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Schools to stay closed until February, but Leaving Cert students allowed to attend class three days per week
Leaving Cert students should continue to attend school for three days a week from 11 January. By Christina Finn Wednesday 6 Jan 2021, 4:27 PM Jan 6th 2021, 4:27 PM 50,027 Views 110 Comments
Minister for Education Norma Foley
Image: Maxwells Dublin
Image: Maxwells Dublin
There will be exceptions made for Leaving Cert students and certain special needs education.
The government had previously delayed the re-opening of schools after the Christmas break until Monday 11 January.
However, that has now been pushed back further as daily Covid-19 cases have reached new highs in recent weeks.
Covid-19: Teachers to seek assurances that schools are safe to reopen Teachers unions say members are deeply concerned over surge in coronavirus cases
Sun, Jan 3, 2021, 19:51
Teachers will seek reassurances from Government and public health officials this week that it is safe for schools to reopen as planned on January 11th, union representatives have said.
Teachers union officials say their members are deeply concerned about the record numbers of Covid-19 infections being recorded and the transmission of the new variant of the virus in the community.
The Irish National Teachers’ Organisation, the Association of Secondary Teachers in Ireland, and the Teachers’ Union of Ireland (TUI) want the National Public Health Emergency Team to examine school safety measures for Covid-19 given that scientists say this new variant is more infectious.
Education Minister Norma Foley is braced for a wave of Covid cases in schools when they reopen.
The minister is beefing up the resources that her department provides to the dedicated HSE school-support teams to ensure there is a timely response where a positive case is detected.
School inspectors have been working with the HSE teams since the end of October, but more are being assigned to the task and they will also put in longer hours.
Overall, the plan is to increase the capacity of teams by 70pc in the fortnight around the reopening and the weeks immediately afterwards.
Some students will fall behind in their education if schools are closed beyond January 11, a teachers’ union has said.The Teachers’ Union of Ireland (TUI) said that students who require additional
Unions welcome delay in reopening as Taoiseach says schools are safe
Schools will now reopen on 11 January. By Garreth MacNamee Wednesday 30 Dec 2020, 6:55 PM Dec 30th 2020, 6:55 PM 33,496 Views 100 Comments
Image: Shutterstock
Image: Shutterstock
THE REOPENING OF schools has been pushed back by a week due to the worsening Covid crisis.
Unions have welcomed the announcement by Micheál Martin this evening that schools will now reopen on 11 January instead of the planned 6 January return.
The INTO said it welcomed the “swift movement” by Government in delaying the return to school.
Its general secretary, John Boyle, said his union will continue to work with Government and Nphet to ensure staff and children remain as safe as possible.