Teachers get it handy!

[TwoUpTwoDown]

Very poor carry on from the teacher unions

Any employee is entitled to health and safety and promotion of health and safety is properly the business of a union representing its members.  Note that the politicians that are criticising the teachers are down in the conference centre at great expense to make sure that they do not come with 5m of each other.

Load of bollox. These people want certainties that they wont get covid and nonsense like testing of kids at every school. Nothing will pacify them and thats the point. They dont want to go to work, they dont care about the kids and the only care about themselves. They are also peddling the notion that they can work as well at home as they can at school which is more bullshit when half of them can barely work a computer.

They are a national embarrassment (look at other countries) and when this is over the respect that teachers were once held in society will be in tatters and rightly so. When I look out there its nurses, doctors, factory workers and retail workers that are the heros of society. People that rolled up their sleeves and worked for the greater good of society. I have people in a medical device company making critical products trying to take unpaid leave to stay home and teach  their kids.
They should all be put on the covid payment with immediate effect.

Quit your crying ffs.

Get off yer lazy useless hole and get back to work you loafer. God help you sad losers if you had any sort of pay for performance. Pathetic.

Sure I go to work. Looking after the Key worker children like I have done since last March. You're full of shite. Quit your crying.

Bully for you, aren't you a legend. Maybe have a word with your cousins down the road.

I couldn't care less what they do in the South.

Sure I know  your a teacher so only care about yourself. God help any poor child that has to suffer listening to you.

I'd have to put you at the bold boy table for this sort of behaviour.

Don't even think that would cut it. Itchy you're proving yourself to be a right muppet here. Your experience is your experience, but by no means does that give a general overview of all teachers. The schools in our locality are going above and beyond. Using your formula, this therefore must mean all teachers are amazing. However we both know the truth is somewhere in the middle.

Channel your annoyance on to the correct people, rather than spouting the same tripe here daily.

[Baile Brigín 2]

Very poor carry on from the teacher unions

Wrong. This is an under pressure minister risking peoples lives for a quick political win. There is no plan and no ppe in place

[Baile Brigín 2]

Very poor carry on from the teacher unions

Any employee is entitled to health and safety and promotion of health and safety is properly the business of a union representing its members.  Note that the politicians that are criticising the teachers are down in the conference centre at great expense to make sure that they do not come with 5m of each other.

Plenty of workers are continuing to work through the pandemic, factories, supermarkets, etc. How are teachers different?

They are unionised.

[Baile Brigín 2]

Very poor carry on from the teacher unions

Any employee is entitled to health and safety and promotion of health and safety is properly the business of a union representing its members.  Note that the politicians that are criticising the teachers are down in the conference centre at great expense to make sure that they do not come with 5m of each other.

Plenty of workers are continuing to work through the pandemic, factories, supermarkets, etc. How are teachers different?

Supermarket staff are enclosed in perspex and customers in supermarkets are expected to wear masks, although shamefully some supermarkets do not protect their staff in this regard. By and large teachers are not enclosed in perspex nor are their customers expected to wear masks.

Not the ones who are restacking shelves.

I honestly think it's a disgrace that the unions can't agree something that will at least allow special needs kids and leaving certs to return to school, there'd be plenty of space for everyone with reduced numbers

Why is it up to the unions and only the unions? The point is there is no plan to discuss. I know a SNA and they are on PUP. They are itching to get back but not at any cost. They aren't even given masks

[dublin7]

Very poor carry on from the teacher unions

Any employee is entitled to health and safety and promotion of health and safety is properly the business of a union representing its members.  Note that the politicians that are criticising the teachers are down in the conference centre at great expense to make sure that they do not come with 5m of each other.

Plenty of workers are continuing to work through the pandemic, factories, supermarkets, etc. How are teachers different?

Supermarket staff are enclosed in perspex and customers in supermarkets are expected to wear masks, although shamefully some supermarkets do not protect their staff in this regard. By and large teachers are not enclosed in perspex nor are their customers expected to wear masks.

