No Consultation with Students on Reopening Schools Plan

ISSU Statement: No Consultation with Students on Reopening Schools Plan

The Irish Second-level Students’ Union (ISSU) believes that announcing a full reopening of schools, with a two-day notice, is rushing school leaders to put in adequate risk-mitigation measures to ensure a safe return for students. Additionally, the department's announcement has not responded adequately to the shortages of school and teaching staff, and student absenteeism.

The ISSU notes the high levels of disruption that schools and students have experienced in the last term, and that any return to in-person learning should be done on a phased approach, whilst prioritising exam year students and students with special educational needs. 

6th Year Student, Quinton Kelly, said;

“As a sixth-year student myself, I am extremely disappointed in the Department of Education's decision to have a full reopening of schools. 

With case numbers rising and school attendance depleting, I am not assured that each student will receive the same standard of education. If we see extreme absences this week while having in-person teaching, it leaves no room for online learning equivalents for absent students. 

With a substitution crisis in place, the cover needed for absent teachers simply does not exist. From my own experience, I am not confident that the new measures in place will make an effective change in time for a sudden full return to school” 

ISSU Uachtarán Emer Neville, after attending a briefing with the Department, said;

“Last nights’ briefing has left students in a position of major uncertainty, and schools will have little time to assess their absences and plan adequately for reopening schools safely. 

With the high levels of close contacts and COVID-19 infections currently affecting the country, many students will either be unable to return to school or will be welcomed back to school on Thursday by classes without a teacher or substitution. 

Disruptions will remain a major issue for teaching and learning, which leaves students, particularly those in exam years, at an acute disadvantage.” 

Furthermore, ISSU Education Officer Jack McGinn, who was also in attendance said ;

“The ISSU has always engaged with the Department of Education positively and were disappointed that students were not consulted, but briefed, on this issue. We note that it is rash to reopen schools as planned and the lack of consultation with all stakeholders on this proposal demonstrates a lack of concern for the voice and safety of students, teachers, caretakers, secretaries and other members of the school community.”

The ISSU further notes students were not consulted on this announcement. This demonstrates a disregard for how important the voice of students is in this discussion, as an equal stakeholder in education. This approach to finalising the return to school without consultation comes as a surprise, considering a very productive and close relationship between a wider pool of stakeholders with the Department of Education in recent months, in response to the challenges that the pandemic has brought about. 

The ISSU is continuing to call for an open and solution-oriented discussion with all education stakeholders on how to minimise disruption of teaching and learning. The union is calling for:

• A phased return to school, starting from Monday, January 10th, prioritising in-person tuition for exam year students and students with Special Education Needs (SEN).

• The urgent sourcing of HEPA filters for all classrooms.

• Additional adjustments to be made to the Leaving Certificate and Junior Cycle exam papers for 2022.

The ISSU is urging all stakeholders in school communities to adhere strictly to public health regulations in order to ensure the safety of schools for all students and staff.

The union has noted that whilst Public Health Representatives have said there is no rationale to not re-open schools, the Department of Education have disregarded the disruption that this rushed reopening will cause to students. With high teacher absenteeism and substitution shortages, schools are under-resourced. The current plan that has been proposed allows the possibility of specific class groups in each individual school to be sent home from school if deemed necessary. This causes significant disruption and uncertainty for students, with the possibility of many students not knowing if they are going to be in school the next day. This also raises concerns about whether individual classes could miss out on in-person learning compared to other classes and what position that will leave students completing state examinations.

The Irish Second-Level Students’ Union (ISSU), expresses major concern at the lack of consultation with students on the return to school. The representatives of students were not consulted at a meeting held on the reopening of schools on January 4th, as they believed they would be, instead, a briefing was held to inform the ISSU and other stakeholders of the decision that had already been made.

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For more information, please contact:

Joanna Siewierska ISSU Communications - 01 443 4461/083 1305583

Leaving Cert Review

Katarzyna

The Leaving Cert could be a nightmare, but it doesn't have to be that bad if you approach it the right way. Firstly, you really need to study regularly. It is very important that you learn from class to class and always keep on top of your work. Take small breaks between studying. Keep away from Facebook, etc., because they are a huge distraction. Try not to completely abandon your work over the summer. Try to study things that you enjoy so it doesn't feel like studying, so if you like drawing, perhaps practice drawing diagrams or maps etc.During the school week, try to do your homework but also find some time to study. Look up resources online for the subjects you do. There is plenty resources for teachers to use, but these could be very helpful to students too, eg. slss website or ncca. Read examiner's reports to identify common mistakes and avoid them. Work with exam papers, even if the teacher doesn't give you them to do for homework. Don't be afraid to move ahead and work through the exam papers at your own pace. Get familiar with all marking schemes to see what answers you are expected to write and how marks are distributed. This is important so that you write enough information, particularly for your factual subjects, e.g. Biology.During the week before the exams, make sure that you get enough sleep. You can't be tired going into the exam, because you won't perform as well as you could. You should get good rest particularly before subjects like English, Geography and History, where you have a lot to write, because if you’re tired you might not write as fast as you can and you don't want to run out of time.Timing is very important in the exam. Bring in your own watch. Know exactly how much time to spend on each question. A good way of figuring this out is by looking at how much marks are given for each question. It is obvious that you should spend more time on a question that carries more marks.In the exam always read the questions very carefully and make sure that you understand them. This is particularly important if you have a choice on the paper. You need to read all parts of questions carefully to make the right choice for yourself. Avoid jumping in at a question, doing half of it and the realising that you can't do the rest and you waste time. However, don't be afraid to take a moment to think.Eating good food is super important. By good food I don't necessarily mean healthy food. I mean food that you like. You are going to be stressed out and anxious, so you should eat your favourite foods to make life a bit easier for yourself. Forget about diets, etc. Just focus on doing your best in the exam, because then you will have plenty of time to loose the extra weight, if any even appears...Try to be positive about this whole experience. Think about what you know and answer the questions as best as you can. If you work hard, it will pay off and once the leaving cert is finished you will be free for good. No more uniforms or school. There really is a life after the Leaving Cert!

Aoife

So I’m finally finished the leaving cert. As I sealed my exam booklet closed this morning I felt the freedom! No more uniform, no more of the listening Irish tape, no more secondary school (Hopefully). I never thought that after 6 years in secondary school it would all come down to this, it doesn’t matter who your friends are, what you’ve done in the school just simply how you perform on the day.Looking back on the exams it was only maths paper 2 that I was thrown by. I am content with how I performed in the others knowing that there wasn’t much more I could have achieved by an extra day or extra cramming. The papers that I did were mostly rounded and gave everyone an equal chance. 2012 definitely was the year of surprises however with many people’s predictions not coming up in English, the Maths Paper 2 difficulty and the Irish Paper 1 change.During the mocks the tiredness wasn’t really a factor, however during the leaving cert it really hits in, the build up and doing the actual exams are physically draining and a good nights sleep before every exam is needed. There’s no point pulling an all nighter, it won’t do you any good the next morning when you’re tired and find it hard to concentrate. A final word of advice for any future leaving certs, revise, revise all year, start as you mean to go on. If you start the year on a good note you’re more than likely going to finish it the same. As my principal often used to say “Fail to prepare, prepare to fail.” Even though it’s an important year still remember to have a good time! I wish everyone who still has exams the best of luck! Aoife :)

 Please note: blog posts reflect the opinion of the author and not necessarily the opinion of the Irish Second-Level Students’ Union. Blogs are updated daily by 6.30 pm on scheduled examination dates