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Teachers unions have welcomed the delayed opening of schools and have said that while opening doors was the preferred option, public safety is the priority.
The government last night confirmed an extension of the Christmas school holidays, and students must now return on Monday, January 11, instead of the previous Wednesday.
Michael Gillespie, general secretary of the Teachers Union of Ireland (TUI) said that while the union wanted schools to open normally after Christmas, that would only be possible “if it was safe.”
“Our members are very anxious, we are in schools and colleges with students from 13 to 18 years old.
“From September to Christmas, we stayed ahead of the curve. The council showed that schools were not spreading the disease.
“However, we don’t know how the new variant will spread in schools. We have young adults in the schools, and therefore the Government is right to evaluate the schools.
“We were lucky in October with the midterm break. Contact tracing at the time was overwhelmed. It seemed like we were getting closer to the same point now, with the numbers going up.
“The Government is buying time to evaluate what is happening, we hope that they will evaluate the situation based on the increase in the numbers and the incidence of this new variant and, as always, we will follow the public health advice.”
The Irish National Teachers Organization (INTO) had called for the reopening to be postponed until January 11 at the earliest, due to the “alarming increase” in cases.
Union Secretary General John Boyle said: “We welcome the Government’s swift move to delay the reopening of our elementary and special schools.
“As we established yesterday, alarming public health data and expressed concerns regarding the new Covid-19 variation warrant this approach.
“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.”
The general secretary of the Association of Secondary Teachers of Ireland (ASTI, for its acronym in English), Kieran Christie, said that “it must be seriously considered whether the security measures are now sufficient given the appearance of the new strain.
ASTI has already asked Education Minister Norma Foley to consult Nphet regarding the implications of the new variant for schools.
Meanwhile, Owenabue Educate Together director in Cork, Catriona Golden, shared how the first shutdown had created difficulties for the students.
Having initially served as a principal at Ennis at the beginning of the pandemic, Ms. Golden recalled how the first shutdown was “extremely challenging” for students.
Ms. Golden said: “I have a good level of faith in Nphet and his recommendations, but If the recommendation is that schools close for a couple of days, what is implemented with that so that we are not in the same situation in three or four weeks?
“If the recommendation is that schools remain open, what are those improved measures to make them safer?”
Irish independent
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