Responding to today’s announcement regarding provision for Leaving Certificate students next week, the 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 the education stakeholders is urgently required.
Comments from TUI President Martin Marjoram
‘We are 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.
As we represent the staff who will be at risk next week, it is also completely unacceptable that we were only consulted by the Department of Education after this proposal was brought to Cabinet.
Further engagement with the TUI and the other stakeholders, including public health representatives, is urgently required.
The proposed opening of schools for Leaving Certificate students will inevitably see large numbers of people – teachers, other staff and students – mixing in confined spaces at a time when the unambiguous public health advice to the population is to do the exact opposite. At a time of significant rise in positive COVID-19 cases and large numbers in isolation due to contact tracing plus the serious concerns about the new variant of the disease, this appears to be an extremely dangerous risk to take.
Moreover, if COVID-19 gains a foothold in schools, the inevitable result will be an increase in infection rates and resultant teacher absence, putting at severe risk the service to all students.
Aside from the very real health and safety concerns for students, staff and the wider community, implementing the proposed return for Leaving Certificate students will be a logistical nightmare, not least in terms of timetabling. Students in other years still have to be catered for, along with those Leaving Certificate students who, for a variety of reasons, will not be in a position to attend.
There are also unanswered questions across a wide range of other issues.
In addition, significant numbers of teachers are themselves parents of young children and will have childcare issues of their own from next Monday as a result of the move to remote learning across the education system.
The TUI has consistently sought to work with the Department of Education to ensure that, in spite of the constraints associated with the pandemic, our students can continue to have access to high quality education provision. Much has been achieved on the basis of this collaborative approach. The teachers and principal teachers we represent have not been found wanting.
Our sole and entirely reasonable insistence is that school re-opening must, to be greatest extent possible, be safe for all in the school community.
The TUI would strongly urge government and the Minister to engage with us and re-consider the matter.’