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PRIMARY AND SECONDARY schools will to remain closed until at least February, the Taoiseach has announced.
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.
How long wills schools remain closed?
Schools will definitely remain closed until 31 January with a review of the measures due on 30 January. Some government sources state that that schools could remain closed for longer if Covid case numbers do not fall significantly in the next three weeks.
What are the exceptions?
There will be two exemptions to the closures – special education should remain open with protections in place, and Leaving Cert students will have three days of classes per week.
“This has been a difficult decision,” the Taoiseach said today.
“Education is the great equalizer, and is the single most important factor in the great progress that this country has made since its foundation.”
How many days can Leaving Cert students attend class?
Leaving Cert students should continue to attend school for three days a week from 11 January.
Education Minister Norma Foley said schools are safe places, but the measures that are being introduced today are required to minimise the movement of people across the country.
Will the Leaving Cert takes place in June?
Education Minister Norma Foley says it is the government’s intention that the State exams will go ahead this year – which is why students will be allowed to attend class.
“I am very conscious, as indeed I believe all of society is, of the importance of delivering the traditional Leaving Certificate exam in June. And for that reason we have been planning in the last while to move in that direction,” said Foley.
The Taoiseach said it is important to maintain stability in the lives of young people. He said the objective of the restrictions is to reduce mobility in the community, adding that it has been presented to government that schools are safe.
“It is a shared objective of all that we would achieve the traditional Leaving Certificate,” said Foley.
What three days should students be in?
Foley said it is entirely at the discretion of the school how the three days might work.
“They can alternate it, it could be Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday one week, Tuesday Wednesday, Thursday another week,” said said, adding that the plan is for across the board including Leaving Cert Applied and Leaving Cert Vocational Programme.
What about special education?
Special schools and special classes in specialised settings such as Oberstown and high support special care schools and youth encounter projects will be fully open from 11 January.
What about Higher and adult education?
Higher, further and adult education should remain primarily online.
What about school meals?
Funding for the School Meals Programme will remain in place during the current period of school closures, allowing schools to provide food to children, largely through the home delivery of food parcels by suppliers.
Minister for Social Protection, Heather Humphreys said she recognised the importance of the school meals programme as a support for school-going children.
Any other measures?
School transport will be available for all students attending school, while teachers, SNAs and other school staff will be allowed to travel to school as essential workers.
School buildings will be open to allow for staff to facilitate distance learning.
Guidance services and supports will continue to be available to students and can be made available in the manner deemed appropriate by the school.
What are the unions saying?
In short. They’re not happy.
Teachers’ Union of Ireland (TUI) has expressed serious concern around both the health and safety risks and logistical problems posed by the move.
The union has said it is completely unacceptable that it was not consulted by the Department and says that engagement on the matter with other education stakeholders and public health representatives is urgently required.
TUI President Martin Marjoram said the union is gravely concerned by today’s developments.
“This premature decision of Government is deeply damaging to the trust and confidence that has allowed us to keep schools open since September, despite the various problems. Our members do not have trust and confidence that opening schools to Leaving Certificate students as is proposed can be safely achieved under the current circumstances.
“We are seriously concerned by both the health and safety risks and logistical problems posed by this move at this time,” he said.
The INTO said today’s decision is “rushed and reckless” and undermines the public health objectives.
“From next Monday without necessary preparation time and protections required for staff and students when virtually everyone else in the country was being forced to stay at home in a frantic effort to flatten the curve.
“Special schools, students and staff do not exist in a bubble separate from wider society. The sustainable and safe reopening of these schools and classes should be based on specific health advice, with adequate preparation and a staged reopening.
“The rushed plan as laid out today is reckless and takes unnecessary risks which could easily be avoided. In light of public health advice, it is questionable whether attendance at such premises will be other than minimal,” the INTO said in its statement.
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Wrong decision regarding 6th year students who are now being told they face “normal” exams in an anything but normal year. Record numbers in hospitals and ICU today and Norma’s worried about the leaving cert. Its lunacy.
@Declan Doherty: you think students haven’t studied up until December?
At the end of the day many, many students would prefer sit an exam then have their teachers calculate their grades. A smart student will use the extra time to study.
@Declan Doherty: is it just me or are they making these decisions up as they go. Move classes online please.
