So many pupils and teachers will be self-isolating next month that the functioning of primary schools will be “seriously impaired”.
That’s according to the main trade union for primary teachers, which wants the Christmas break extended until the second week in January.
The INTO has written to Education Minister Norma Foley calling for primary schools to stay closed until Monday January 11th.
Local INTO rep Joe McKeon has been telling KCLR News “I think it’s important at this stage that we take the time to make sure that our schools continue to be safe places and I think what’s happened over Christmas is we see there’s a new variant which we know is transmissible among children, we know that it transmits very, very quickly and we feel that extra procedures are needed to make sure our schools are safe and taking a few days extra next week to do that would be a good move”.
He adds “We certainly think that the Government should consider it today at the Cabinet meeting, we’re moving to Level 5 restrictions very clearly and it’s hard to see how you could justify keeping schools open when there’s such high levels of transmission in the community and we think the Government should do the safest thing for all our children and our staff today”.
