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SOME SAY THE news is the first draft of history. Others might think of it as watching pub quiz questions unfold in real-time.
No matter what your sphere of interest, it’s been quite a hectic week of news. Now it’s time to take a deep breath, decompress, and relive it all by subjecting yourself to a quiz about it.
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So if you’re paying for your house construction of it must stop but if you’re getting a house and not paying for it construction can continue. Seems like a fair and rational decision, sure people with money don’t need a house!
@DK: Also, big pharma and IT, they need to tighten their purse strings in a pandemic so their construction absolutely must continue, heaven forbid, quite.
Schools set to stay closed. Are they going to be teaching ? Are they going to make up the near 20 days of teaching ? Are they going to get full pay while all other sectors have to survive on the PUP.
@john s: Yes John, teachers will be working remotely.
@john s: Why do you care if they are paid or not ? More important things to worried about
@john s: so you think teachers do nothing in the lockdown, my questions beck to you is are they going to be paid for working 7 days a week and working from early morning to 11 at night,? That’s what my daughter did on the last closer and is dreading to next month, cop on to yourself, they work day and night trying to deal with the students and keep their education going,
@john s: It’s amazing that with all the worry over so many issues, you deliberately came on here to complain about that. And yes, they have to work remotely for the record.
@Pádraig Gaffney: I Dont think so. My kid’s school sent an email to say it is an extended winter break. I was hoping they will be teaching online. I do not have an extended winter break from work. The kids have to be engaged. Gosh!
@Mick Hannigan: they will be working
@Mick Hannigan:
@Mick Hannigan: so you think its ok to pay people full wages for doing no work. Schools are closed for an extended break. Is your employer going to give you an extra months holidays this year
@Mick Hannigan:
@john s: most people that will be working outside of the emergency services, and many within it, during a full lockdown will be getting less than the PUP.
@john s: seems you have an issue with the PUP and social welfare in general.
@john s: Yes, Yes and Yes (after all, they will be working full time).
@john s: Generally in society the idea is that you create and maintain healthy employment in order for society to evolve and grow, I don’t understand why in Ireland we would prefer to race to the bottom, so bizarre, like you’re obviously not going to be happy until everyones as miserable as you are, as opposed to aspiring for better and aiming to achieve it. pay teachers more, pay all public sector workers more, have services to be proud of, show the way for other nations and not this ‘we can make it worse’ hangover from subservience.
@john s: why do you care about this so much ? Teachers will still be working.
@john s: COVID-19 Pandemic Unemployment Payment (PUP) is a social welfare payment for employees and self-employed people who have lost all their employment due to the COVID-19 public health emergency.
Just to make sure you know that the U in PUP stands for Unemployment. Teachers will still be employed and working from home.
@Pádraig Gaffney: wish they just close, the utter pressure on HCW to go to work , and then contend with homeschooling , actually any parent to contend with schooling and work .. including teachers before I get slated .
@john s: do you get a some sort of kick out of teacher bashing? If it makes you feel good about yourself and like a bigger manly man then by all means continue, but I know of several teachers who would happily take PUP if it meant they didn’t have to teach online. And before you jump to all manner of conclusions, no, I’m not a teacher.
@Mick Hannigan: your daughter may have worked day and night but I can guarantee you my sons sixth class teacher has done SFA and there is no rhyme non reason to the way she operates. It seems to be down to the individual themselves, if there are motivated they work, if they’re not they don’t. My sisters seven-year-old in the UK was doing online classes on Monday morning. Like everything in life there is organised people and disorganised people the differences in Ireland the disorganised teachers get away with it and they get paid the same as the organised hard-working teachers!
@Emmet Ryan: same in every profession emmet.
@Emmet Ryan: what training did both teachers get? I know we were told on Thursday the 12th we were going online until after the Easter holidays. It was left to us to sort things out. No training or guidance from the dept of Education. Since return to school in September there was still no training for teachers. It is in fact the government and Department of Education that has failed your Daughter. Also what age is your daughters teacher. Are they proficient in the world of IT and online learning. There are a lot of factors at play here. And The Irish Constitution states that parents have primary responsibility for educating their child!