Not the ones who are restacking shelves.

I honestly think it's a disgrace that the unions can't agree something that will at least allow special needs kids and leaving certs to return to school, there'd be plenty of space for everyone with reduced numbers

Why is it up to the unions and only the unions? The point is there is no plan to discuss. I know a SNA and they are on PUP. They are itching to get back but not at any cost. They aren't even given masks

People in the private sector worked with their employer in most cases to get back to work as they new it was in their best interest. Teachers/Unions are making demands you don't see from supermarket workers for example as they know as public servants they'll get paid anyway and the public sector unions can hold the country to ransom and get away with it as they have way to much power in this country and can h

[Baile Brigín 2]

Very poor carry on from the teacher unions

Any employee is entitled to health and safety and promotion of health and safety is properly the business of a union representing its members.  Note that the politicians that are criticising the teachers are down in the conference centre at great expense to make sure that they do not come with 5m of each other.

Plenty of workers are continuing to work through the pandemic, factories, supermarkets, etc. How are teachers different?

Supermarket staff are enclosed in perspex and customers in supermarkets are expected to wear masks, although shamefully some supermarkets do not protect their staff in this regard. By and large teachers are not enclosed in perspex nor are their customers expected to wear masks.

Not the ones who are restacking shelves.

I honestly think it's a disgrace that the unions can't agree something that will at least allow special needs kids and leaving certs to return to school, there'd be plenty of space for everyone with reduced numbers

Why is it up to the unions and only the unions? The point is there is no plan to discuss. I know a SNA and they are on PUP. They are itching to get back but not at any cost. They aren't even given masks

People in the private sector worked with their employer in most cases to get back to work as they new it was in their best interest. Teachers/Unions are making demands you don't see from supermarket workers for example as they know as public servants they'll get paid anyway and the public sector unions can hold the country to ransom and get away with it as they have way to much power in this country and can h

If retail staff had a sniff of the chance they would also be demanding a safe environment. The teachers union did their jobs and looked after the safety of their members. And many teachers are on furlough.

Blame the source of the shambles. The minister

[Itchy]

Very poor carry on from the teacher unions

Any employee is entitled to health and safety and promotion of health and safety is properly the business of a union representing its members.  Note that the politicians that are criticising the teachers are down in the conference centre at great expense to make sure that they do not come with 5m of each other.

Plenty of workers are continuing to work through the pandemic, factories, supermarkets, etc. How are teachers different?

Supermarket staff are enclosed in perspex and customers in supermarkets are expected to wear masks, although shamefully some supermarkets do not protect their staff in this regard. By and large teachers are not enclosed in perspex nor are their customers expected to wear masks.

Not the ones who are restacking shelves.

I honestly think it's a disgrace that the unions can't agree something that will at least allow special needs kids and leaving certs to return to school, there'd be plenty of space for everyone with reduced numbers

Why is it up to the unions and only the unions? The point is there is no plan to discuss. I know a SNA and they are on PUP. They are itching to get back but not at any cost. They aren't even given masks

People in the private sector worked with their employer in most cases to get back to work as they new it was in their best interest. Teachers/Unions are making demands you don't see from supermarket workers for example as they know as public servants they'll get paid anyway and the public sector unions can hold the country to ransom and get away with it as they have way to much power in this country and can h

If retail staff had a sniff of the chance they would also be demanding a safe environment. The teachers union did their jobs and looked after the safety of their members. And many teachers are on furlough.

Blame the source of the shambles. The minister

There is no doubt the minister of education is totally incompetent. But there is also no doubt that the teachers unions are also incompetent, self centered, greedy and completely incapable of seeing the big picture. And it is not a Union versus no union question. I work in a plant of 1000 people, SIPTU and Connect union in it. All employees, bar those with particulars serious issues, have been working since last March. We have people locally who are responsible and know that what we do is important.

