Coronavirus ROI/NI number 4

[eggandonion]

I don't believe it, would it ever go away!

I just cant believe all this again. Home schooling tomorrow. U turn on the special needs school was a new low for us. There will be ructions here for the next god knows how long. 3 kids wanting some peace to concentrate and SN causing mayhem.

Even schools knew we would be locked down again and sent everything home at xmas. They arent even a vaccine priority. Oh yeh children's schooling so important bloody prove it then you gobshites.

And so sorry for others with job losses and businesses. Above is just my stress it effects everyone in such an awful way.

What a shit show the Govt are. Bloody Foley one and I though McHugh was useless

I can’t get over how in Ireland there’s no school places for students of key workers and dc with sn. A few of my family and friends work in hospitals and this is a real problem for them for day shifts and night shifts as now they aren’t able to sleep during the day or they can’t go to work at a time when the hospitals really needs staff!!
I have heard there might be places in crèches for small children of key workers , none where I am though and in any case this doesn’t solve anything for the hundreds and thousands of school aged children of key workers.
I’m on a group online for special education teachers and assistants as I used to be a teacher and I was so taken aback by the tone etc when there was the announcement to open schools for students with sn ( of course they had reasons to be concerned) , comments like “ no way am I going in just to give respite to parents at home all day etc..” and now they are enthusiastically sharing online resources, surely a lot of students with sn would find it really difficult and in some cases impossible to engage with online learning at all? It’s all so disingenuous tbh...

I can’t get over how in Ireland there’s no school places for students of key workers and dc with sn.

It’s a total disgrace.

I’m more than happy to homeschool btw and two of my dcs are actually getting on better, way more exercise and fresh air , they are excelling at home. But the fact is a lot of parents will be working full time and should not be expected to homeschool and add huge stress on top of everything else. I can imagine some parents of children with sn could be even more stressed by attempts to homeschool or force online learning but I could be wrong.
The fact is the homeschooling allocated by schools needs supervision and someone helping the dcs especially under the age of 11. Also in the Uk the dcs went back in June last year also for a month which I think helped massively.
My dh and I have been thinking of taking a year off traveling with the dcs but always thought it would be really bad to take them out of primary school, we won’t be hesitating now in light of all this!

And the fact is what I’m seeing around me are loads of unregistered childminders with lots of kids from different households. Btw I don’t blame anyone in this situation but obviously that’s hardly safe considering what’s going on now..

And the fact is what I’m seeing around me are loads of unregistered childminders with lots of kids from different households

We’re using unregistered childcare. Though it’s just DS involved.

The alternative is leaving him in front of a screen for our working hours and I’m not doing that to a six year old again. Sorry.

My dh and I have been thinking of taking a year off traveling with the dcs but always thought it would be really bad to take them out of primary school, we won’t be hesitating now in light of all this!

I agree that there will be a totally different attitude to this kind of thing when CV is over. We won’t be hesitating to take the kids out of class for a week long holiday.

Thanks you 2 for understanding. We have indeed been insulted with the option of online learning for our SN kids. Impossible, just lip service. Joe Duffy had parents on the air on 8th and its heartbreaking to listen too. Some creches are open for families who are key workers/essential but not all. Ours is and there is talk of them helping me out with my SN child which I appreciate it hugely. And yes a lot of sharing and mixing with child minders, I dont blame those parents at all.. Like ffs it was obvious we were going to lockdown again after the Govt gave the green light to mix at xmas and yet NO forward thinking.

@TheKeatingFive I’m not blaming anyone for this but it’s just to show that with all childcare closed people will have to look for other options which sort of defeats the point of households not mixing and children staying at home. But I totally get that’s what people have to do as it can be impossible to work from home with kids and not fair on anyone.

We have indeed been insulted with the option of online learning for our SN kids. Impossible, just lip service. Joe Duffy had parents on the air on 8th and its heartbreaking to listen too.

I am so angry about this, I am so sorry that you’re going through it. I’ve emailed my TDs. What special needs families went through in the first lockdown was appalling and it is horrific that it’s unfolding again.

But I totally get that’s what people have to do as it can be impossible to work from home with kids and not fair on anyone.

I know you’re not. You’d think the government would see the consequences of their actions.

If I remember correctly the Government, against NEPHET's recommendations, gave the green light for mixing over the Christmas period.
We are now seeing the consequences of that action.
The country would have been up in arms if the Government hadn't given the green light for household mixing though.
They were between a rock and a hard place.

Anyone local to Belmullet ?
The local GP has called for a night curfew the number of cases are so high.
Why are they so high there ?

I meant to add that I heard that Liveline programme and the parents of children with special needs telling of their difficulties.
Heartbreaking

A lot of creche owners are up in arms over opening. However I dont really think it's opening that's bothering them just the lack of respect shown to Early Years Educators we received an email at 6pm on Friday and then had to contact parents. We were told we have to open or we will lose all our funding. Then the essential workers list that has everyone on it.

I have no idea why schools and childcare facilities cannot be open for children who really need it. I dont know why children with SN are being neglected both school aged and preschool aged. I have three children with SN in my preschool class that were just starting to make progress and now this. We'll be back at square 1 with them again.
They are on ECCE scheme so are not entitled to a place. What the heck like.

