The Teachers’ Union of Ireland (TUI) this afternoon issued the following statement following the confirmation by Minister Joe McHugh that schools will remain closed to students for a further period of time from Monday 30th March.
Speaking today, TUI President Seamus Lahart said:
‘We appreciate that this decision is a necessary one as our society seeks to tackle the huge and developing challenges posed by the coronavirus. The health and safety of our people, young and old, must always be the principal consideration.
These are exceptional circumstances and we thank teachers and lecturers for their creativity, application and ongoing commitment to students. The public can be assured that educators will continue to do their work to the highest professional and ethical standards.
We also commend students for their continuing diligence and engagement in what are difficult circumstances. We fully recognise that these are uncertain and often stressful times for them and their families.
We would strongly advise students, particularly those taking state examinations this summer, to ignore speculation – particularly on social media – and continue to engage wholeheartedly with their studies across the breadth of the curriculum. Leaving Certificate students can take it as a given that every effort is being made by the State Examinations Commission and by everybody in the broader education community to have appropriate arrangements in place for their examinations.’
TUI fund to assist vulnerable members of society affected by Covid-19 pandemic
The TUI has created a fund that allows our members, and other members of the public, to make a contribution to assist charities that are supporting the most vulnerable in our society throughout this Covid-19 pandemic.
The monies collected will be distributed to a number of registered charities engaging with the elderly, the homeless, the recently unemployed and those suffering from mental health issues. The TUI, as a union, has made an opening contribution to the fund.
The fund, administered through the GoFundMe platform, is accessible at the following link: http://gf.me/u/xrq9b7