The difference that these two unions have with the teachers unions is that the teachers unions centrally have acted in a horrendous irresponsible way. The SIPTU and Connect unions in my work place have worked with local management to get things in place to make our place of work as safe as possible. It seems to me teachers unions want to sit on their arses and wait for Norma Foley  to arrive at their schools with some sort of magical force field that gives them 100% certainty that they will never catch COVID and of course that is impossible so they can all stay at home. Great set up.

Only answer now, close schools and give COVID payment to the whole lot of them.

[Itchy]

Dear Parents,

We dont care about you or your child with special needs.

Regards,
The INTO.


https://www.independent.ie/irish-news/education/i-dont-think-they-could-ever-understand-parents-of-children-with-special-needs-heartbroken-as-schools-will-not-reopen-39987944.html


Parents of children with special needs are heartbroken after it was announced last night that schools will not be reopening.

In-person education for children with special and additional needs was due to recommence tomorrow however, Education Minister Norma Foley has conceded that the phased return cannot go ahead because of lack of co-operation.

It follows a decision by the Irish National Teachers Organisation (INTO) and Fórsa, representing special needs assistants (SNAs), to reject proposals for reopening.

Emma Harris, a single mother-of-three living in Limerick, said her head was "fit to burst" over the uncertainty on whether her eight-year-old son Dylan, who has autism, would return to school on Thursday.

Dylan attends a special needs unit attached to a mainstream school and was due to return on Thursday along with one other student.


"Nobody knows what the right thing to do is and it does get to you. It gets to a point where you try not to think about it because when you start to think about anything you get angry, you cry, every emotion."

poster   
Ms Harris explained that it is incredibly difficult to home school her other children, aged six and 11, as Dylan requires so much care.


The mother-of-three said she doesn't think anyone can really understand how hard it is unless they are going through it themselves.

"I don't think they could ever understand...until they understand my position, a single mum with three kids and one that can't talk, one that I can't leave alone.

"I can't really leave him alone and he floods my sinks, he's unpredictable, but that's autism for you, autism is unpredictable.

"I really have to try and keep strong and keep it together and try and do my best because I know that's all I can do.

"I'm trying not to read things now, I won't believe that schools are open until that bus turns up because they already gave me that glimmer of hope and to take it away was really hard for me."


"I do feel for teachers, I don't think anybody should be forced to do anything they don't want to do right now in this world," she said.

Aisling McNiffe, whose 15-year-old son Jack has special needs, said she will not be sending him back to school if it reopens. However, she thinks the option should be there for those who need it, explaining that it's not a one-size-fits-all situation.

"My son is in the minority who will probably not be going back to school because he hasn't been in since March because he is very medically complexed," she said.

"As much as I am advocating for schools to reopen it's not for me personally because he won't be able to go back until he's vaccinated."

The mother-of-two said she believes teachers and SNAs should be treated as frontline workers and be higher up on the list for vaccination.

She added: "For children with special needs school is more than just education for them, it's socialisation, it's therapy and it's respite for families.

"Our children can't learn online, it's just not possible. There might be a small cohort that can but in general, it's not a possibility, so they should be open.

"It's a small cohort of all the children in Ireland and if the teachers and SNAs and all people that work in schools were treated as frontline staff or essential workers then things could move along and open safely."

A spokesperson for four advocacy organisations, AsIAm, Down Syndrome Ireland, Family Carers Ireland and Inclusion Ireland, has said that children with special educational needs, and their families and carers have been almost completely forgotten about in the conversations between stakeholders over the partial re-opening of schools.

They added: "The manner in which this issue is being dealt with – with U-turns, mixed messages and false dawns, needs to stop.

"The department and education stakeholders need to get this sorted once and for all. Our most vulnerable students – children with disabilities and special educational needs, their families and their carers have been almost completely forgotten about in this row."

[lenny]

Dear Parents,

We dont care about you or your child with special needs.

Regards,
The INTO.


https://www.independent.ie/irish-news/education/i-dont-think-they-could-ever-understand-parents-of-children-with-special-needs-heartbroken-as-schools-will-not-reopen-39987944.html


Parents of children with special needs are heartbroken after it was announced last night that schools will not be reopening.