I am not saying I want to be in a class of 22 preschool aged children and 30 afterschoolers but I want to be there for parents who are well and truly stuck and for children with additional needs.
I dont want to be threatened by the government to open for everyone and their dog.
Sorry for the rant.

A lot of creche owners are up in arms over opening.

Ours seems happy enough. She’s opening on Monday to most children.

The children of ireland are being sacrificed for a virus with 98% survival and the blame is at the door of our stupid govt. And unions Oh and foremost the mismanagement of our health service for yrs top heavy with pen pushers. Is there any common sense applied at alll ???
I am a health professional and in our hospital it is busy but there is no q of ambulances outside like the UK. We are handling it so far. I am totally sick of the constant same narrative for 11 months and businesses crashing and loneliness and mental health of our young people screwed over for yet another lockdowm. We are so grateful to be working and for the vaccine. It was scary working with + covid px but we were in full PPE and got support. The real issue was staff our isolating.
Got the vaccine on Thursday. I was so excited and when it came to it,it was so scary. My arm is sore 3 days later. It came quicker than thought so maybe roll out to all will be quickened up. Dunno. Kids and young adults should not be sacrificed for this at all. Feel so sorry for parents teying to hold down jobs snd do school work. We are in that position with my 3 but hope its just 1 month please God

I have no idea why schools and childcare facilities cannot be open for children who really need it. I dont know why children with SN are being neglected both school aged and preschool aged.

I don't know either and I feel especially sorry for kids in special schools but I tell you what, looking at how it's running in England I'm very glad it isn't happening here. Teachers double jobbing and ridiculous numbers being sent into schools. No thanks.

It does irritate me seeing the government pretend to care about special schools when for years they've resisted opening new ones and funding them properly at every turn.

That's true @SionnachRua. It is hard to know where to draw the line I suppose but I do think schools and childcare should be open to children who really, really need it. As in it's their last resort, their only option.

Well in the UK they are expected to teach online and teach in-schools. It’s always been a harder job teaching in the UK , I taught there for years. I have respect for them at keeping supports in place for students and parents who most need it, especially those with additional needs.

I think the problem in England now is parents are expected to work while having small kids at home again which as they know from previous lockdowns doesn’t actually work so more and more are taking up the key worker places than expected. The novelty of it being a crisis situation has worn off for employers and I’d imagine there’s much more pressure to work normally at home now.

My DS is at a special school and I understand all the consternation, but I am relieved that school is not opening now. The case numbers are just too high still. In our family we (including DS) are not clinically vulnerable and have no special reason to fear the virus over and above anyone else, but from a public health point of view I want everyone to stay home for a while longer, regardless of our own circumstances. I know this will be a controversial stance among some SN parents, and I get it. We are lucky that our DS is able to get some benefit from online classes and meetings, when I understand that is not the case for everyone, but we really need to bite the bullet until the vaccine is rolled out further.

I heard the parents on with Joe Duffy, and I know that life can be beyond difficult for them. But I would also worry about those children if they are infected in school and infect their parents. If the kids have a mild dose, that's not great, but if parents are fairly ill it would be difficult.
I also agree that children with special needs in education and healthcare have been badly neglected for years in terms of facilities and staffing.

I’m dreading getting started tomorrow morning. We’ve had cheerful emails from the teachers but trying to persuade ds to work will be a mammoth task. He masks in school but he struggles to cope with demands from school coming into home. And I know how good I have it- he’s high functioning. My heart goes out to anyone dealing with more challenging SEN in these circumstances.

I'm also glad that schools are closed due to the high numbers. I would be glad to see the vaccine prioritised higher for staff at SN schools though.

My 3 families could keep their dc home but it would be difficult & they are happy to send them to me for childcare. I am very anxious about catching it because of people in better health than me being very ill & dying. It's difficult to watch the news as they're always showing the worst case scenario & that's what sticks in your head.

Dreading homeschooling here too, will have to start my dc at 8.30 before others arrive.

The vaccine programme apparently is off to a good start here-friend started it on Fri, lots of volunteers directing traffic & admin. They are doing 1000 people a day, 5 days a week & looks like that's set to continue for the foreseeable. There's an end in sight now & that counts for so much through this.

I am SO angry right now with the schools!!!! Out of our 5 schools one school contacted us Saturday morning telling them to log in at 9am this morning, 3 contacted us between 9pm and 10pm last night to log in at 8.45am this morning, the 5th which has been home schooling hasn't even contacted us!!

We were told they all would be given their time table and how classes are happening, either live or pre recorded.

2 teachers have given the time table, nothing from the rest. We're sitting here like fools waiting. 5 kids in the dining room and sitting room and I'm running between them all.

The 2 teachers who did give time table details, one is doing live lessons starting from 8am!!! They don't even start normal school at this time.

This is fucking ridiculous, there has obviously no planning gone in. Why didn't they stick to the original time table? If would have made sense and everyone would know what they're doing and the time line would work out. Because one subject starts tomorrow at 8am and finishes at 8.45am and the next subject starts at 8.40am

So if they're all going down the route of live lessons this is going to mean the 2 main rooms used from 8am to 4.00pm!!