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TEACHING UNIONS ARE seeking clarification on whether it is safe for schools to stay open if the country goes into Level 5 restrictions.
The second-level and further education Teachers’ Union of Ireland (TUI) has said it is “seeking urgent engagement” with the Department of Education and Skills and the government on any national move a higher level of Covid-19 restrictions.
The Association of Secondary Teachers Ireland (ASTI) has similarly called for a “comprehensive review of the medical and related guidance” that allows for second-level schools to remain open if Ireland moves to Level 5.
Last night, the National Public Health Emergency Team (Nphet) recommended that the government implement Level 5 of its Covid-19 roadmap.
The leaders of the three coalition parties are set to meet with Chief Medical Officer Dr Tony Holohan today about the advice, with the ultimate decision on whether to move to the highest level of lockdown to be taken by Cabinet.
Under Level 5 restrictions, schools would remain open but most other businesses would be closed. The highest level of restrictions is essentially return to the restrictions from April and May, but with schools, creches and play groups open.
In a statement this morning, TUI General Secretary Michael Gillespie said that members are “extremely worried by current events”.
“We have many members with serious underlying health issues and also many members who share a household with people with underlying health issues,” he said.
We require urgent engagement in relation to what increased protections will apply to teachers in an escalation to Level 4 restrictions. We have already sought detailed clarification on the why it would be safe for schools to remain open at Level 5 if the rest of society is effectively locked down.
The ASTI President Ann Piggott has also said that its members are “concerned by the implications” of Level 5.
“We are writing to the Minister for Education and Skills this morning to request that she initiate a review immediately. We will also be requesting that the second-level stakeholders meet to discuss all associated issues,” Piggott said.
“The health, safety and welfare of all members of our school communities is of paramount importance”
The Irish National Teachers’ Association (INTO) said it has written to Minister for Education Norma Foley demanding an urgent meeting with the education stakeholders as they have received no clarification on what protective measures would apply in primary and special schools at the different levels.
“In our view it is inconceivable that the same protections – hand sanitising, hand washing, enhanced cleaning, ventilation, pods and bubbles – would be deemed to be sufficient at all of these four levels,” INTO General Secretary John Boyle said.
“Crucially we now also need clarity on the plans for primary and special schools in areas where level five would apply. In our view, it is incomprehensible that our schools, which have the largest class sizes in Europe, would remain fully open at a time where infection levels were so high in the community that no indoor gatherings or events were permissible.”
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If they can guarantee that all teachers in all schools will comply with remote teaching then I see no issue closing but it needs to be monitored. It was a disaster for most last time. Parents can not be expected to home school their kids when they are working full time themselves and are not teachers!
@D: Maybe in your kids schobut my kids school was great, lots of work and lots of feedback. Someone has to supervise your kids as a parent that’s your job.
@D: Some parents dont seem to expect to do any raising of their own kids.
@Rachel O’ Meara: Teaching is not a babysitting service.
@D: and special ed schools?
@Charles Coughlan: Agree 100%! Too many parents these days seem to think it is and not only that but they also think teachers should teach those children absolutely everything under the sun from how to tie shoe laces to social values, it’s kind of sad when you think about how many children are being failed by lazy parents.
@Charles Coughlan: my kids got a weeks work sent to them once a week and had 1 zoom call for 30 min per week where questions could be asked amongst 30 kids. Not great. I still do not know what my kids teacher did for the rest of that week.
@john s: She was probably correcting the work they had done and was preparing more for the following week ahead.
@Rachel O’ Meara: not when you’re at work is not.
@Rachel O’ Meara: yeah same here Rachel.. just got my kids into a routine at home… they knew it had to be done and just got on with it..
@Rachel O’ Meara: a full week to prepare homework for the following week? Give me a break.
@D: my daughter worked every waking hour 7 days a week teaching kids online at the last lockdown, spent most of the so called summer putting teaching programs together, and so did her fellow teachers, the main problem is not the teachers it’s the students, so from my experience your comment is the wrong way round,
@Mick Hannigan: Well fair play to her, she’s in the minority.
@Fr Romeo sensini.: she’s not you know, unfortunately people just have no idea, either did I until she became a teacher, they are flat out,
@Fr Romeo sensini.: I think you’ll find it’s you “fr” that is in the minority
@D: all.teachers in all schools? National school Junior infants being taught by remote teaching ! Have you thought this through.
