View Full Version : All schools closed til Thursday (at least)
the 12 th man
08/01/2010, 4:49 PM
Over 4000 schools (Primary & Secondary) nationally,I'd say it could be longer with the forecasted weather.
This is on the instruction of Batt O Keefe.
Mixed feelings about this....due to start my final TP on Monday, its really gonna drag out now. That said, I do think they're right to close them, serious risks in having children around school areas and even in getting the children to school.
tiktok
08/01/2010, 5:40 PM
Teacher's unions to strike against the Minister's directive and turn up for work as normal?
The hassle parents are going to have to arrange childcare or holidays to cover the days off next week will be fairly painful and expensive for many at a time of the year when people tend to be strapped for cash.
Still think it's the correct call though.
I'm not sure it's the right thing to do.
Take our school for example, we missed 6 days over the flooding, but weve no problems getting in and out in the last 2 days.
I think it makes more sense to let schools make the decision on a school by school basis based on local conditions, like the last 2 days, rather than forcing closures where they may be unnecessary and having those schools scramble for dates to make them up
tiktok
08/01/2010, 5:47 PM
I'm thinking more of rural schools or those in smaller towns where the teachers and kids are travelling in on roads that won't have a hope of being gritted. School bus stops in those regions are often just the side of the road, it's bad enough in good weather, on icy roads you can't take chances
I guess individual principals making the call is a fair point though
I'm thinking more of rural schools or those in smaller towns where the teachers and kids are travelling in on roads that won't have a hope of being gritted. School bus stops in those regions are often just the side of the road, it's bad enough in good weather, on icy roads you can't take chances
I guess individual principals making the call is a fair point though
Yeah I agree. Anywhere that's dodgy at all the schools should be closed, but I think the boards of management/principals should make the call.
We had planned to decide sunday night, based on the weather/roads in the area and then text the parents.
I suppose it does give the parents a few days to organise childcare though.
I think the reality is that the weather we're about to be hit with most schools would be closed anyway. Roads to our village clear enough today, but no way you'd risk coming down off the mountains for fear of not getting back up. So the children would get to school, but would the teachers get up? The point about childcare is a bit moot - given we're on the brink of running out of grit I don't think too many people will be making work anyway.
Still, political imperative achieved - make it look like their doing something proactive. Has the Minister responsible for the roads bothered his arse to come back from holiday yet?
bennocelt
08/01/2010, 7:19 PM
Also factor into account the amount of cars/buses that will be off the roads.
Good decision by BOK for once!
irishultra
08/01/2010, 7:29 PM
Awesome :d
Good decision by BOK for once!
But it would've been made anyway - tinkering around the edges.
sligoman
08/01/2010, 8:08 PM
Close the IT's too I say...
Boo_Boy
08/01/2010, 9:00 PM
Great decision, let all the kids off school and let them run around the streets and kill themselves that way.
Pelting passing cars with snowballs is also popular. Pity their little brains don't realise it's also dangerous.
John83
08/01/2010, 9:15 PM
Great decision, let all the kids off school and let them run around the streets and kill themselves that way.
Pelting passing cars with snowballs is also popular. Pity their little brains don't realise it's also dangerous.
Let 'em. Society needs a little more Darwinian pressure.
dahamsta
09/01/2010, 2:50 PM
O'Keefe was caught in a lie (http://www.mamanpoulet.com/the-emergency-backdrop/) about this, saying that he consulted the belated emergency committee when in fact he hadn't. Another political embarassment to Cork, that man. We should revoke the PRoC passports of himself, Boyle and Kelleher..
mypost
09/01/2010, 4:57 PM
I'm not sure it's the right thing to do.
having those schools scramble for dates to make them up
Cancel the mid-term break then. That's what happened in 82. There's no urgent need for most schools to open straight after New Year in this weather. Of all timetables, the school one seems to be most inflexible.
The school year "must" start on the 1st September every year, there "must" be a mid-term break when the clocks go back and it "must" be a week for no particular reason, they "must" resume on the first Monday after signing Auld Lang Syne, they "must" have a mid-term in February for no apparant reason, they "must" have a week off for 2 religious holidays in Easter, the Certs "must" start the first Wednesday to the third Friday in June, and they "must" not open in July and August. Whatever the circumstances.
Now everyone knows that timetables must be honoured, but there are times when some flexibility should be shown. Now is one such time, but at the start of September, the risk of contracting Swine Flu in schools was increased, and within weeks 2 schools had to shut because of it. Why did school have to start then? Because that's how it always was, and probably always will be. :o
Cancel the mid-term break then. That's what happened in 82.
Thats what will happen in most schools id imagine, its the only place the 3 days can be made up. However it will cause hassle for families and teachers who have holidays etc booked for then.
As I said, fair enough if it's necessary to close. Im not convinced it will be in all schools though and it seems pointless to make these close
The school year "must" start on the 1st September every year,
That's not true.
they "must" resume on the first Monday after signing Auld Lang Syne,
Again not true
they "must" have a mid-term in February for no apparant reason,
Only 2 days on the February break are mandatory, the rest is discretionary
The standarised year helps parents, teachers etc know when they can book holidays for.
dahamsta
09/01/2010, 5:51 PM
He wasn't being literal micls, to be fair. There's a certain misplaced rigidity in the school system that stems from church control, directly and indirectly. It's just silly.
