News

Guaranteed timeframes on COVID-19 testing required for teachers if schools are to operate effectively – TUI

By piofficer 17 Sep 2020 | 0 comments
The Teachers’ Union of Ireland (TUI) has called for teachers and other school staff to have guaranteed access to a test on the day that they first experience possible COVID-19 symptoms, with an additional guarantee of a test result within 24 hours. The Union has said that there is strong anecdotal evidence of teachers experiencing delays in accessing testing and also in receiving results, which is leading to severe disruption in many schools around the country as the teachers affected are unable to attend work. The Union is warning that the situation will inevitably worsen in the coming weeks and months unless action is taken now. Speaking today, Michael Gillespie, General Secretary of the TUI said: ‘The Government made clear for several months that the re-opening of schools was its top priority. We in the TUI have consistently stated that, in addition to the initial budget provided to facilitate re-opening, further resources would be needed on an ongoing basis to ensure that schools can be kept open. A key consideration in this regard is minimising teacher absence. Delays in access to COVID-19 testing and in confirmation of test results for teachers are already causing severe disruption in many schools around the country as teachers must remain at home while awaiting the test results.   If this disruption is to be avoided, there is a clear and urgent need for additional resourcing to standardise and enhance the COVID-19 testing regime for those in the school community. Teachers and other school staff must have guaranteed access to a test on the day that they first experience possible COVID-19 symptoms, with a guarantee of a result of the test within a maximum of 24 hours. We are hearing that, in too many cases, teachers and other school staff are waiting days for both. This is not sustainable if schools are to remain open. Given traditional trends in terms of colds and flu over the winter months and the additional burden that will be put on any testing regime, it is certain that the problems we are seeing now will greatly worsen unless a robust testing system is put in place. To make matters worse, school principals are finding it extremely difficult to recruit substitute teachers at short notice to replace those teachers who are awaiting either tests or the result of tests. A survey carried out among principals last month found that 98% had experienced difficulties employing substitute teachers in the previous twelve months, with 81% of these believing that pay discrimination is a significant factor. This trend is continuing in the new school year. When appropriate substitute cover is not available, students experience a diminished education service. In economic terms, we believe that the additional investment required to make the testing system fit for purpose would be money well and wisely spent and would be offset by savings in terms of required substitution cover. Properly and promptly implemented, this would, in effect, be a cost-saving measure and one, to boot, that would give schools a fighting chance of maintaining their service to students.”

[Read more...]

TUI statement on Minister’s announcement re: Calculated Grades

By piofficer 01 Sep 2020 | 0 comments
While the clear preference of the TUI was always that the written examinations would proceed, the Union recognised that this was not possible due to the public health emergency and members engaged with the Calculated Grades system so that our students would have a mechanism to progress to the next phase of their lives. From the earliest stages of its engagements with the other stakeholders on the Calculated Grades process, the TUI demanded and got an assurance from the Department that the system would not involve school profiling and that the level of achievement of every student, irrespective of their school or of socioeconomic background, would be fairly reflected in the Calculated Grades they secure. We note the Minister’s announcement on these and related matters today and we trust that no student will be disadvantaged by the Calculated Grades process or by circumstances outside their control. It is important to state once again that implementation of these measures on an emergency basis will not and cannot be regarded as a precedent. In addition, we welcome the provision of 1,250 additional CAO places in Higher Education Institutions, including Institutes of Technology. in Higher Education Institutions, including Institutes of Technology.

[Read more...]

Members with underlying conditions/illness – Important update on OHS Risk Assessments 

By piofficer 27 Aug 2020 | 0 comments
Further to concerns raised by the TUI, the Minister for Education and Skills, Norma Foley, has written to the Union to confirm that any member who has concerns in relation to how the Occupational Health Service (i.e. Medmark) has categorised their underlying condition/illness will have access to a review by an internal team of occupational health specialists. 

[Read more...]


Page 27 of 110


;