@Mick Hannigan: obviously this differs greatly from situation to situation. My LC daughter was in 5th yr during lockdown. She had to ask one of her Tc’s for a Zoom class. Got one class & asked for another which the Tc cancelled 40mins before hand because “We’re all busy”. This was unfortunately not an isolated instance.
@Rachel O’ Meara: really. So if a teacher works a 7 hr day which is 35hrs a week and allocated 30min for a zoom call per week. You are telling me that they need 34.5 hrs a week to correct and set next weeks work. Efficiency at its best. But nobody believes that
@D: I am a secondary teacher and we have rrally good ICT and can do remote learning. It’s tough though…..hours on the laptop, kids that don’t / can’t engage, etc. Much prefer teaching on site.
@john s: You seem very confused to what teachers do. Here’s a crazy idea… Why don’t you ask the teacher?
@Charles Coughlan: if the parent is working from home they cannot give 100% to eithre r child or job
@Canyon: course D hasn’t, doesn’t care how it works once someone else looks after their kids. Irrelevant if that person has 3 of their own kids to after of course.
@Rachel O’ Meara: spoken like a true teacher ha ha. A week correcting homework! My kids ran riot during the lockdown. The teachers pretty much bailed for the most part. One call a week at the very start which was a waste of time anyway and then that stopped. My daughters school didn’t let them bring their schoolbooks home and didn’t let them collect them either so they’d no books.
@Bren: He wouldn’t do that he’s the bltch behind their back type who expects them to teach children absolutely everything while taking no responsibility himself. It’s so much easier to blame others when it comes to deflecting from your own shortcomings.
@Rachel O’ Meara: I generally try not to respond to comments on here but what would you suggest frontline staff do yet again if the schools close. It was really tough to parent, help with school work and homework all while working full time frontline during Lockdown. My daughter was left alone trying to make sense of work on her own and I often found myself after a 13 hour shift coming home to an overwhelmed, stressed teenager.
@Sean: I’m not a teacher but am a big advocate for education both at home and in school. All primary school books and alot of secondary school books were made available online at the start of lockdown free of charge. My kids school didn’t do zoom calls but I know other schools did. They were however given weekly work and extra work if they completed the normal work. Routine is everything, during the last lockdown I got them up at school time as normal then after they had their breakfast they worked until lunchtime. After lunch I brought them out for a kick around or a walk just to run off a bit of steam. The evenings were their own to play computer games or watch tv. By the time bed time rolled around they were wrecked from their early start. It’s hard but it can be done.
@Dan: do you mind your kids? Do you work from home? Are you self employed? Is your work affected by going to level 5? If you answer no to all the above ….exactly what is your argument and please, back it up with experience! Parents work full-time. And in 80% of households both parents work. So how are parents supposed to work and home-school when they are not teachers? I’m disgusted by the comments on here towards parents. I challenge anyone of you to work full time from home and homeschool 5,6,7,8,9,10,11,12 and 13 year old CHILDREN!
@Charles Coughlan: homeschooling is not a free teaching job
@#blacklivesmatter #ibelieveher #werepealedthe8th: you’ve a lot of kids, fair play, must be busy
@Fr Romeo sensini.: Absolutely no need for a weeks prep, unless you’ve just changed from an in-person mode of teaching to an online mode. It takes substantial work to change mode. I’m teaching at 3rd level and moving all my teaching to online. It’s pile of extra work but I’ll just have to get on and do it. It’s still an pile of extra work though.
@Bren: not confused at all. Kids go into class for 5 or 6 hrs get taught, get homework,but what happened in last lockdown the 5 6hrs turned into once a week work sent once a week 30min zoom call. So what did the teacher do with all the free time certainly was not doing lessons
@Rachel O’ Meara: kids also need a proper education delivered by trained professionals. If everyone behaved like teachers then no one would go to work. No nurses, no guards, no shop assistants they need to get on with it.
@Dan: Braindead comment Dan. Kids need a proper education delivered by trained professionals.
@john s: You are confused still. You can’t even count the hrs they are in school. I’m also not your kids teacher. Why you keep asking random people online what is happening in your own kids life? Try asking them or the actual teacher. It seems your kids might be actually smarter than you.