In-person education for children with special and additional needs was due to recommence tomorrow however, Education Minister Norma Foley has conceded that the phased return cannot go ahead because of lack of co-operation.

It follows a decision by the Irish National Teachers Organisation (INTO) and Fórsa, representing special needs assistants (SNAs), to reject proposals for reopening.

Emma Harris, a single mother-of-three living in Limerick, said her head was "fit to burst" over the uncertainty on whether her eight-year-old son Dylan, who has autism, would return to school on Thursday.

Dylan attends a special needs unit attached to a mainstream school and was due to return on Thursday along with one other student.


"Nobody knows what the right thing to do is and it does get to you. It gets to a point where you try not to think about it because when you start to think about anything you get angry, you cry, every emotion."

poster   
Ms Harris explained that it is incredibly difficult to home school her other children, aged six and 11, as Dylan requires so much care.


The mother-of-three said she doesn't think anyone can really understand how hard it is unless they are going through it themselves.

"I don't think they could ever understand...until they understand my position, a single mum with three kids and one that can't talk, one that I can't leave alone.

"I can't really leave him alone and he floods my sinks, he's unpredictable, but that's autism for you, autism is unpredictable.

"I really have to try and keep strong and keep it together and try and do my best because I know that's all I can do.

"I'm trying not to read things now, I won't believe that schools are open until that bus turns up because they already gave me that glimmer of hope and to take it away was really hard for me."


"I do feel for teachers, I don't think anybody should be forced to do anything they don't want to do right now in this world," she said.

Aisling McNiffe, whose 15-year-old son Jack has special needs, said she will not be sending him back to school if it reopens. However, she thinks the option should be there for those who need it, explaining that it's not a one-size-fits-all situation.

"My son is in the minority who will probably not be going back to school because he hasn't been in since March because he is very medically complexed," she said.

"As much as I am advocating for schools to reopen it's not for me personally because he won't be able to go back until he's vaccinated."

The mother-of-two said she believes teachers and SNAs should be treated as frontline workers and be higher up on the list for vaccination.

She added: "For children with special needs school is more than just education for them, it's socialisation, it's therapy and it's respite for families.

"Our children can't learn online, it's just not possible. There might be a small cohort that can but in general, it's not a possibility, so they should be open.

"It's a small cohort of all the children in Ireland and if the teachers and SNAs and all people that work in schools were treated as frontline staff or essential workers then things could move along and open safely."

A spokesperson for four advocacy organisations, AsIAm, Down Syndrome Ireland, Family Carers Ireland and Inclusion Ireland, has said that children with special educational needs, and their families and carers have been almost completely forgotten about in the conversations between stakeholders over the partial re-opening of schools.

They added: "The manner in which this issue is being dealt with – with U-turns, mixed messages and false dawns, needs to stop.

"The department and education stakeholders need to get this sorted once and for all. Our most vulnerable students – children with disabilities and special educational needs, their families and their carers have been almost completely forgotten about in this row."

I agree with most of your points but i saw this in the english telegraph a couple of days ago.

"The data shows that there are much higher COVID rates of infection amongst teachers and other school staff than for the general population. This finding is in contradiction to the reassurances regularly given by the Department and by Public Health England, including by Dr Jenny Harries giving evidence to the Education Select Committee this morning.

On average the rate of COVID infection is 1.9 times higher amongst primary and secondary teachers than the general population. It is 2 times higher for special school teachers.
For teaching assistants and other staff, the rate of COVID infection is three times higher in primary schools and almost seven times higher in special schools.
The Government has been collecting this information since early October."

That might be why the unions are trying to look after their members.

[Baile Brigín 2]

Very poor carry on from the teacher unions

Any employee is entitled to health and safety and promotion of health and safety is properly the business of a union representing its members.  Note that the politicians that are criticising the teachers are down in the conference centre at great expense to make sure that they do not come with 5m of each other.

Plenty of workers are continuing to work through the pandemic, factories, supermarkets, etc. How are teachers different?

