TEACHERS: WE WANTED TO BE BACK IN CLASS
Backlash by SNAs over unions’ veto on return
SPECIAL-NEEDS teaching assistants have said they would be happy to return to the classroom if they were given the choice.
Ronnie Daly, acting deputy principal and special-needs teacher at Harcourt Terrace Educate Together in Dublin, told the Irish Daily Mail that each individual school should be given the option to reopen.
It comes as teachers lit up RTÉ’s Liveline programme yesterday, saying they did not support the teachers’ unions refusal to back the Government plan to reopen special schools and classes.
Education Minister Norma Foley also accused the Irish National Teacher’s Association of being ‘incredibly disingenuous’ over claims that it did not instruct its members not to return to schools.
Ms Foley said the public health advice given to unions and staff was ‘categorical and unequivocal’ blaming the lack of co-operation from key unions for the Government being forced to abandon its plan to reopen special schools today.
Unions Fórsa, which represents 15,000 non-teaching education staff such as special needs assistants,
‘Two parents broke down in tears’
and the INTO have said efforts to reassure staff that it was safe for schools to open limited services to pupils with special education needs had failed.
Staff and unions had raised concerns about high levels of infection in the community, the unions said.
However, deputy principal Ronnie Daly said yesterday, she believed the majority of SNAs believed schools were safe and would return to the classroom given the choice.
‘I really believe that the majority of SNAs and teachers would be more than willing to go back to work if they were given the choice,’ she told the Mail.
‘I don’t think many people realise the true impact that school closures are having on children with special needs. The other day, two male parents broke down in tears, saying that their children’s behaviour has completely regressed.
‘One told me that his son gets up at 3am every morning, expecting to go to class. He then bangs his head off the walls and is breaking things around the house, which has never happened before.’
Ms Daly said that remote learning is impossible for many children with additional needs.
‘I did individual Zoom sessions with all my students and it was only effective for two of them. The other children just ran around and couldn’t keep focused. We were all set to go back to work tomorrow and know for a fact that we have the means to keep the children and staff as safe as possible. It’s just so frustrating that no one can reach an agreement.’
Another SNA, who did not wish to be named, told the Mail everyone in her Dublin-based school was extremely disappointed that schools were not reopening.
‘We had everything set up and ready to go – with the principal even allowing me to bring along my children as I had no one to take care of them,’ she said. ‘Our plan was to allow our children to come back into a learning environment for just two hours, three days a week. ‘It would have made so much difference to them, but when the Department decided to abandon its plans due to a lack of support from the unions, we were left gutted. I’m a member of Fórsa but feel there’s a lot of talk and not much action going on.’ The SNA added that she believes the vast majority of SNAs would have gone back to work regardless of their union’s directive. ‘If my principal asked me to come into school tomorrow, I would be more than happy to oblige, and I know every one of my colleagues would feel the same,’ she said.
Meanwhile, RTÉ’s Liveline was inundated yesterday with SNAs who echoed these sentiments.
One SNA, named Aoife, said she would return to work even if her union advised against it.
‘I would be very happy to go back to work because I’m thinking of the students missing who don’t understand or know what coronavirus is,’ she said. ‘I disagree with them [Fórsa] because I don’t think it’s fair on these children.’
Asked if it would be more sensible to return to work once every teacher and SNA is vaccinated, Aoife said: ‘No, because the reality is we’re going to be waiting for another three to four weeks.’
Another special-needs teacher and INTO member, named Alison, said she wanted to be a voice for
‘Very legitimate fears and concerns’
teachers who want to return to school. ‘I accept that INTO have to act based on what their members are telling them, but I believe there are a lot of teachers out there that would be very happy to serve their country and help these very vul
nerable children. A lot of my colleagues said they felt very safe at school and there would be plenty of scope for social distancing. Like all other workers who have being going to work since this pandemic started, I feel a lot of teachers would be happy to do the same.’
Earlier, Minister Foley accused the INTO of being ‘incredibly disingenuous’ over claims that it did not instruct its members not to return to schools.
She said unions had made it clear they were not happy to accept pubic health advice.
The minister made the comments after John Boyle, general secretary of the INTO, insisted the union did not instruct its members not to go to work today.
Asked about Mr Boyle’s comments, Ms Foley said: ‘He made it very clear in the statements that they issued, and indeed with Fórsa, that they were not happy to accept the public health advice that was issued to them, that they were not happy to accept all of the measures that were put in place.’
Mr Boyle denied suggestions the union instructed members not to return to work: ‘Absolutely not. It is very, very disappointing that the special education is not restarting tomorrow, face-to-face,’ he said.
‘I have an understanding that the vast majority of our members would have complied. But after our executive meeting last evening, I spoke to 300 members... There are very, very legitimate concerns, fears and anxieties.’