Are you sure? I think he was tbh bar the Monday after the new year one possibly.
dahamsta
09/01/2010, 6:01 PM
They couldn't have been literal, by dint of the fact that at least one the assertions - the one you highlighted - are impossible. I'd be surprised if they didn't know that. mypost is a pain in the arse at times - sorry mypost - but I don't think we need to take them literally ALL of the time. :)
Battman now says schools can reopen tomorrow.
http://www.rte.ie/news/2010/0111/educationweather.html
Very hard to make plans with the way this is being handled.
the 12 th man
11/01/2010, 12:51 PM
Battman now says schools can reopen tomorrow.
http://www.rte.ie/news/2010/0111/educationweather.html
Very hard to make plans with the way this is being handled.
What a mess,really badly handled by the Caped Crusader,I'd say the school kids are thrilled,I know mine are;).
What was wrong with leaving it up to individual schools as it was?
tiktok
11/01/2010, 12:56 PM
What was wrong with leaving it up to individual schools as it was?
It's going to come to that anyway. There may be a slight thaw coming, but there are still roads and parts of the country that are awful. This morning was actually the most dangerous the roads have been where I am for the entirety of this cold spell.
It's going to come to that anyway. There may be a slight thaw coming, but there are still roads and parts of the country that are awful. This morning was actually the most dangerous the roads have been where I am for the entirety of this cold spell.
Yeah, but if he'd said nothign you wouldnt have parents who have taken tinme off work to mind kids who can go to school etc etc.
All he did is make a fairly straightforward situation a lot more complicated
irishultra
11/01/2010, 2:10 PM
ah well this is crap, my school is in city centre so yeah crap
Magicme
11/01/2010, 2:33 PM
Today is the worst of the days in Monaghan Town and I wont be sending Jake to school tomorrow if it continues like this. We had snow from early this morning until half 12 ish and the roads are lethal. Havent even gone home for lunch coz dont want to leave the office until I am not coming back. (Was given the afternoon off but hey I love my job so am still here!!)
NeilMcD
11/01/2010, 2:40 PM
To be fair this was a case of dammend if he did and dammened if he didn't scenario. You would always have someone one to Joe Duffy that it did not suit.
John83
11/01/2010, 3:06 PM
Individual schools are still free to decide that their area remains too dangerous to reopen, but the majority will be safe enough. It's the right call.
Magicme
11/01/2010, 3:28 PM
Got a text from my eldest Secondary school and they are remaining shut tomorrow and will decide about Wednesday tomorrow afternoon.
To be fair this was a case of dammend if he did and dammened if he didn't scenario. You would always have someone one to Joe Duffy that it did not suit.
But the point is he did and then he didn't.
Either he should have made this call on Friday (leave it up to individual schools) or if making a decision like he did on Friday, stick to it.
I dont think there was any need for him to get involved and he only did so so it would look like the government were doing something.
NeilMcD
11/01/2010, 9:51 PM
No the situation changed, he made a decision on the basis of the recommendations from Met Eireann on Friday. This proved not to be the case on Sunday so made the decision on Monday morning to reverse it. I think thats fair enough to be honest.
The forecast was bad - if it had come to pass the schools would've been closed anyway. There was no need for him to interfere. So he's only damned because he decided to try and make it look he was doing something.
Anyone listening to the Last Word tonight, or on Friday when it was originally broadcast? It was such an example joined up thinking from the Government that it was Matt Cooper that told the chair of the emergency committee that the Minister of Education had closed the schools!
Just more farce by a farcical Government - it beggars belief that some try and claim that a General Election and a change of Government would be a bad thing for the state.
dahamsta
11/01/2010, 10:09 PM
Why anyone would try to defend it is beyond me.
John83
11/01/2010, 11:47 PM
The forecast was bad - if it had come to pass the schools would've been closed anyway. There was no need for him to interfere. So he's only damned because he decided to try and make it look he was doing something...
It's not the case that his interfering didn't change anything. The fact that he called it off and not the schools individually means that the schools don't have to make up those days.
Fr Damo
12/01/2010, 8:34 AM
I can report from Athlone
Primary school A (summerhill N.S) open today tuesday
Primary B (ardkeenan N.S) Closed.
Distance between the two schools is 6km.
I'm sure there is a valid reason but strange nonetheless.
I agree, it should have been decieded locally by individual B O M though there were many in the media forcing him to make a decesion and he just hadn't a clue how to deal with it.
It's not the case that his interfering didn't change anything. The fact that he called it off and not the schools individually means that the schools don't have to make up those days.
Really? I was under the impression that the days have to be made up anyway, but if that's true it makes his decision even more stupid and has other implications imo.
I'm sure there is a valid reason but strange nonetheless.
There could be any number of reasons - a north facing playground that hasn't thawed, dangerous slope on the route, burst pipes, where the teachers live etc.
micls
12/01/2010, 11:51 AM
It's not the case that his interfering didn't change anything. The fact that he called it off and not the schools individually means that the schools don't have to make up those days.
Where did you hear this?
All schools I know are under the impression the days will be made up.
kingdom hoop
12/01/2010, 12:47 PM
All schools I know are under the impression the days will be made up.
Schools have been making up the days for a long time now. Tuesday, for example, doesn't really exist.
John83
12/01/2010, 2:47 PM
Where did you hear this?
All schools I know are under the impression the days will be made up.
Both my parents work in schools. Of course, they may have picked it up wrong.
Both my parents work in schools. Of course, they may have picked it up wrong.
Turned out you were right on that, btw. He's appealling to teachers/ schools to make up the day he cost the children. Given that he was part of a Government that reneged on a deal that would've involved 2 days unpaid leave with one of the excuses/ bones of contention the possible loss of teaching days, if I was a teacher I know what I'd be telling him.
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