@Pádraig Gaffney: where does it say that. Nowhere has that been said yet. Have the teachers been Informed of that or is it an assumption. So from 11th. All online. Assume our schools will Inform us
@Emmet Ryan: in almost every working environment you’ll get hard workers and dossers which will be the same for teachers. I work in Youthreach and was due back tomorrow but have been have been busy since Monday emailing and ringing my students keeping them updated on what is happening, of course the teacher bashers on here won’t like to hear that. From chatting to my colleagues we all 100% would prefer not to work from home. The practicality of working from home and teaching online is very difficult, none of my students have access to laptops or pc’s and having just moved house from a town to the countryside before Christmas reliable broadband is now an issue for me. But still next week I’ll be set up as best I can to teach
@Ger Power: my students have no access to laptops or PC’s
@Mick Hannigan: Does the union know she was working such long hours or was she getting overtime on top of her high wages.
@Mick Hannigan: so some secondary school will open but no national schools will and they are being given extended Xmas holidays and won’t be teaching . So again public sector gravy train keeps going.
@john s: nonsense once again John! God you really have it in for them! They will be teaching remotely as best they can.
@john s: You must really had a bad time in school to hate teachers.
@Mick Hannigan: There’s doesn’t seem to be any standards or consistency or even minimum effort required, last year my little ones home schooling consisted of one 30 minute zoom call which the entire primary school attended just to hear the principal read out who’s birthday it was that week and updates on when they think they’ll be open to return to school and told to check the website for updated work for your class, the link for the updates work was constantly returning an error for months, when brought to the attention of the school we were told that the web design consultant they used is not answering his phone so there’s nothing they can do, so we ended up creating a timetable ourselves and muddling along as best we could and guessing what was to be included on the syllabus for 3rd class
It’s the only way to tackle this pandemic. Schools must close to prevent the movement of people.
The real issue is why didn’t they prepare for this? They knew the numbers were going through the roof. Norma Foley has failed miserably here. Not at all proactive and no imaginative thinking.
@2thFairy: the public health advice on schools only changed yesterday. The government get slated for straying from public health advice and now get slated for following it until it changed.
@NotMyIreland: a reactive government is useless. We need a proactive one.
@2thFairy: they have jumped the gun before and suffered in public opinion for it, so I completely understand following the advice this time. Schools didn’t open, no one was put at risk, and like every business in all other sectors, schools should now have their plan B ready to roll out. What’s the problem?
@NotMyIreland: plan B doesn’t exist. That’s the problem. Plan B should be ready to roll out. They have had 9 months to prep for this eventuality but they have nothing.
@2thFairy: surely that falls on individual school management. I know my kids school is all set up for this. Online portals and logins all handed out in September as a precaution. So if some schools can be ready for a couple of weeks online learning, all should be. The same way when retail closes those with poor management close up completely as they haven’t organised for a click and collect service, when those with decent management keep going any way they can.
@NotMyIreland: in order for all children to be considered it has to be standardised. Your children’s school may be conscientious but unfortunately not all are. Like every profession there are lazy principals and teachers out there.
@2thFairy: Yeah thats a fair point. I I wouldn’t know if what my school did was directed by the department or a solo run. I would have assumed schools would have received some communication in relation to online learning since last March. But, it also wouldn’t surprise me if they hadn’t I suppose. Do you teach?
@NotMyIreland: no I don’t teach but I work in education. I’m bitterly disappointed at the the way school children and school staff have been treated. It could have been the DES finest hour but instead they have been lazy and done absolutely nothing to prepare for what was obviously coming down the tracks.
The mantra of “keep schools open at all costs” was foolish, lazy and irresponsible.
