinations became available, mask wearing was no longer about 'keeping safe'. They were a blunt tool to limit the omicron wave. Now that the peak has passed, masks are but a crutch for the fearful who are reluctant to re-enage with normal living.

17-02-2022 4:59pm

And “it says more about those places”. What a nasty comment. You don’t subscribe to the mask every living thing and you get comments like that.

Making a comment like that says more about yourself than those places. Thankfully, public health now agree it’s all nonsense.

Leftwaffe · 17-02-2022 5:05pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118647984#Comment_118647984

lol What school are you working in? The student so teach will drop them in the morning. Vast majority it teachers too.

If anyone wishes to continue wearing one then I’ll respect that, as people should respect the fact I don’t want to wear one. The desire to push masks on others is something I’ll never figure out.

Birdy · 17-02-2022 5:45pm

Another 9,441 cases today. With such high community spread, I don't think it's the right time to be telling people to ditch the masks.

https://www.npr.org/sections/back-to-school-live-updates/2021/09/10/1035954587/yes-gov-desantis-studies-do-show-masks-curb-covid-19-in-schools?t=1645119408770

17-02-2022 5:48pm

There’ll never be a magic number that people feel is okay to end things. Maybe if we waited til Sunday and there was a couple of thousand, would it be ok then?

M_Murphy57 · 17-02-2022 6:39pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118637845#Comment_118637845

Or so many children have caught it and recovered both masks and wuhan vaccines are pointless.

josip · 17-02-2022 7:17pm

...and NPHET said they're gone. Time to get back on with living and stop hiding behind the masks.

https://www.rte.ie/news/coronavirus/2022/0217/1281314-coronavirus-ireland/

Leftwaffe · 17-02-2022 7:21pm

What a day. Can’t wait to head in to work with no mask. Back to normality. If you’re still nervous wear a couple of masks and keep distance, just don’t look down on those who are ploughing on without one.

There should be respect for those who want to wear one and vice versa.

Vaccinated30 · 17-02-2022 7:25pm

I can't wait to see my children's teachers faces! I've never seen any of the teachers they have now without a mask.

Sammy2012 · 17-02-2022 7:54pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118648808#Comment_118648808

Can't wait! Pods are gone also apparently. So the kids can all mix again! First day back after midterm ill need getting rid of that plastic screen I've had to sit behind for the last 18 months.

Totally agree that respect should work both ways. No judgement on how every one chooses to proceed.

km79 · 17-02-2022 7:59pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118648830#Comment_118648830

I moved schools September 2020

Ive never seen anyones faces . Staff or students

So happy with this

Birdy · 17-02-2022 10:54pm

This is a poll from a teachers only forum.

Poll: Will you continue to wear a mask in school?

Yes: 56%

No: 44%

Leftwaffe · 17-02-2022 11:28pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118650192#Comment_118650192

That is very sad. Oh well. The 56% have the choice to do so. That’s the main thing.

18-02-2022 12:04am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118650355#Comment_118650355

It’s a good start. 45% of teachers immediately not having to teach through a mask is a lot of kids benefitting. Another 20-30% of them will follow when they see the world hasn’t ended.

As you said, the choice is there. That’s the main thing.

political analyst · 18-02-2022 12:46pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118648600#Comment_118648600

Christine Loscher told Claire Byrne on Wednesday (19 minutes into this clip) that the most recent data indicates that the immunity that people who have recovered from Omicron have from re-infection with that variant is poor and that vaccination for those who've recovered from Omicron provides additional protection against possible future variants and, regarding the perception that infection is not a big deal for children, mentioned 'long Covid'.

https://www.rte.ie/radio/radio1/clips/22063555/

JP100 · 18-02-2022 12:59pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118650521#Comment_118650521

I wouldn't take that poll at face value. It will be alot more than 45% and in alot of schools, I would expect it to be upwards of 80% of school staff not wearing masks after the mid term when the new diktat has officially gone through.

yerwanthere123 · 18-02-2022 4:52pm

Mad that the masks in schools will likely be gone after mid-term. Or might staff still be expected to wear them? Would obviously be utterly pointless if the kids aren't, but I imagine some schools/principals might advise their staff to stick with them for the time being?

18-02-2022 5:08pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118653042#Comment_118653042

Indeed - just trying to find the positive in that made up poll! At the very worst I’d say half the staff will be rid immediately, as you said, more like 70 or 80% really, as Twitter and Facebook polls aren’t a measure of real life.

On the last post, I can’t see many schools other than the small minority of militant ones looking for staff to retain them. After all, we’re all adults here - principals, teachers, SNA’s, support staff, we all have the choice to make.