@Declan Doherty: it might give them something to focus on and help with the ones roaming the streets acting the b…
@Declan Doherty: record number with Covid. Unfortunately our hospitals are over stressed in every harsh winter year (which is quite regular) numbers will decrease with both a lockdown and eventually when coming out of winter (granted it’s a another month at least) its about limiting risk. Not abandoning everything indefinitely
@Barry Somers: You’re missing the point. Health and safety should come first. Exams second. With this decision, the government are prioritising exams over the health and well being of the students.
@Declan Doherty: health and safety come first, how can we risk the lives of our 6th year students and yet its not safe to click and collect, totally wrong decision,
@Declan Doherty: completely agree with you. My eldest who’s sitting her LS just called me to ask what the hell is going on. The schools should be completely shut & deal with the pandemic first & LS when that is done.if the lockdown doesn’t work as hoped they’ll be back to change it for the LS students which is completely unfair & stressful. I’ll be keeping my child at home.
@Declan Doherty: I agree, the 6th year students this year are worse off, sending them in to school now is outrageous! Maybe Norma will go in and teach them! Cancel the exams
@Mjhint: Agreed. I’ve given my daughter the choice and she says she’ll be staying home until it’s safer to attend. I fully support her in this decision. Many of her friends are also saying they won’t attend. I hope the teachers will continue to support them remotely but obviously teachers will now be stretched even further trying to make this plan work. It really hasn’t been thought through at all. From the outset, this government have been unable to see past their “schools are safe and keep them open at any cost” mantra.
@Declan Doherty: I don’t blame ye. There could still be situations where you have 25-30 17-18 year olds in a room which is too small for them + their teacher. I’m not sure how
@Declan Doherty: Agreed absolutely nuts, one way of spreading it among teenagers, introducing it into homes!. But wait the government will contain those spread to individual families within the 5k. You know what I’m not a conspiratorial theorist nut, but it just doesn’t make sense, there is something deeply off here.
@Declan Doherty: are you actually complaining that the minister for education is focused upon the education of students for state exams? There are many things you can critise her for, but hardly for actually prioritising the concerns of her job?
I’m starting to think the teachers’ unions exist solely to complain. Wouldn’t matter what the government did. What do teachers here think?
@Declan Doherty: I’m curious as to how TUSLA will handle a mass non-conformance of 18 year olds. Please keep us posted.
@D Mems: No. I’m complaining that the minster for education is prioritising an exam above the health and safety of the students, the staff and their families.
@Charlotte Warrington: agreed!! And the lives of the teachers and their families ! ‘Schools are safe ,schools are safe’ Right now, no where is safe. But at home. For every one. Absolute joke.
@Declan Doherty: very disappointing reaction from the government & Norma Foley
@Contrary Mary: once they are over 16 Tusla doesn’t want to know. Plus 18 year olds are Adults
Schools are safe but they are closing them so covid doesn’t spread . . . . . How can both of those things be true?
@Dan: cos again mehole is talking though his hole and lying.
@Dan: construction sites closed except for social housing. Makes no sense.
@Maalouf: the social housing difference is purely political, not for personal safety. The leaving cert students is due to teachers in the leaving cycle are not competent to deliver education remotely (every college has managed it). There is a risk, but considering the students and teachers are essentially adults, and€1b had been spent on COVID infrastructure, it should be manageable keeping both safe, while reducing the overall capacity of schools to 15% to 20%
@paul mccoy: Are you so juvenile that you think ‘mehole’ is funny? It was barely humorous 2 years ago, now it is just wince-inducing. Sorry.
@Dan: They can’t. It’s more propog-anda spoonfed to people they think are stu pid.
@Dan: because they are trying to minimise the congregation of people & this will at least give priority to students who would likely benefit from a classroom setting as opposed to more limited online learning, going into potentially the most important exam of their lives.
@James Ward: wha??!! Wdf are you trying to say?
Sure didn’t we all forget teachers and 6th year kids are immune from covid !
@Gearóid Ó Tuama: I think the point is that you have far fewer students so social distancing and close contacts are greatly reduced, surely?
@EvieXVI: With up to 29 17/18 years olds in one class! How does that work?! And then how does the rest of the time table work for other years? Not to mention teachers kids at home? Who’s home schooling them? 6th years had the best engagement with online learning last year.
@Emma McCarthy: Emma, you have a whole school that has for the last year been configured for pupil isolation, with reduced capacity. Millions of people have managed to keep their diaries full remotely in every line of work, why would it be harder in a job where the timetable is defined.
And I don’t get the “teachers kids at home”? How does working in teaching differ from you working from home?
