Ireland

[peakygal]

I know there has been a lot of posts about returning to school already but I'm not sure if any were based on Irish schools. Here in Ireland our cases are creeping back up..I was listening to news earlier and they said the cases being diagnosed are in young people. They said that kids can be carriers and also pass it to more vulnerable people but schools will still be opening at the end of the month. I really don't understand it as surely there is children living with someone classed as vulnerable or what about those who don't realise they have an underlying condition? I am really considering refusing to send my DC back. Is there anyone else thinking the same?

Anyone??

Cases are still very low, and it's important children get back to school.

Most cases are in young people mixing in larger groups - late teens and twenties. Also in workers in factories/meat plants/farms etc. Few cases are in school age children, as far as I can see.

Do you think all children should stay at home until the virus is eradicated? Families with particularly vulnerable members will have to make their own decisions (hopefully backed up by individual schools), but the whole of society can't stop indefinitely.

Im eager to get the Dc back to school and back into routine as my youngest has ASD but you can't help be concerned. Like you said though somwhere along the line we will have to try get some normality back because I think this is going to be around for a long time

I'm in Ireland too and currently awaiting the result of a covid test. We're looking into homeschooling simply because there was a school function last week and a questionnaire was sent out beforehand asking if people had a persistent cough, or temp etc etc. From Sept on in school it doesn't make sense that at a time when half the kids go around snotty or coughing we can say with definity that there's no covid in the school. And yes, most cases in Ireland now are under 40. As I said we're looking into it, and will have everything ready to go in case numbers are extremely low, but I dont know ...

@stayathomer I have just about everything ready on the off chance they are going back but personally I think its a little too soon. I know Ireland has a fairly low number but its back on the rise again.

Do you have someone vulnerable at home? We don't so I am planning to send mine back. I trust my dc's school to be very organised and vigilant though. If you homeschool because of vulnerable child or family member I am sure it will be facilitated and supported. If you pull them out to homeschool formally, will you lose their places though? Wish there was more info available!

@jenjenn My middle DD is asthmatic and I worry incase she caught it would her lungs be strong enough to fight it. My parents are both vulnerable, DM has lung disease and DF is diabetic. Whilst we don't live with them we will have to completely avoid them all over again. Its a tough one. We definitely do need more information and I really believe they didn't give us enough time to prepare with so little information. As I said I want to get them back to school and I have been lucky in that they have had barely any issues with homeschooling due to all of this but they do need normality. I just get the feeling its gonna be a mistake opening schools this soon

But if the schools don’t open in September, when would be suitable? Closer to winter and all the bugs that brings??? Perhaps when our 2nd level and college students are back in a routine they’ll have less time to be gadding about (and those parties and get together CANT have been without effect) and we might get a handle on our numbers again. I’m a primary teacher and want to get back to real school. Distance learning was very unsatisfactory even though I put in far more hours than a normal school day. I’m really hoping that sanitizing and other precautions will help us cope with it. I’m not looking forward to what our new school day will look like without any of the fun things I loved doing with the children but I’m really looking forward to being back with our children and colleagues. It’s a worrying time but I really don’t see how postponing it will make things better. I really feel for parents with children in the risk category though.