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TEACHING Unions have come under fire at a private Fianna Fáil meeting amid the debacle over the abandoned plan to reopen schools for Leaving Cert students and children with special needs this week.
The Fianna Fáil parliamentary party meeting also heard calls for predictive grades to be an option for this year’s Leaving Cert students, with some contributors suggesting that the traditional exam should not go ahead.
Meanwhile, Taoiseach Micheál Martin said at tonight’s meeting that “the world will be different in June” and the Government will do everything possible to obtain additional doses of Covid-19 vaccines to administer to the population.
Martin said Education Minister Norma Foley should have room to work on education-related issues.
Sources at the meeting said Ms. Foley gave indications that an advisory committee working on plans for the Leaving Cert exam would report back to her at the end of the month.
The meeting was dominated by discussion of the education debacle with TD James Lawless questioning how the unions had gone from a position of going back to school with 100% students to saying they couldn’t go back with 5%.
Lawless said running the Leaving Cert oral exams or other items online and potentially staggering the exam sessions to late summer should be considered if it is still an important exam.
Sen. Lisa Chambers said teachers unions should “step up” for children with special needs and vulnerable, saying they need school. He said unions should work with the Department of Education and the minister to make this happen whatever is necessary.
Sen. Fiona O’Loughlin told the meeting that despite what the unions said, several teachers and SNA had contacted her to say that they would be willing to return for both the special needs students and the classes. by Leaving Cert.
She said she was in favor of the predicted grades model, but that students should have the option of taking a traditional test in June.
Sen. Timmy Dooley told the meeting that students and parents must be “certain” now. He said the opportunity for students to earn expected grades should be offered “without delay” with an option for students who want to take the exams to do so later in the year.
Sen. Eugene Murphy said predictive scores should be used with actual tests in August for students who would like that option.
Clare TD Cathal Crowe is said to have supported the students who were offered the Leaving Cert options and Sen. Mary Fitzpatrick also spoke in favor of the idea. Today he wrote to Mrs. Foley looking for predictive ratings.
However, Fianna Fáil TD John Lahart said there was a strong body of Leaving Cert students who wanted to take the traditional exam, and he suggested that a hybrid model be developed.
In a joke on Fine Gael’s Simon Harris, Sen. Malcolm Byrne said that Ms. Foley might have to talk more about higher education issues, since Harris, who is the Minister of Higher Education, “seems to spend most of his time commenting on health. “
Health Minister Stephen Donnelly told the meeting that he believed the government was doing better in launching the vaccine than it was credited with. The Taoiseach is said to have paid tribute to Donnelly’s work.
Former Agriculture Minister Dara Calleary asked for clarity on when GPs, their staff, family caregivers and home helpers will be vaccinated. He said vaccinations were carried out seven days a week, but said daily statistics need to be published on how many are being vaccinated.
Meanwhile, the three senators who lost the Fianna Fáil whip after attending the controversial ‘Golfgate’ dinner are back at the party.
The meeting passed a motion to readmit Paul Daly, Aidan Davitt and Niall Blaney without debate.
Three Fine Gael senators who had been stripped of their match whip for their attendance at the infamous Oireachtas Golf Society event: Jerry Buttimer, Paddy Burke and John Cummins were admitted back to their party yesterday.
On the Mother and Baby Homes report, Martin said at the meeting that words weren’t enough and that following up on the recommendations was key, including the ability to give survivors access to their records, which he said was a human right and that legislation was needed.
TD James O’Connor is said to have suggested that an appropriate national monument should be inspired by the Holocaust memorial in Berlin.
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