@Emma McCarthy: they can spread out, have classes in gyms or canteens – it’s completely workable in most schools. And most leaving cert students want this! If they don’t, they can stay home, but why complain when they have the option? I just wish they’d take 5th years on the other days, I have children in each year and they’d jump at the chance. The LC is hard enough with teacher support, why deny them this?
Madness, an all or nothing approach is what is needed in my opinion, this will prolong the lockdown…
All the teachers should be in the schools doing remote teaching, especially practical classes where they have the equipment. Then they can be monitored to make sure they are at work and not dodging and getting full wages.
@Jim Connolly: had a few tough teachers at school, did you Jim?
@Jim Connolly: No they shouldn’t. Do you think multiple children will be online using multiple devices at the same time in one household? Our school did a great job giving daily work, giving feedback and even giving individualised work. You don’t need teachers to ‘clock in’ just to make you feel better. People will work flexibly to accommodate teachers, parents and children’s needs not yours.
@Jim Connolly: No they shouldn’t. Do you think multiple children will be online using multiple devices at the same time in one household? Our school did a great job giving daily work, giving feedback and even giving individualised work. You don’t need teachers to ‘clock in’ just to make you feel better. People will work flexibly to accommodate teachers, parents and children’s needs not yours.
@Jim Connolly: remote teaching a practical class?! Talk us through that one Jim!! You’re embarrassing yourself the more you type man!
@Jim Connolly: And what about the teacher’s own children? How will they be looked after?
@Bríd: The same way as the shop workers or the bin workers.
@Bríd: presumably, their teachers will be teaching them as well. Why would they not?
@Jim Connolly: not sure if you’re just playing dumb at this stage or not but I’ll stay with you just in case….shop workers and bin workers wouldn’t be able to go out to work with the schools closed now either, unless they have childcare sorted….which would be the same for teachers! Saying now that childcare will be open for essential workers, so assume that might sort that issue for teachers now and everyone else that has to leave the home to work…..somehow!
@James Ward: who teaches kids under 2 years of age Jamesie?!
@A Fenstivus for the Renst of us: You must have been the Smart Ass at the back of the Class trying to move up a row or two. You didn’t really progress since then, Did you ?
@Jim Connolly: and how will the students be doing the practical work at home while being taught remotely, when they won’t have the tools, materials or other necessary resources
@janet: They can watch a demonstration being done by the teacher.
@Jim Connolly: there’s YouTube for that Jim! Bit more to teaching practical subjects then demos I would think! Kids would have to give it a go surely no?! You’re definitely just trying to have a laugh at this stage are you?
@Joe Kennedy: Kids probably learn more from YouTube than from our “1st class” teachers. A 16 year old English speaking Romanian went back to Romania recently having experienced Irish 2nd level education for three years and was put into a class two levels down from the class in Ireland. Says a lot about Irish pampered teachers.
@James Ward: what an ign@rant comment. A child on zoom with a teacher isn’t a “looked after” child. 1) children need actual supervision and care from a present adult 2) it’s not allowed for private unsupervised Zoom calls between teacher and child.
@Jim Connolly: wow I thought you were just playing dumb the last few days there but I can see now you just really have it in for them Jim don’t you? Must have had a bad experience, maybe very bad, in school yourself? I’d say nothing anyone would say to you would make any difference at this stage, but times have changed, and if you were coming through schools nowadays, you would have had a different experience and see that for yourself I’m sure. For the record, your comment about the Romanian child and how you’ve judged the Irish education system based on that, makes no sense whatsoever.
@Joe Kennedy: The Irish Ed. system has been dumbed down. In the past honours LC maths was equivalent to 1st Sc. or 1st Eng. maths in
UCD as an example when the teachers were up to it. I should know having gone through that system. Lowering the standards is just a way out for the bad, expensive teachers. Why is there such a demand for grinds nowadays Joe? The Romanian example is a comparison of Irish v Romanian standards.
@Jim Connolly: not true either I’m afraid Jim….How are Ireland’s 15-year-olds doing in school compared with the rest of the world? https://jrnl.ie/4915670 Where are you getting the stats on the demand for grinds? Would be interested in reading for myself just to see if there’s any truth to that.
@Jim Connolly: of course he was put into a lower level. A 16 yr old English speaking Romanian that has left the Irish system is certainly going to have difficulties doing all his subjects in Romanian. A bit of a change I’d say. In addition he would be considerably behind in the Romanian language and literature.
