At an Executive Committee meeting this evening, it was decided that Teachers’ Union of Ireland members will not be attending their workplaces for in-school teaching next Monday, 11th January, or on subsequent days but will be available to provide emergency remote teaching and to support their students including, in particular, students with special educational needs. Therefore, the TUI welcomes the decision now taken, somewhat belatedly, by Government to finally do the right thing.
The TUI this evening reiterated its demand - made every day since Monday last - for urgent engagement with the Department of Education and the other stakeholders to plot a path towards the resumption of teaching and learning in schools, colleges and education centres.
As well as meeting Minister Foley and DES officials, the TUI has also engaged with Minister Harris and the Department of Further and Higher Education Research, Innovation and Science this afternoon and has secured clarification that all teaching and learning in Youthreach centres, further and adult education centres and higher education settings will be on-line, remote, until the public health situation improves sufficiently to allow a safe return to face-to-face teaching. We have secured assurances that there will be purposeful, urgent engagement in relation to the developing situation.
The TUI Executive Committee noted the absurdity of the Department of Education treating schools as if they are magically immune and welcomes the reversal of the decision and make the right call, a call that prioritises, at last, the health and safety of our school communities.