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The unions representing teachers have welcomed the Cabinet’s decision to keep primary and secondary schools closed until January 11.
The measures are being introduced as part of plans to address the growing spread of Covid-19.
Elementary and secondary schools were to reopen on Wednesday, January 6. Nurseries and daycare centers are not affected by the decision.
Reacting to the announcement, the Secretary General of the Irish Secondary Teachers Association said the association wants people to be able to return to school in a situation where the safety of students and teachers is ensured.
Speaking to RTÉ’s Drivetime, Kieran Christie said the relative safety level that existed between September and Christmas must be maintained, and if additional measures are needed to ensure that safety, then they are implemented before schools reopen.
He said ASTI wrote to the Minister of Education to consult with NPHET about the new UK variant in schools, saying it was a “new ingredient in the mix” and should be seen in the context of safety in schools.
Mr. Christie said ASTI hopes that the extended school vacation will be used to ensure that staff and students can safely return to schools.
He said that the new variant must be considered “in a calm and measured way”, and that the Government seems determined to proceed in that way.
The decision has also been welcomed by the National Organization of Teachers of Ireland.
INTO had written to the Minister of Education asking that the start of the next school year be delayed until Monday, January 11, “at the earliest.”
In a statement tonight, INTO Secretary General John Boyle said: “As we said yesterday, alarming public health data and expressed concerns regarding the new Covid-19 variation warrant this approach.
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Mr. Boyle added, “We will try to work constructively with the Department of Education and NPHET to ensure that our schools reopen next month and have the necessary support and protection to remain open safely.”
Sinn Féin education spokesperson Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire has called on the government to use the extra time to clarify to parents, teachers and students how schools can safely reopen, and to present a roadmap for doing so.
In a statement, he said that we must use the next 12 days “to do everything possible to try to address very important concerns.”
He said parents will now fear a repeat of the situation during the first wave, when schools were closed for months.
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