Supermarket staff are enclosed in perspex and customers in supermarkets are expected to wear masks, although shamefully some supermarkets do not protect their staff in this regard. By and large teachers are not enclosed in perspex nor are their customers expected to wear masks.

Not the ones who are restacking shelves.

I honestly think it's a disgrace that the unions can't agree something that will at least allow special needs kids and leaving certs to return to school, there'd be plenty of space for everyone with reduced numbers

Why is it up to the unions and only the unions? The point is there is no plan to discuss. I know a SNA and they are on PUP. They are itching to get back but not at any cost. They aren't even given masks

People in the private sector worked with their employer in most cases to get back to work as they new it was in their best interest. Teachers/Unions are making demands you don't see from supermarket workers for example as they know as public servants they'll get paid anyway and the public sector unions can hold the country to ransom and get away with it as they have way to much power in this country and can h

If retail staff had a sniff of the chance they would also be demanding a safe environment. The teachers union did their jobs and looked after the safety of their members. And many teachers are on furlough.

Blame the source of the shambles. The minister

There is no doubt the minister of education is totally incompetent. But there is also no doubt that the teachers unions are also incompetent, self centered, greedy and completely incapable of seeing the big picture. And it is not a Union versus no union question. I work in a plant of 1000 people, SIPTU and Connect union in it. All employees, bar those with particulars serious issues, have been working since last March. We have people locally who are responsible and know that what we do is important.

The difference that these two unions have with the teachers unions is that the teachers unions centrally have acted in a horrendous irresponsible way. The SIPTU and Connect unions in my work place have worked with local management to get things in place to make our place of work as safe as possible. It seems to me teachers unions want to sit on their arses and wait for Norma Foley  to arrive at their schools with some sort of magical force field that gives them 100% certainty that they will never catch COVID and of course that is impossible so they can all stay at home. Great set up.

Only answer now, close schools and give COVID payment to the whole lot of them.

Does your plant have a covid policy and PPE?

If so, its not the same narrative, is it?

[Baile Brigín 2]

Dear Parents,

We dont care about you or your child with special needs.

Regards,
The INTO.


https://www.independent.ie/irish-news/education/i-dont-think-they-could-ever-understand-parents-of-children-with-special-needs-heartbroken-as-schools-will-not-reopen-39987944.html


Parents of children with special needs are heartbroken after it was announced last night that schools will not be reopening.

In-person education for children with special and additional needs was due to recommence tomorrow however, Education Minister Norma Foley has conceded that the phased return cannot go ahead because of lack of co-operation.

It follows a decision by the Irish National Teachers Organisation (INTO) and Fórsa, representing special needs assistants (SNAs), to reject proposals for reopening.

Emma Harris, a single mother-of-three living in Limerick, said her head was "fit to burst" over the uncertainty on whether her eight-year-old son Dylan, who has autism, would return to school on Thursday.

Dylan attends a special needs unit attached to a mainstream school and was due to return on Thursday along with one other student.


"Nobody knows what the right thing to do is and it does get to you. It gets to a point where you try not to think about it because when you start to think about anything you get angry, you cry, every emotion."

poster   
Ms Harris explained that it is incredibly difficult to home school her other children, aged six and 11, as Dylan requires so much care.


The mother-of-three said she doesn't think anyone can really understand how hard it is unless they are going through it themselves.

"I don't think they could ever understand...until they understand my position, a single mum with three kids and one that can't talk, one that I can't leave alone.

"I can't really leave him alone and he floods my sinks, he's unpredictable, but that's autism for you, autism is unpredictable.

"I really have to try and keep strong and keep it together and try and do my best because I know that's all I can do.

"I'm trying not to read things now, I won't believe that schools are open until that bus turns up because they already gave me that glimmer of hope and to take it away was really hard for me."


"I do feel for teachers, I don't think anybody should be forced to do anything they don't want to do right now in this world," she said.