@Sharon Kelly: I do not know how you coped, that’s totally overwhelming.
Stick them on the covid payment. And don’t give me the bs about remote learning
@Michael Mclaughlin: remote learning is a real form of learning. Teachers still have to work so why should they be put on covid payments? They’re pillars of society, respect them!
@Michael Mclaughlin: good luck with that. Not happening.
@Michael Mclaughlin: u could have been a teacher if you wanted to. No need to be so sour
@Michael Mclaughlin: Bad experience with a teacher in the past?
@Michael Mclaughlin: what a lack of understanding comment, ignorance of the highest level
@The Guy is Here: that kind of idea is archaic. We as a nation lifted teachers guards and priests onto pedestals and it led to years of stagnation. Plenty of other more successful nations thrive and treat them as employees who are accountable and not so heavily protected as in this state
@Cormac Sheedy: that’s a ridiculous comment to make. Priest should not be held in high regard, but teachers especially should. For many the create a safe place for kids the only safe place some kids know, the nurture and some times even have to feed kids, they’re a huge aspect of child and adolescents raring all while educating young people to be able to participating in further education, society and the economy.
The Garda are a very important aspect of any society and they’ve a duty of care to the public they too should be respected.
Being a Garda and a teacher is a vocational life devoting move, it’s not exactly adhoc and arbitrary work. Nor is it easy.
@The Guy is Here: they should act like pillars so. How will remote learning work for 5 and 6 year olds?
@Donal Hogan: Same way it did for my 4 year old last year….but at a direct loss to my own work. I dont think the schools should close, the teachers (I am ready for my slating) will be just like the supermarket workers and have to continue working. Last lockdown my kids school were excellent and did actually educate the kids while off but I believe there were many who did not. That isnt why I want the schools open thou, kids need to go to school to socialise, routine etc. Even those who choose to homeschool have a social curriculum.
@The Guy is Here: money for oul rope
@James: nothin sour about it. Give the guards and nurses a 20% pay increase and take it off the teachers.
@Mick Hannigan: ignorance is what’s needed when dealing with them.
Please don’t close the schools! It will be a disaster for our kids
@Lucy Legacy: I’m shocked at the ‘close the schools’ sentiment. This has been incredibly difficult for our children to absorb this isolation from a normal social and educational environment. People who comment “parents should do their job and raise their kids” just don’t warrant a response. It’s quite saddening. We’ve given up so much to protect the few, but I think sacrificing the social and educational future of our children should be a red line and ultimate last resort.
@AA: Everyone has had a difficult time. The way people go on about schools as if a little time off is some kind of end of the world disaster is really over the top .. Schools are shut for nearly half a year every year, there are transition / gap years etc and any loss of time could easily be made up next year with some proper planning and less breaks .. why cant there be a shorter summer break next year for example. Parents who don’t think its their job to parent their own kids don’t warrant a response either.
@Da_Dell: how do LC students catch up next year?
@AA: Eh. We’re protecting a lot of us. 1/3 of the population are classified as at risk. Raise your kids. Or learn how to. This is not permanent. A few months inconvenience not a few years.
@Mary: Are they no longer able to read ?
@Da_Dell: sure why pay teachers if that’s the answer?
@Mary: you know what Mary I didnt even respond to this m#r#n because he is obviously not the fizziest can in the fridge. I wouldnt waste any more of your time asking him questions.
@Mary: They paid for doing nothing for nearly half a year anyways. If you haven’t realised there is a Pandemic, its exceptional circumstances, its not forever. So Students never do noting on their own nowdays eh !! Do they every study themselves ? Im sure they all used the free time wisely and studied hard. And btw Mary I got 3 degrees from the Open University while working full time and all was virtual and online, there are means and ways to things if there is a will. But the Celtic Tiger generations and what followed are all so used to being spoon fed and their hand held into early adulthood that their Parents expect everyone else to do their parenting, teaching and everything else.
@Sally: You prove a great point about this country these days,everyone that disagrees with you is a m#r#n .. well this m#r#n has never taken a cent in social welfare from the state, paid his own way through college, and never has been out of work for over 20 years and is emigrating on Friday and all you new woke Irish are welcome to you own self importance and to what follows next year when you are paying for this mess.