@Jim Connolly: okay, and then how will you create your piece of craft work at home; for example a fired, glazed ceramic artefact, a woodcut, batik etc? Do you have a kiln, clay, low firing glazes, wax pots, lino cutting equipment and so forth lying about at home? You seem a tad out of touch.
@janet: How will they do it with remote teaching? Sack the teachers and put them on the dole.
@Jim Connolly: who hurt you Jim?
6th year students should just refuse to attend school en masse. If this government are unwilling to make tough decisions in order to protect the health and safety of the students and their families, then they need to take matters into their own hands.
@Declan Doherty: Totally agree, how can this be organised? risking the lives of 6th year students and their families, and the teachers,
Surely as far as coming into contact with others goes, being in school 3 days a week is just as risky as 5 days a week. Like, it’s the same people you’re going to be in contact with regardless of how many days you’re there
@Darren McEneaney: not if five sixth of students are at home.
@EvieXVI: What I’m saying is, surely there’s no difference in them going in them going in for X or Y number of days. Unless it’s 0 days, it’s the same risk, with or without the other years there
@Darren McEneaney: it’s not the same risk at all. If you have a small fraction of the numbers, social distancing becomes much easier, there will no crowded corridors, and all will wear masks. The rates of transmission in schools is low anyway. This is about accommodating LC students and I think they deserve this.
If LC can come in 3 days, and some come in Mon, Wed and Fri and others Tue, Thur and F then what if a teacher is timetabled Tue, Wed and Thur? Chaos!! Or else a whole and complete new timetable! Because remember, 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th and 5th years have to be catered for too!
@sean o’dhubhghaill: totally agree. Will buses run? Are canteens open in the school? We have a half day on Wednesday in our school? Does this still stand? Or do we not choose a wed as our day? Alot more detail needed. Who minds children who are now at home because parents have to go into school? Chaos!!
What a load of !!
I would love to express my passionate hate for Norma Foley but I would get banned unfortunately
@Beer Belly 0476: I think the poor woman has no idea what’s going on in the real world to be honest. She clearly has no clue what she’s at.
@Beer Belly 0476: she’s a liability
@Beer Belly 0476: Ah bless, she clearly didn’t hear Jospeha’s announcement two days ago. Schools ARE to remain open beyond Monday 11th. Just a silly case of crossed wires.
Some kids in special schools are not capable of social distancing, what are those teachers supposed to do.
@IAmSCozzie: the same as we have been doing until now. Wearing a mask and avoiding contact with vulnerable loved ones outside work.
Where can a teacher magically find childcare for next Monday?
@Daniel Murray: teachers were expected to be available to work from today
@EvieXVI: No they weren’t. Initially the Christmas holidays were extended by three days to allow for the government to put plans in place for school reopening on Monday the 11th.
@Andrea: they were extended by three days, yes, but initially they were due back today. Until today, it was to be next Monday. Surely they’d planned for returning to work?
@EvieXVI: indeed we did….we assumed our kids would be in school/crèche as usual. Now they won’t be so we have 2 working days to find alternative childcare or schools won’t have the teachers to open on Monday.
So schools now need a lesson streaming/recording setup both in every classroom AND in every teacher home. Way to double the resource demand Norma. This is a terrible mistake.
Seeing the reaction across the board on every online platform it’s clear that the government have got this one wrong.
So will it be closed and online teaching or what. Still no details of this. I’m just hearing physically closed but nothing else
@Alison Kennedy: That is the issue. Why not have schools open online. Parents do not get an extended leave. The kids have to be engaged. Gosh!
@Alison Kennedy: our school sent a message yesterday to say it will be remote learning from 11th Jan if schools are not allowed to open. (Primary )
@Alison Kennedy: school buildings closed to everyone except leaving certs (LCA, LCVP and standard leaving cert) and special Ed classes. Online classes for everyone else.
@Lyns McKeown: good on you. My kids school said in an email that it looks like there will be an extended winter holiday. So is the government leaving schools to decided to teach online if they want? Shouldn’t there be a national approach?
@Lyns McKeown: ok good to know. I’ve received nothing. May work for teenagers. Fir 7-10. They need live classroom time online for some hours. Seesaw is only a portal to put up work. Irish and other subjects need to be taught by a teacher. How will this work. Genuine question. I’m not a teacher and will be working full time at home myself.
@Brendan Wall: I know the school
Is physically closed but I e received nothing on online classes. To be online classes means zoom. Never happened in our primary school. Only secondary.
