Teachers’ union slow to confirm full primary school reopening date
CABINET ministers have responded with anger to warnings that the planned return of the nation’s schoolchildren could be stymied by another union revolt.
A key foundation of the Coalition’s strategy to retain public support consists of the re-opening of schools.
However, the long-term sustainability of the plan was placed into doubt yesterday by John Boyle, the general secretary of the Irish National Teachers Organisation.
Mr Boyle avoided two opportunities to confirm that the full re-opening of the nation’s primary schools would go ahead on the scheduled date of March 15.
First and second class students, as well as junior and senior infants, will return to school today for the first time since before Christmas. Sixth-year secondary school pupils preparing for their Leaving Cert exams will also return to education. It is also expected all other primary school children will return from March 15. However, Mr Boyle yesterday cast doubt on whether older children would return to primary school as planned.
He said that the return will depend on the case numbers over the next two weeks when younger children go back to school. When asked what principals should do if they have a positive case in their school, Mr Boyle said that ‘batch testing’ may be carried out for individual classes. He told Newstalk radio: ‘The results come back really, really quickly.
‘We are confident that there will be a more robust testing and tracing system. We got those results on a weekly basis.
‘We have already got reports from the special schools reopening. We will be getting a report from the special classes on Tuesday.
‘That is why we are not definite that schools will reopen on March 15 because it will depend on a hell of a lot of things for the third, fourth, fifth and sixth class children.
‘If the numbers spike in schools, well obviously the next half of the reopening won’t happen.’
Mr Boyle subsequently stated on RTÉ Radio 1 that: ‘We’re all very hopeful that it’s going to reopen on March 15 but if it takes a while longer, so long as it’s safe and done properly, I don’t think anybody will mind.’
Meanwhile, senior ministers reacted sharply, with one noting: ‘This is a real test for Norma [Foley, the education minister].
‘She may have to hold some feet to the fire yet. These teacher unions are like herding cats.’
‘It will depend on a hell of a lot’