@Da_Dell: “…the Celtic Tiger generations and what followed are all so used to being spoon fed and their hand held into early adulthood that their Parents expect everyone else to do their parenting, teaching and everything else.”
Nail on the head Dell. Problem is nobody wants to take responsibility for anything.
@AA: I totally agree with you until you said we have given up so much to protect the few. What ppl do not seem to get is that if the hospitals fill up we are all at risk. If you have a car accident, heart attack, stroke, cancer etc., you wont get a bed nor will your child etc. It isnt to protect the few, in a few days it goes from a few vulnerable to everyone is vulnerable. I do believe schools should remain open as long as possible as kids need that routine, structure, socialising and of course education. Covering the curriculum at home can be done, but it isnt all that school brings.
@Sarah Cullen: So everyone and everything else should be locked up to allow schools to remain open ? Is that not also, the we doing something to allow the few ?
Is it safe for other places of work to open under the same conditions? No? Ok that’s that sorted then.
@Graham Manning: I agree. Let’s close the hospitals too
@Mickety Dee: Schools and hospitals aren’t comparable. People would die if hospitals closed.
@Mickety Dee: well that’s a dim comparison. Congrats.
@Graham Manning: he’s using the logic of the OP to point out his argument is flawed…he’s not actually proposing the hospitals close…if you can’t figure that out … Well.
@Canyon: he’s comparing apples to rhinos…if you can’t see that… well
@Graham Manning: are teachers on the essential workers list here? If they are and given that they are public servants then they must work surely, or face temp lay-off and PUP presumably.
@Graham Manning: I think there’s a basic misunderstanding as to the reason why NPHET are recommending a move to Level 5.
Yes it’s a move to try to control a deteriorating situation but it’s also primarily to ensure that the schools can stay open.
In NPHET’s view not moving to Level 5 now risks closing schools down the line and getting and keeping schools open has always been a top priority.
@GrumpyAulFella: if they’re essential frontline workers, why aren’t they given full PPE? Were teachers to assume when they chose their profession that they might be expected to put their life on the line for education? I’m firmly on the side of the teachers here. They have strong unions (even if the TUI always go too far imo), the unions should be more vocal about this.
@Biscuits Patinkin: not every front line worker wears full PPE. Give them face masks, visors, whatever. The unions have had months to consider all of this yet did nothing. How many teachers have contracted the virus from a classroom to date? Get on with the job. If they need full PPE then request it but why wasn’t this done months ago if that’s the case?
@GrumpyAulFella: if they’re essential workers should they not have the same protection as others???
@Stanley Marsh: agreed but the conditions in schools to keep them open aren’t present
@GrumpyAulFella: “the unions” had months but did nothing??? think you’re confusing them with the Dept. We asked, have been asking, are asking and will continue to do so. Every ounce of blame for this lies with the Minister, Dept, government and their predecessors not staff in schools.
@Graham Manning: thanks for your reply…we now know you don’t get it…
@Graham Manning: That’s a different issue which pertains regardless of what level we’re on.
Although I have to say my daughters Primary School don’t seem to be having any issues as long as everyone plays their part.
No they shouldn’t. Not even a week back at the start of September my childrens school sent out emails to all the parents saying there was a lice outbreak, lice don’t spread unless children are in close contact with each other, if the cant control a lice outbreak how are they ment to control a virus? It’s ridiculous to keep the schools open. Most of them have small overcrowded classrooms with poor ventilation, there’s going to be a lot of sick children in hospital for Christmas if they keep them open.
@Rachel O’ Meara: Do you work?
@Rory Moran: What sort of question is that??? I’d rather put my children’s health before money any day of the week even if it ment I didn’t have a pot to urinate in. What is wrong with you that you’d put money before sick children?
@Rachel O’ Meara: Do you think working parents should take unpaid leave for the rest of the school year to supervise their school-age children? Seriously how do you think that will play out?
@Rachel O’ Meara: quit the sensationalism. In the Real World we have to pay for the home, we have to go to work, pay for electricity, food etc. It is simply not possible for the majority of patents to stay at home monitoring remote teaching or to do home schooling. This is not the 1930s.