@2thFairy: I agree that if that is the case and schools have received no guidance for online learning that its complete mismanagement. I just assumed that even in September when everyone was talking about the second wave and how bad it might be that online learning would have been lined up as a back up
@NotMyIreland: Theres no Plan B anywhere. No plan B for the Health Service which is why we now are having serious problems. Even though we suffer the same inadequacies every year even prior to covid. No Plan B for the economy. No way to try and help this sector open up safely and try and keep businesses going. No Plan B for schools even though it was obvious if cases rose they would have to close. The only plan was a vaccine. Now we don’t have enough doses or staff to administer it if ever arrives. The only thing this bloody government has more then plenty of is excuses.
@2thFairy: With a pandemic the only move to make unless you are an island country with no near neighbours is reactive.
When is the big announcement for all the measure that were leaked on Monday?? We can all still pretend we don’t know yet!
@Jonnie Marre: There was a leak? I don’t believe it! From this government? Really? I’m shocked!
So why 2 days ago did Norma Foley say there is no reason why the schools shouldn’t open?
@biggybald: who’s Norma Foley..???
@2thFairy: The short haired wan that keeps saying public health advice will drive any decisions about school closures but then decides anyway to give the opposite advice before the announcements.
Will the teachers be put on the PUP the same as the building workers? They should be made take their 6 months holidays as part of the shutdown or go on the PUP. Give them a choice. I’d say they would be glad to go to work and forget about the two previous options. That would be interesting to see how “concerned” they are about the students. The unions would go into overdrive. The gov. should stand up to their constant moaning! Their remote teaching should be monitored if they are getting full pay.
@Jim Connolly: Clickbait but I’ll bite. No we are not getting PUP because we are still working and have not been made unemployed like construction workers. For the record I would gladly go back to school than do online teaching because it is much harder and longer hours. Finally, there are hundreds of thousands of people now working from home, not getting PUP, and no one expects them to be ‘Monitored’.
@Jim Connolly: where do you get 6 months from? July, August (some of June for most) and maybe 4 more weeks. What am I missing?
@Jim Connolly: I think you mean 3 months for the 1st lockdown and so far 3 days for this one (although most likely another month at least).
The only thing that could have avoided this is public behaviour, teacher bashing has no place here unless it’s about the level on on line instruction children get.
Unfortunately on line instruction is not standardised and some teachers were allowed to just ignore their students. This should have been addressed in the last 9 months.
@Marcus Eugene: You cannot be made unemployed no matter how bad you are at the job. As a matter of fact remote non public sector workers are monitored because they have to log in and log out even for a tea break. Your union would go bonkers if they new you were working such long hours at home. Just do the normal 16 hours a week and draw your full wages and look forward to a hefty lump sum and pension in 30 years.
@Jim Connolly: total nonsense from start to finish Jim, fair play to ya!
@Jim Connolly: making a bit of a fool of yourself now to be honest Jim….16 hrs a week?! Leave the resentment go man…..there are enough things to be carrying at the moment besides that I’m sure!
@Jim Connolly: How is it longer hours online, out of interest? Just thinking what with not having to commute/put on trousers/etc that should save time. Genuine question, as working from home has saved me tonnes of time, so I’m not understanding… Can defnitely understand how it could be harder though.
@Noel Kelly: The above comment was for Marcus, but the Journal’s terrible comment system strikes again and couldn’t reply to his comment for some reason.
@Noel Kelly: teaching and learning online is not the same as face to face teaching and learning. You have to prepare lessons in such a way that they are more visual and easier to interpret for students. That takes extra time, plus your dealing with students individually rather than in a group setting, for queries, assessment, etc. I have 150 students so it takes longer for sure.
@Jim Connolly: Why not sack them al;l till the pandemic is over instead, save the hassle.
@Gary Kearney: think he wants them all burned at the stake too Gary! Crazy stuff!
How can teachers with young children return to the classroom to teach leaving cert students? Do they bring their kids along and sit them in the corner?
@Tony Byrne: they can avail of childcare, surely?
@EvieXVI: not considered front line workers for childcare as far as I’m aware, unless that has changed today. Guess the can leave them with their grandparents.