@Alison Kennedy: The DES haven’t provided students or teachers with devices or internet access, because they’ve had no time to prepare for this. So all they can do is issue vague ‘guidance’ to schools about online teaching. How could they possibly have seen this coming, or managed to plan for this over the short space of only 9 months? No other country has managed it or saw this coming.
@Alison Kennedy: to be fair to schools they have only received official confirmation of what is happening with the last hour. Any communication before this would have been a best guess. No doubt they will contact before things start on Monday.
@Ali Ryan: ha ha. I do feel sorry for teachers but school management should’ve planned this
@Brendan Wall: I get that but you surely plan for this. In work situations we trained engineers to do ops work month ago in case they were out sick. I get they may not be ready with recorded material or whatever to go on Monday but the framework and bones of it should be there. It didn’t happen over night that covid came
@Alison Kennedy: yes I’m sure the framework is there but why would a school tell you what is going to happen Monday before they are told what is going to happen. If they provide information and then that changes that causes more confusion. There is enough of that as it is.
@Ali Ryan: secondary schools have not only been prepared for months, they’ve also been provided with funding for devices and training. My school has been prepared for this since September. I don’t understand why some are ready and other schools are acting like this is out of the blue??
@EvieXVI: my school is still waiting for their “devices”. Public procurement process – takes 6 months of paperwork to get toilet paper.
She makes the likes of Eoghan Murphy look like a messiah. Clueless move keeping the leaving certs in class. I’d argue that calling off this year’s leaving cert exams well in advance is the only right thing to do considering the circumstances and begin the work now on getting an appropriate assessment process right and airtight rather than risking leaving it to the last minute and mucking it up again.
There wont be a Leaving Cert.
Neither will there be a change from what was done in 2020 as that would be an admission of a haims.
“allowed” or “forced”? Language matters. Will LC students be permitted to attend remotely? Many are in High Risk category. Many more have High Risk and Very High Risk members of their households. Many are afraid. These young adults and their families have been ignored, bullied and threatened (threat they will be reported to Tusla) by Minister Foley, DES, ETBs and even at individual school level.
@Gerry Edwards: For Leaving certs if they are over 16 and have completed their Junior Cert then Tusla (education welfare officer) has nothing to do with them. They are legally entitled to leave school.
And the Junior Cert is that to be canceled
@The Red Devil:
Should be a given. Pointless at the best of times, a liability and additional stress now. More benefit to get kids to prepare for young scientists next year.
@The Red Devil: Of course it will be, but they’ll wait until mid-end May to announce it, after multiple mysterious leaks speculating one way or another.
How about this for 6th years?Predicted grades done and issued at Easter – if it includes mocks – fine – if not – go with whatever available.If kids want to re-sit specific exams – they do so in June. This will results in a very reduced subset sitting ( so safer) and yet they get a chance to better their (possibly unfair ) grade for a subject. It’s the same chance as last year’s group got last Nov but the current 6th years get to sit in June rather than November. Also relieves huge stress on teachers and pupils if they only need to focus on fewer subjects/kids. These kids are now in their second very stressful year and will never get to finish each course like they would have done in normal year so are at huge disadvantage trying to get same points as they actually deserve. #helpThe6thYears
Given that the leaving cert cycle is 2 years. Shouldn’t this cover 5th & 6th years? Is it only covering 6th years because they missed so much school already when they were in 5th year? Now 5th years sitting next years exams are being impacted. Time to bin the LC and for great minds to come up with a workable solution that can please some of the people all of the time, please all of the people some of the time, but probably won’t please all of the people all of the time.
Is that 5th and 6th years, or just 6th years?
@Jonathan Baum: 6th only
It looks like colleges will remain online where possible but how about student nurses going on placement? Are they still expected to attend?
School for 6th year students is absolutely crazy for 3 days and added stress to their exams again this year, they have lost so much education in their 5th year
This needs a partition and plenty of signatures to stop this stupidie of our government
They need to be given alternative like last years 6th years
While I know all would prefer to sit their exams this is not a reality that can be met
A lot of leaving cert exam work is project based and carried out over a period of months, particularly with practical subjects. Exam work is stored at school in accordance with sec regulations for many subjects. It is not a simple case of just coming in for the day to sit an exam in June.
Exams cancelled in the North
W
What about colleges?
So schools are closed but not really,just like every other half baked measure these clowns are coming up with on a daily if not hourly basis.
have your say