@Newto2016: I didn’t say that so please don’t put words in my mouth. If the country is on full lockdown wont most parents be at home anyway?
@Rachel O’ Meara: Many parents will still be working full time from home if there is a full lockdown or working outside the home as essential workers. They want to keep their jobs and pay their mortgage/rent/bills. So what is your solution if we close the schools? There needs to be some balance and life needs to go on before the economy is totally destroyed. If you want to homeschool your children, that is your prerogative but these calls to close the schools are completely disregarding reality.
@John Moylan: Sensationalism? What because I want to put childrens health first instead of money. You need to look at your own priorities there dude, you sound like someone from the Victorian era I’d bet if child labour were still a thing you’d be calling for children to go back to the work force, got to earn that all important shilling.
@Rachel O’ Meara: please shut up
@Newto2016: I think you’ll find most employers are sympathetic to parents with children at home and will give some concessions. Have you even discussed this with yours yet? Seems you’re just getting upset with the realisation of having to deal with your kids during the week day again
@Newto2016: I’m sorry you feel that way, you are in the minority, most parents just want their children to be safe and healthy. Perhaps talk to your employer we are after all in this together.
@Nikolina Fiume: Relax there Karen.
@Rachel O’ Meara: My kids are loving being back in school and it is great for their mental health.
@Rachel O’ Meara: I don‘t believe I am in the minority. And those of us who don’t want lockdown/schools closed also care about the health and safety of our children so please don‘t imply otherwise. No child under 14 has died of covid in Ireland and hospitalisation rates are extremely low. https://www.rte.ie/brainstorm/2020/1005/1169451-creches-childcare-schools-ireland-covid-19-rates/
@Rachel O’ Meara: please stop making out that people who want their kids in school to learn and for their mental health are equivalent to victorians and child labour. You obviously don’t work, which is great for you, but some of us HAVE to!
@Nikolina Fiume: Would you like the manager Karen?
@Rory Moran: what business of yours is it if someone else “works”? I assume your definition of “works” by the way is being an employee.
@Newto2016: the UK managed to keep schools open for the children of key workers and vulnerable children. The small number therefore in school were able to maintain safe distance etc. If parents are home working then I’m sure most can manage their working hours to allow for time to supervise online schooling where necessary. Get up at 5am if you need to get your work done and then work again once the children have finished school work or gone to bed. Easy? No. Possible? Yes.
@just me: “you obviously don’t work” – well that’s quite an assumption! The passive aggression is palpable.
@Sara Davis: do you have kids?
@Sara Davis: Lol she obviously is unemployed because she didn’t answer the question. Very easy for unemployed parents to say close the schools.
@Sara Davis: well she didn’t answer any question so no she doesn’t seem to work or have to work. It wasn’t meant to be passive aggressive but it was meant to highlight a point. I won’t apologise though-her hyperbole of sick children because people are our chasing money is ridiculous
Schools should absolutely remain open. Children need to be in school for their mental health, wellbeing and overall development.
Hospital and other key workers in our society need schools and creches to remain open.
@John: I’d imagine it isn’t great for any childs mental health to end up in hospital with covid, imagine not being able to see your family while lying on a hospital bed sick and alone. Health before wealth as the saying goes.
@Rachel O’ Meara: COVID 19 has very few health implications for children.
@John: Give me a credible link to the statistics on that, dont forget to include all children, those with underlying health conditions included.
@John: What about staff? Does mental health trump physical health?
@John: exactly, until it is proven that schools are causing the virus to spread (which the evidence so far is that they don’t cause such problems), then there is no need to close the schools. The children need their education, and the parents need to be able to work or look after young children.
@Rachel O’ Meara: ah here Rachel. How many children has that happened to?? None – that’s how many. You have a serious agenda here. I can only presume that you are a teacher that wants to get paid for not teaching children.
@Rachel O’ Meara: So dramatic and sensationalist
@Big Red: My thoughts exactly.
@Carke Ed: Depends, I suppose. Heart attack trumps anxiety. Acute suicidal intentions trump sprained ankle. I used to have a card game like this, except about tanks or warships or something.
@John: and the teachers wellbeing and mental health? Schools are not safe places at the moment.
@John: but teenagers? 17, 18 and 19 year olds?