@Tony Byrne: yes they are. Check the list of essential workers that have priority for childcare, teachers are included
As a LC student this is a pure joke. Not once have the students been asked on how they feel about the exams. Not once. This whole approach of keep the LC exams on no matter what is ridiculous. We’ve missed more class time than the last 6th years. So why should we sit exams? The government seems to be all for the mental health of students but then they plan on letting the exams go ahead? That’s not even mentioning the fact that we have to go into school and risk bringing COVID back into our homes and potentially killing our families.
@Beer Belly 0476: try and be a bit proactive so and study and work hard at home.
As with students loads of people have not been consulted by the government. With building sites, click and collect and other places closing up countless people are now facing into the reality of not being able to pay their bills and support their family. I have been down that road before after the economic crash of 2008 and i can assure it is a very dark and lonely place. Having to study at home isn’t as bad as you may think.
@Beer Belly 0476: none of us have been asked how we feel – whether about our business being closed down, having to work remotely, not being able to send our children to school, not being able to visit loved ones in hospital. Asking everyone affected for their opinion isn’t really an option.
@Beer Belly 0476: You’re a leaving cert student & you call yourself Beer Belly??
@Beer Belly 0476: Try living on the PUP with a mortgage to pay and kids to rear. I’m not trying to sound uncaring but count yourself lucky that your biggest worry is studying.
@Hotirish: bit rich from someone called hot irish
Working from home is so much fun as the kids bounce off the walls. Surely if the parents are being responsible the kids should be able to go to school and keep some form of normality in their lives. Is there any chance we can add these weeks onto June.
@Carlin Ite: No because, its not a babysitting service and teachers have to work from home suffering their own kids too.
@Marcus Eugene: teachers are essential workers, childcare is prioritised for them, in theory anyway!
@Carlin Ite: If the parents are responsible, they can manage their own children at home. I think people have forgotten how to look after their own children after pawning them off on school and creche for so long. Schools are infection incubators, the longer they stay closed, the better.
@Carlin Ite: Are you serious? Are you talking about 100 yrs ago? Happy to WfH and balance life with the kids, but they need proper teaching too. Not home schooling. Just send the teacher on empty classes, with a laptop, and arrange a normal lesson via zoom. It’s not rocket science.
@Carlin Ite: Thats it exactly, people are NOT being responsible and we all suffer because of it
So if an outbreak in a school caused leaving cert students to catch covid. Would the government/schools be liable?.
I was listening to Josepha Madigan’s interview with Philip Boucger-Hayes last Monday. According to Josepha, schools are not being closed, they are just getting their current holiday period extended.
@Jack Cass: Or in other words, they are closed. Do you know many schools that stay open with no students?
@Jack Cass: I know they are closed, you know they are closed, in fact most people know they are closed and are going to remain closed for a period. But our Government, instead of clarifying what we all know spin it that schools are not in fact closed, they are getting an extended holiday.
@Phil Redmond: I know they are closed, you know they are closed, in fact most people know they are closed and are going to remain closed for a period. But our Government, instead of clarifying what we all know spin it that schools are not in fact closed, they are getting an extended holiday.
@Phil Redmond: “extended holidays” means no remote teaching has to be done until January 11th. Teachers are off the hook regards work until Monday.
@Jack Cass: so they are closed then
That’s right… the virus doesn’t like spreading via leaving very students for some reason ? No wonder we can’t get numbers down with this half arsed approach.
If builders are from the local area and work outdoors and wear masks is it not low risk? They don’t work shoulder to shoulder like office staff or teachers.
We should focus on where the most lethal outbreaks were- care homes, especially private for profit ones.
Some employers are being flagrantly risky.
@SC: if you give people a way around these restrictions, everyone will live just round the corner from the site they are working from.
@SC: A massive building project near me. Majority of cars/vans from Northern Ireland.
Some are claiming that click and collect is being stopped, this is where u go online do your shopping, u go to the store and u collect your groceries outside, if true why are they stopping it. Is it not promoting it they should be not stopping it
@Declan Sweeney: they need people to stay at home. You can have your shopping delivered but that’s all.
