Read on Twitter
1. I normally try to remain optimistic but there is nothing whatsoever to be optimistic about having read today’s plan for the safe reopening of schools from @Education_Ire. I won’t go into the details as to how this plan is totally inadequate, that has been done so well by many
2. I want to concentrate instead on how it will impact on me and my family, not as selfish self-concern, but to highlight that there are so many other families feeling the same anxiety and diapssointment tonight. I am a post-primary teacher and a mom to a 6 and 26 year old
3. This plan affects all 3 of us in different but equally worrying ways. My son is due to start senior infants, he will be afforded no extra protection whatsoever on his return to school. Everything we’ve done to protect him until now will be undone
4. Social distancing at his age is not a ‘pre-requisite’ for him to return to the classroom. This decision is based on evidence emerging internationally, they tell us. But as new evidence emerges advice is constantly changing and being updated so I’m worried about his safety
5. The US Centre for Disease Control and Prevention tell us that they are still struggling to understand how the virus affects children and that it is ‘unclear if the disease has other long-term consequences’ for infected children. Long-term consequences?? @NormaFoleyTD1
6. And our plan is to throw young children back into tiny overcrowded classrooms, with zero social distancing, putting children, their families and their teachers at risk. Which brings me to my daughter, a 26 year old doctor who has worked so hard over the past few months
7. What will she and her colleagues be faced with when the plan goes awry, when children infect parents, grandparents or worst case scenario children become seriously ill themselves. This is a new disease, we don’t know how things will go but can we really take a chance and hope
8. Hope for the best, fingers-crossed, that seems to be the plan so forgive me for not being optimistic, our classrooms are too small, we don’t have the resources and we will not be able to cope @NormaFoleyTD1 @Education_Ire #edchatie