I’m live in the north east region, and work throughout a couple of schools. There is 2 schools I go to and everyday I went there, there was 2/3 new cases of Covid in the school. There is no doubt that the reopening of schools a month ago has escalated our numbers drastically.
I’d be more keen on closing the schools for a period (set time frame so we can work towards something) and have remote teaching and online communications with students and keep the economy somewhat going.
@The Guy is Here: Seven cases in a boys school in Bishopstown in Cork yesterday. Cases are on the rise across schools but it isn’t being reported on. Remote learning all the way until it’s safe to return.
@Rachel O’ Meara: And what if it’s not safe to return for a year? Or two years? Do we bring 8-year olds back to senior infants?
The fact remains that when people do the simple things of protecting themselves (masks, hand-hygiene, isolating when they have symptoms) this virus does not tend to spread around.
@Rachel O’ Meara:
And what if it’s not safe to return for a year? Or two years? Do we bring 8-year olds back to senior infants?
The fact remains that when people do the simple things of protecting themselves (masks, hand-hygiene, isolating when they have symptoms) this virus does not tend to spread around.
@Rachel O’ Meara: it’s concerning. I also know that only the person next to the covid patient was sent home despite them mingling with god knows how many throughout lunches.
@The Guy is Here: It’s pretty concerning alright! Teachers cant keep them apart in the halls never mind lunch breaks. I feel sorry for the teachers, it’s an impossible job in some ways and that’s before adding covid into the mix. If the schools stay open it’s going to be a disastrous winter for staff and pupils alike.
If remote teaching was an option then they should close. It’s not rocket science.
@skibob: Ask Scarecrow Thomas Byrne TD who was made a baby minister by Mehole how to solve this problem. He has all the answers.
Kinda makes sense, in March we were told that children were vectors and now we have a massive U turn. How the rest of the country be locked down and allow up to 1k students and staff into a school where social distance is virtually impossible.
I’m not in favour of another full shut down of the country but if it has to happen, it has to be a full shut down.
Other EU countries manage:
To keep the countries open
To keep schools open
Implement balanced measures
Have leaving cert exams and classes open for those students
To create more icu and general beds & to hire more health staff
They refuse another lockdown as they recognise the societal & economic devastation it would cause
In Ireland none of this is possible & we are dictated by zero Covid fantasists, a carbon copy of U.K. policies and a total disconnect from reality by both media, government & NPHET and, most shockingly, by a small section of the population that blame other people or groups for this mess and demand more lockdowns oblivious to the unemployment, illness death and depression it will cause . Save Christmas ? Christmas will be deprivation & poverty if this goes ahead.
@Isabel Oliveira: utter nonsense
Teachers unions are one of the worst for holding the country to ransom
@Côte D’oherty: that’s dim.
I thought it was central to the theory behind a level 5 lockdown that it allows essential workers such as teachers to be able to continue to work relatively safely?
@Matthew Brown: when it changes nothing in schools how is that the case?
@Graham Manning: I’m not sure what you mean..I presume that if most adult workers are working from home and isolating themselves then the infection rates amongst school children should also go down and the risk to teachers should therefore be reduced also??
@Matthew Brown: so supermarket, chemists, food producers, delivery drivers , transport providers, they can all work from home?
@Matthew Brown: most wont be at home and it doesn’t change the fact that those in schools are, under these stages, having to take risks other don’t.
@Matthew Brown: In all levels except 5, it is the case but for level 5 and regarding schools the policy states “Recommendations based on situation and evidence at time”
@Isabel Oliveira: I think you’ll find that they are classified as essential workers. As teachers should be.
As long as the ensure remote teaching, full time, that’s fine.
Just bring the teachers in each classroom, alone, with computer and camera. Each kid @ home with laptop and camera. That difficult ?
@Proudly Italian: yes if the child is 4 or 5 years old. Grand for 16 or 17 year olds, but won’t work for primary school children.
@Proudly Italian: Easier in a way, instead of getting little Mary to stay quiet, I can just mute her mike.
@Big Red: well then why not close secondary schools and keep primary open
Seems crazy that schools would be allowed to remain open. Maybe at Level 4 but at Level 5 everything bar grocery stores/pharmacies should be closed but I don’t think we are there yet. The jump to Level 5 is excessive and NPHET risks losing the dressing room on this one.
