Department confirms additional COVID-19-related allocation for 2021/22

By piofficer, Wednesday, 24th March 2021 | 0 comments

The TUI has welcomed confirmation from the Department of Education that additional teaching allocation and related supports provided to schools in the context of COVID-19 will be continued in 2021/22. The union had called for early confirmation of the measures.

The measures confirmed today include a reduction to the pupil teacher ratio of 0.6 that provides additional teachers needed to support substitution and management of physical distancing requirements be reallocating class timetables to smaller groups.

An additional allocation in terms of guidance provision is also provided.

Crucially, the Department has confirmed that those schools that received an additional allocation through the appeals process will continue to receive this allocation in 2021/22.

The Lead Worker Representative (LWR) will also continue to receive protected time to carry out their work. 

Click here to access the Department’s information note.


Commenting on the measures, TUI General Secretary Michael Gillespie said:

‘TUI had called for confirmation of the continuation of these measures from the Department and we welcome this announcement. However, separately, we are also seeking that the Department put in place measures to provide additional resources for the next academic year to assist those schools where students were, for a variety of reasons, unable to engage fully with remote teaching and learning. Disadvantage should not be piled on previous disadvantage, and no student should lose out as a result of the pandemic.’

 

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