@Declan Sweeney: only for non essential retail. I would guess the likes of Tesco will keep their click and collect service. Surely they do not have enough delivery trucks to meet demand.
@Declan Sweeney: what difference does it make? It I collect on my own, using my own transport, what difference does it make? Business must be supported at all costs, or last recession will look like a joke…..
Seems all half ar€ed again. Shut it right or don’t shut it at all.
What does this mean for one off houses. Especially those that are nearly ready to be moved in.
So we have yet another half assed decision from this inept government. All pupils should be taught remotely for the time being. 6th years are just as prone to catching and passing on this virus as every other year in the school. School transport will now have to continue, with some kids getting public transport, more parents out and about doing drop offs and collections. It’s insane but not unexpected unfortunately.
@Declan Doherty: totally inept Gov and Norma
@Declan Doherty: At least they are trying to support leaving cert students in potentially the most important few months of their young lives.
This is like watching a long episode of the Muppet Show, seriously !!!
What time is the announcement?
@Roonec25: Last week!!
So, LC students can come in 3 days a week. Let us suppose that come in on Mon, Wed and Fri and the others on Tue, Thur and Fri. And also suppose subject X is taught on Tue, Wed and Thur. What is Teacher X meant to do? This is a complete nightmare.
Foe Leo to celebrate that we might be able to increase vaccinations by 10,000 misses the point that rate is far too slow. The current rate of about 70,000 means it will take six years to vaccinate everyone!
@Sara Davis: yeah 10,000 is not what we need. If pizer doing 40k a week and we have 800k ordered then surely 20k or do is more realistic. Seem to be constantly aiming low on this
@Sara Davis: Exactly. Blowing about how well have 200000 vaccinated by the end of Feb, that’s less than 4% of the population
Ah never mind Leo just said we have loads of staff in the hospitals to look after us. I really don’t know what planet they live on and again it’s not a proper lockdown. Exceptions are been made here and there. As far as I’m concerned shut everything down for at least a month. That means no construction sites open and no schools open . This crack of sending leaving students to schools 3 days a week is a joke. Surely at this stage lives come first and not houses or education.
Great. No point in nephet & goverment whinging and whining about cases going up and not doing anything about it.
Time for a curfew. Tackle this pandemic head on
@Ed: Interested in what you think a curfew will actually do for this when almost everything is already closed (even essential shops like supermarkets are closed by 10pm)…
Whilst given the situation I completely agree however, What does this mean for one off houses…. Are we to be shut down again???
So what is happening with junior cert?stressing out my son
91% of people in nursing homes vaccinated in NI I wonder how long will it take before we have that percentage vaccinated , NI and England will be open and we’ll still be talking about the vaccine I have no faith in our Health minister getting this done.
This is ridiculous. Do they realize what does mean for a parent who works from home, to have to homeschool and look after kids as well?
Too easy to send teachers in their own class, empty, and arange lessons via zoom for everyone ? Seriously ?
@Proudly Italian: and who looks after the teachers’ kids while they’re in their empty class?!
@Proudly Italian: so what do you suggest? A lockdown but keep millions of people on the move by opening schools…????
@2thFairy: YES. You need to minimize the risk, not keep a whole lockdown, for the sake of ‘everyone get its share’. If Activities can continue safetly, they need to. Can’t just stop schools because teachers crying is not safe, yet not allowing them to do their job in another possible way. The way home schooling is managed is ridicuolous. When I asked the above to the principal’s of my kid’s shool, I’ve been told: “won’t be fair for those who can;t afford broadband at home. Even if it’s only one”. This is ridiculous. 30 eur/month a decent broadband
@Proudly Italian: “teachers crying it’s not safe”?! Are you serious?! Maybe you haven’t been following what’s going on at the moment?!
The Covid knows if your working on social housing or not. The Covid is so Woke.
No update on junior cert students. School didn’t cater to needs first lockdown. Forgotten children
Hope that Turkey was worth it folks
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