All third level institutions should be closed already as remote learning is up and running
Retail staff have had to work all the way through the pandemic as have lots of others, so schools should stay open why are teachers being treated any different to the rest, hospitals aren’t closing so neither should schools anyway the country cannot afford another full lock down, we need to just get on with life this is going to be around for a while.
@Melanie Doyle: Retail workers are not sitting with the same 30 odd children from 9-3, who don’t wear masks. I understand you have a bias against teachers, but don’t use children as an ideological weapon against school staff who have legitimate concerns. They are not the enemy, the virus is.
In reality f the country goes to level 5, teachers are a lot less likely to catch covid then they are under level 2 or 3. The country will be on complete lockdown, no shops, no hairdressers, no pubs or restaurants, no sport, no social gatherings, etc. So students are less likely to catch the virus as their parents, their siblings and the students sib social interactions are lowered massively, which we know is what is spreading the virus.
Schools, pharmacies, supermarkets, food processing and logistics companies need to stay open.
We will have hundreds of thousands out of work not because they want to be out of work due to safety concerns but because the government is forcing them not to work.
Those people face hardships, teachers need to play their part.
Schools are the epicentre of spread at the moment, it makes no sense to shut down everything else while the virus continues to run rampant through our overcrowded classrooms.
@Rochelle: no their not were are you getting facts there has been a few cases notified in schools but all have been contracted outside school environment, if it was spreading in schools they wouldn’t be open give over with dramatics kids need normality
@Rochelle: rubbish. That is not true. There have been one or two isolated incidents. That can’t stop the education of a million children
How are people supposed to work ? I am self employed, if there’s 5 children here I can’t work , I have to mind them .
@Mia Morrissey: Eh you’re gonna be at home too under level 5. Shouldn’t of had 5 kids if you can’t handle looking after them
@Bren: I work from home as a Psychotherpist . I pay for after school in the school which will be gone if schools close . I’m concerned about net being able to work my kids are v well minded thanks for worrying about them
@Bren: yes back to the kitchen for all us working mothers ,who do we think we are ?
@Bren: Maybe he’s an essential worker? Plenty of essential workers don’t get paid if they’re hiding in the long grass!
Maybe the schools should also operate under levels.. Primary school locked down.. Secondary school only open for 3rd years and above with exams in mind…
@Seymour business: I only said this to my husband this morning,I have 3 in primary and 2 in secondary they are both due for exams in June and lost so much time last year. Our remote learning with the primary teachers was excellent but the secondary school relied on email systems only-no video calls etc so for exam years to miss out again would be catastrophic in my opinion.
@Elaine Quinn-Burke: this was complete disaster for this year’s students all the promises of laptops etc never actually happened so if they didn’t have one it was tough an odd email was all they got and we know the exams were biggest flop so agree they can’t go through it again
Thank god the nurses don’t behave like this.
@Paul Murphy: Nurses have PPE and patients wear masks. In primary schools children are not mandated to wear masks. The comparison is both unsound and exposes your bias
Grand, if the Teachers don’t want to work, then put them on the PUP. We can’t afford to pay them a full salary not to teach our children, thereby shifting that burden onto working parents. You can teach Primary School children over Zoom, and any suggestion otherwise is nonsense
@Big Red: *can’t teach primary school children over zoom.
The whole point of a union is to look after the welfare of their members. I don’t think schools should close but teachers who are at high risk from the virus or who have vulnerable family members should be facilitated. Social distancing is practically impossible in schools and many students don’t use masks correctly anyway so teachers with additional risk factors should be able to get some support.
@Adam Conroy: during the summer it emerged that circa 70% of teachers claimed they or a close contact had an underlying condition!!! Madness!
@Jessy: obesity, diabetes, asthma etc are all quite common. But proof of conditions should be required.
Sam Mc Conkey, infectious disease expert has now stated the under 15 age group are 1.not an at risk group or 2. A risk.
@O’connor Joanne: Sam mcconkey should be taken out of the media with his wild fantasies of zero Covid.
@Isabel Oliveira: It’s not a wild fantasy. Zero Covid means zero community transmission. When you get to that you can open up quickly and almost completely. Gets rid of yo-yo-ing between levels and only half opening the economy.
