On Thursday, 7th January the TUI Executive Committee decided that due to serious health and safety concerns, Post-Primary members would not be attending their workplaces for in-school teaching from Monday, 11th January. The Union said that members but would be available to provide emergency remote teaching and to support their students including, in particular, students with special educational needs.
Earlier that day, the Union engaged with Minister Harris and the Department of Further and Higher Education Research, Innovation and Science and 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.
The Union welcomed the belated decision taken that evening by Government to shelve plans for a return to workplaces by Post Primary teachers. Click here for the statement issued by the union that evening.
On Thursday, 14th January, TUI stated that the 2021 Leaving Certificate must go ahead. The Union highlighted that its experience of calculated grades last year has left it in no doubt that the customary State examinations are more reliable and enjoy significantly greater trust among the public at large and, critically, among students and teachers. The statement also drew attention to the importance of second level components across a significant number of subjects.
TUI guidance on emergency remote teaching and learning owing to COVID-19:
Click here to download a TUI guidance document on emergency remote teaching and learning owing to COVID-19.
Guidance/information from Department of Education:
Updated documents have issued to schools from the Department of Education in relation to supporting children at risk of educational disadvantage and with Special Educational Needs.
Updated Guidance on Continuity of Schooling: Supporting pupils at risk of educational disadvantage Click here to download
Updated Guidance on Continuity of Schooling: Supporting Students with Special Educational Needs Click here to download