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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.
Was an avid viewer of them all, specially Corrie. All of a sudden, I just stopped. I don’t know what happened, I just suddenly lost complete interest in all of them. Go figure.
@Anna Carr: omg I’m the same no interest at all
@Anna Carr: same watched then all just stopped over pandemic, think I was just sick of all the doom and glum, and uv no interest now
I’d rather go to the dentist.
Every day.
I admit to it, freely and often but only ever one soap, that’s more than enough and, even after 60 years The Journal still managed to get that record holding actor’s character name wrong, it’s Ken not Kevin Barlow.
@Tom Hogarty: I used to go out with someone that had to watch all the soaps… Honest to god… Add up the amount of hours a week that is… Home and Away, Fair City, Neighbours, Coronation Street, Eastenders, Emmerdale, and Hollyoaks.
@FiannaFáilness FineGaelness: I guess you never went out so .
@Gearoid O Chorraigh: Clever boy! Haha
@FiannaFáilness FineGaelness: rented with a lad like that years ago, 10 sisters he had and they watched every soap made, a bit lighter straight after school, the Australian ones, warming up with the northern English soaps to follow, fair city and EastEnders to finish off, although he always said he didn’t like fair city..
Emigrated to Australia then 8 years ago and we havent heard from him since
The last time I watched soaps Emmerdale was still a farm and Dirty Den managed the Queen Vic
As someone born into the single TV generation in 1979, I had to watch them because my parents did. Though I chose to watch Home and Away after school back in the day.
@Reuben Gray: yeah has to watch Corrie growing up but I did watch Eastenders for a few years willingly. The shows I actively watched were Neighbours, Holly oaks and some US ones back in the day on Sky General Hospital and As the world turns
Tolka Row and The Riordans
I watched home and away fairly religiously for about 25 years, grand to watch with the dinner. Used to watch eastenders in fits and starts but got a bit too grim.
Have never watched a single episode of Corrie, Emmerdale Farm, East Enders, Fair City etc. Used to watch the Aussie soaps back in my school days when Scott & Charlene and Shane & Angel were a thing. Really showing my age. Lost interest in them at some point. Also watched Glenroe on Sunday nights; the theme tune still haunts me as once it was over, I had to go to bed ahead of a new school week
Ros na Rún all the way for me. Makes it all the better that it is set in rural Ireland in a Gaeltacht area
I do listen The Archers before turning in for the night. Does that count?
I used to watch Shortland Street but one day I didn’t bother and I never went back to it, that was about 2 years ago.
YouTube, Channel 4 player and (my father-in-law’s) Netflix all the way. Haven’t had “channels” in years and will never bother with them again.
Fair City and more recently i’ve become a fan of Ros na Rún – better than watching nonstop news and comment
Only watch Shortland Street, Neighbours and Home and Away. I used to watch Corrie and Emmerdale but I just didn’t enjoy them anymore.
@Carùl O’Hickey: only
@Gareth Keenan: they’re on at a time when people are preparing/eating and cleaning up afterwards, easy to leave on in the background and half pay attention
Real Life is shirty enough…
Amazon Prime, Netflix [piggyback], Now and YouTube. Haven’t watched terrestrial channels in a long time, except the Smithsonian channel on occasion. I like watching stuff that might educate me about the world, instead of rotting away my brain..
Absolute rubbish shows. I never watched them and the children were never allowed to watch then when they were younger.
Somebody must be watching the soaps because they have the highest TV viewing ratings.
But no one here wants to admit to it.
@Roger Bond: we probably get counted as watching eastenders tbh. We don’t. It’s just it’s on at a time where we are between programs, and using the time to do other things before having a final settle for the evening. So it’s on but not actually watched. I only know it’s eastenders from the horrible accents of some of them.
I don’t watch television unless visiting a pub or friend’s house. Darts is fascinating on tv.
Fair City only
@Veronica Conway: God love ya watching that scutter
@Daniel Carry: Fair $hitty
Doctors on BBC is the only soap we watch now. Used to watch corrie,but gave up when we were nearly 50 episodes behind and there was no hope of catching up. Deleted all the recorded episodes and just stopped.
I watched several as a teenager and they were fun for a while but I soon realised the plots were just recycled every few years and it felt like I was watching the same thing over and over on an endless loop.
No. I like things that have a beginning and an eventual end.
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