@O’connor Joanne: I’m afraid my opinion of Sam McConkey has dropped after his performance on Pat Kenny this morning.
A lot of ineffective solutions to problems which dance around the main issues.
Solutions like a phone scrappage scheme for teenagers so that they can all run the Covid app – I don’t know about anyone else but I don’t know any teenager who doesn’t have a mid to top range smartphone.
@O’connor Joanne: that fella said a lot of things that turned out to be rubbish.
They had since mid march to devise online learning capabilities. This could have included recording classes that students could access online. The use of zoom, teams or Google classrooms is possible. Short sighted by the DoE.
Typical that the teaching union want schools to close again. There is no reason why teachers can’t maintain a 2m distance from their students. If other countries are able to keep their schools open we should be able to too.
As a teacher I know just how much of a petri dish of disease kids are and they spread everything around so quickly. I’ll never forget teaching a class where the previous week 2 students had a cold but one week later 10-12 students got the cold, and the parents kept sending them in even with that. I was surprised that schools should remain open even under level 5. Even the most relaxed of countries with their lockdowns would know this is a questionable choice.
What a lot of the comments above are missing is that school is NOT just about the academics for kids-particularly at primary level. Its the playing, mixing, leaning to share, dealing with spats in the playground, socialisation skills and having fun with friends that’s so important for them. My 2 kids have been on a high since they went back to school-the stories about creating games in the playground, getting good comments from teacher etc While I work from home, I will of course to my best to home school them if schools close but it is the impact on their mental well being and on those items listed above that worries me.
Next teachers will be querying if hospitals should remain open.
I would absolutely hate for the schools to be shut down again. Only last year I found the light after a 10+ battle with depression (including a suicide attempt years ag), I don’t think I’d be mentally able for another lockdown. Also what about all those thousands of children that have additional needs that need the help of trained professionals? I know a few kids with ADHD, Autism, etc, my own child has dyspraxia (diagnosed December2019). Changes to their routines can cause massive issues within a family. My son is only now, just about getting used to being back in school again. I’m not a trained professional and I’m a single parent who is also trying to upskill with courses. Trying to get my son to do any school work during the lockdown was a nightmare. We both can’t go through it again.
Why does there seem to be no discussion of moving to a combined system where children are timetabled for some time in school and some time studying at home? This would make safe distancing more viable in schools as only half the children might be there at anyone time. The classes in school could be live streamed for those at home.
Teachers are frontline workers if they refuse to work put them on the covid payment or better still don’t pay them at all.
We are on a race to the bottom , if this goverment had given the guards the proper powers to deal with the restrictions we have now in place they would have worked but as ever they were afraid to offend the minority .
This country is f—– if we lock down business again the goverment and the guards should get their fingers out and start handing out fines to people breaking the laws but instead they will continue to catch the person doing doing 55 in a 50 and fine them .
@Michael Mcloughlin: none of the restrictions are law. It’s very difficult to constitutionally lock down the nation as people have rights under the constitution and they can’t just be waved away even in a pandemic.
@Adam Conroy: People may have rights but they also have a responsibility that comes with them. Too many people out there are not taking responsibility for their actions and should be punished. Fines, jail time, assisting those actually affected with covid, whatever works to get them to take this seriously.
Wouldn’t make sense to close it all but send children home with the virus
If children are at home a parent will have to stay at home with them. That leaves us on the frontline short of staff.
Jesus teachers are so prescious
Valid question but teachers need to teach when remote and run virtual classes with their students.
Won’t somebody please think of the children!!
Put teachers on the essential workers list….
All the negative comments on here about parents are either not parents themselves or not actually working also known as (scraping dolers)
Have you tried working a fulltime job from home when your kids are also expecting a full days teaching? Its impossible.
Teachers looking for even more holidays
Online now!
I thought nphet said level 5 to allow the schools to stay open? They did not factor in the teaching unions, but they never think of anything else, do they.
Omg I wonder is the new world going to be no schools, no teacher ,every thing done on tablet and corrected.who knows strange times…
@Ann Morris Doolan: it’s up to us too make sure this is not the new world. We will accept that we need to do something, but not forever, and must be backed up by reasoning.
have your say