Aisling McNiffe, whose 15-year-old son Jack has special needs, said she will not be sending him back to school if it reopens. However, she thinks the option should be there for those who need it, explaining that it's not a one-size-fits-all situation.

"My son is in the minority who will probably not be going back to school because he hasn't been in since March because he is very medically complexed," she said.

"As much as I am advocating for schools to reopen it's not for me personally because he won't be able to go back until he's vaccinated."

The mother-of-two said she believes teachers and SNAs should be treated as frontline workers and be higher up on the list for vaccination.

She added: "For children with special needs school is more than just education for them, it's socialisation, it's therapy and it's respite for families.

"Our children can't learn online, it's just not possible. There might be a small cohort that can but in general, it's not a possibility, so they should be open.

"It's a small cohort of all the children in Ireland and if the teachers and SNAs and all people that work in schools were treated as frontline staff or essential workers then things could move along and open safely."

A spokesperson for four advocacy organisations, AsIAm, Down Syndrome Ireland, Family Carers Ireland and Inclusion Ireland, has said that children with special educational needs, and their families and carers have been almost completely forgotten about in the conversations between stakeholders over the partial re-opening of schools.

They added: "The manner in which this issue is being dealt with – with U-turns, mixed messages and false dawns, needs to stop.

"The department and education stakeholders need to get this sorted once and for all. Our most vulnerable students – children with disabilities and special educational needs, their families and their carers have been almost completely forgotten about in this row."

They didn't 'reject proposals'. None were made.

The minister was an hour late for the only meeting the unions could get, left after 5 minutes and before they were out issued a presser saying there was full consultation.

[Itchy]

Are teachers illiterate. Can they not figure it out? I wasn't a covid expert last March funny enough and I and others maintain a live document on Covid policy in our plant. Are your teachers unable to purchase a mask for themselves and a bottle of sanitiser? Do you want Norma Foley to wipe your arse for you too. The main lesson being thought to kids now is stamp your feet and moan until someone else  does it for you.

What are the stats for teachers and covid in Ireland, where is the data from this country that says that they are disproportionately at risk versus other workers.

[Baile Brigín 2]

Are teachers illiterate. Can they not figure it out? I wasn't a covid expert last March funny enough and I and others maintain a live document on Covid policy in our plant. Are your teachers unable to purchase a mask for themselves and a bottle of sanitiser? Do you want Norma Foley to wipe your arse for you too. The main lesson being thought to kids now is stamp your feet and moan until someone else  does it for you.

What are the stats for teachers and covid in Ireland, where is the data from this country that says that they are disproportionately at risk versus other workers.

So we agree that there are no covid protocols and none forthcoming. There is plenty of evidence that schools are riskier than other workplaces and doubly so with special needs teaching where you have to be up close.

They shouldn't have to buy their own PPE and write their own policies snd its mentsl tos uggest they should.

[Itchy]

Are teachers illiterate. Can they not figure it out? I wasn't a covid expert last March funny enough and I and others maintain a live document on Covid policy in our plant. Are your teachers unable to purchase a mask for themselves and a bottle of sanitiser? Do you want Norma Foley to wipe your arse for you too. The main lesson being thought to kids now is stamp your feet and moan until someone else  does it for you.

What are the stats for teachers and covid in Ireland, where is the data from this country that says that they are disproportionately at risk versus other workers.

So we agree that there are no covid protocols and none forthcoming. There is plenty of evidence that schools are riskier than other workplaces and doubly so with special needs teaching where you have to be up close.

They shouldn't have to buy their own PPE and write their own policies snd its mentsl tos uggest they should.

Every other industry in the bloody country wrote their own and sourced their own PPE. Do you think the Fairy god mother turned up and delivered it to us. We liased with external expertise to do this. Do you think there were industries that were especially prepared? One thing that teachers did have was lots of free time to do this but instead they sat on their arses at home and waited for someone else to do it for them.

[dublin7]

The teachers were presented with a safety plan that was approved by 2 medical professionals one of whom is Dr Ronan Glynn (who is in NPHET)

The Unions are making unrealistic demands of the minister and government