Dakota Dan · 18-02-2022 5:13pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118648062#Comment_118648062

Have you any scientific proof of that? Just because there were fewer cases in older classes is not scientific proof.

km79 · 18-02-2022 5:27pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118654663#Comment_118654663

Schools will continue to follow whatever public health advice is issued to them

if it’s masks are optional then that is what will be the case

No principal can enforce anything else

Leftwaffe · 18-02-2022 5:51pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118654663#Comment_118654663

They can advise all they want, you don’t have to wear one, it’s personal choice now and rightly so.

And masks are definitely gone, not likely. As are all other mitigation measures in schools.

noplacehere · 18-02-2022 6:20pm

I’d suspect most staff will take them off once numbers drop a bit further if not straight away. Right now catching it still means time off, they’ve cut the sick leave for it and childcare issues so that will keep them. Add in the VHR (me) and pregnant staff that’s a fair few.

If the numbers in the community were lower even Id take it off but a little longer is worth it. I want to make it to the summer without catching it (or anything else) as all my classes are under pressure time wise, there’s no qualified subs and I don’t want to use up sick leave

Van.Bosch · 19-02-2022 12:53pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118648349#Comment_118648349

No one is telling people to ditch the masks. They are moving to advised, so it’s personal choice.

Deeec · 19-02-2022 1:39pm

My kids school still has staggered collection times. Hopefully this can be dropped soon as well. It never made sense to me - it just led to parents and collected children chatting and playing while waiting for older children to come out. 20 mins time difference between youngest and oldest child being let out of school - surely this can stop now.

noplacehere · 20-02-2022 7:46am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118658380#Comment_118658380

Don’t see why not. Our sons primary school decided to reimplement their precovid uniform policy at 7pm on a Tuesday night last week. (Under their covid set up the next day was a non uniform day)….

shesty · 20-02-2022 8:07am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118661941#Comment_118661941

They were switching between uniform and non uniform for covid reasons each week?That would drive me nuts as a clothes-washing parent!I appreciate the rule was probably made when we knew no better but it should have been got rid of a looooooong time ago.

Our school has been very sensible in comparison!

noplacehere · 20-02-2022 8:11am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118661959#Comment_118661959

Oh it was actually awesome. Uniform Monday, tracksuit Tuesday, anything Wednesday, uniform Thursday, tracksuit Friday. It was perfect for a single midweek wash and I only had one uniform and one tracksuit which is perfect at this age as he’s growing fast. I did not appreciate needing to get the uniform washed and dried for the next morning. And I’ve had to get an extra uniform now we’re back to four uniform/one tracksuit

Doasisaynotwhatido · 22-02-2022 9:07am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118661964#Comment_118661964

What kind of schools are you sending your kids too...

3 years ago in my sons school (wouldn't be the most well off area) principal suddenly started ringing parents to collect kids who maybe have wrong shoes, no tie etc

Parents organised meeting between themselves and all stated if called we wouldn't collect the kids so they would have to stay in school. 1 week later no phone calls to anyone

Comer1 · 24-02-2022 12:39am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118671462#Comment_118671462

The kind of schools that has a uniform policy. If you don't like the policy, find a school where the policy suits you.

If parents refused to adhere to the uniform policy that they would have had to agree to upon registration, and then refuse to collect students they should have been excluded from class.

Deeec · 25-02-2022 11:14am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118658380#Comment_118658380

Just an update on what I posted last week. We have received a message from the school - staggered collection times remain the same - its not being dropped for the moment.

iguana · 25-02-2022 2:09pm

My son's school has staggered drop off times and this year his class is on the 9.10 start. I know it won't suit lots of people but I love it. We don't have to leave the house until 9 and it just makes mornings that bit more chilled out. I'm so happy for him to not have to wear a mask again at school. While he adapted to it better than I'd worried about, I think long term, masks on small children has the potential to damage their social abilities. Facial cues are so important, to everyone, but especially children and I'm glad they won't be missing out on those.

As for uniforms, nearly every kid in my son's school just wears the tracksuit which can be the official school tracksuit or just a tracksuit from Dunnes/Aldi/Tesco in the right colour. My kid somehow manages to come home everyday covered in mud and grass stains, so I have 5 tracksuit bottoms, 4 tops and several of the polo shirts they wear underneath.

appledrop · 25-02-2022 9:34pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118690416#Comment_118690416

This should not be the case. I've seen the letter from the Dept sent to all schools + they have been told to drop staggered collection times, pods etc and to restart parent teacher meetings, afterschool activities etc.

Now fair enough if it might take school week or two to implement after midterm but that should be all.

morebabies · 05-03-2022 9:46pm

Hi, sorry to butt in, I've scoured the internet and can't find the answer:

What are the current rules if one of your children has covid? Do all stay off school because they're in the same household? 13 year old has tested positive, other 4 negative so far.

Thanks.

km79 · 06-03-2022 10:22am

HSE website ………

https://www2.hse.ie/conditions/covid19/contact-tracing/close-contact/

They go to school unless they have symptoms

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

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