The Kerryman (South Kerry Edition)
Schools out if clusters arise
THE future of our children’s education is now entirely hostage to the actions of the public in the coming weeks, a Killarney principal has warned.
Principal of St Oliver’s National School, Rory D’Arcy, warned this week that the re-opening of schools in September depends on “our actions now”.
Mr D’Arcy’s comments come amid growing controversy over the behaviour of the public drinking shoulder-to-shoulder on the streets of Dublin at the weekend, prompting fresh fears about the full re-opening of the pubs later this month. “Our actions now will affect going back to school in September. These events are not unrelated,” he said.
“Every sector has responsibility whether it is pubs or sporting organisations or the hotel sector or schools. People are doing their best but every sector is not separate.”
Mr D’Arcy said that the future of schools depends on the behaviour of the public in the coming weeks, as medical professionals warn about rising fears of clusters amid evidence that social distancing is not being followed in some settings.
“If social distancing erodes and we have clusters, it will affect going back to school. All our actions affect everybody else.”
“We are very much part of society. ...Community transmission must stay low. If that changes, it changes everything.
Mr D’Arcy said there are challenging times ahead as schools prepare to open.
“We want to be open and we want to welcome everyone in as normal and safe a way as possible,” he said.
Changes are being implemented across the Killarney school to help ensure the safety of 700 pupils and 100 staff members as they return in September; including measures such as deep cleaning amid rising operational costs.
“We will have to spend about €22,500 alone to get ready for the opening,” Mr D’Arcy said, adding that cleaning bills which were €30,000 are expected to double.
Mr D’Arcy is calling on the Department to ensure grant-aid, which has been promised, is forthcoming and he is also calling for substitute teaching cover rules to be changed. Currently, if a teacher is ill, the first day is not covered but this won’t work in a post-Covid setting as pupils cannot be moved from their classroom, as would have been the case.
ST Oliver’s National School in Ballycasheen, Killarney, is one of hundreds of schools taking the first steps this week to prepare for the return to action this September.
The Department of Education released guidelines for schools last week, but the situation is ever-changing, leaving schools playing the waiting game as they prepare to welcome back students.
Principal Rory D’Arcy is cautious about re-opening amid growing fears that clusters of COVID-19 will occur as concerns rise about adherence to public-health guidelines.
He warns that the public and parents must play a role in ensuring that schools can indeed re-open this September.
“Community transmission has to stay low, any change in that changes everything,” he said.
However, he added that if society can re-open, so too can schools.
“They shouldn’t see school as separate. If you can go for a pint or to a match you can to go to school. We are not 100 per cent sure how the world will look in September, but we are not separate to society.”
Mr D’Arcy said that the challenges ahead are different for every school, but the problems are not ‘insurmountable’.
However, ever single aspect of school life must be examined, and as the situation is ever evolving, it will be a number of weeks before schools can fully implement their plans.
St Oliver’s National School has 700 students and 100 staff.
Amongst the changes being implemented are as follows: foor handles instead of doorknobs to allow pupils to use their elbow to open doors; Junior Infants to Third Class will be effectively in pods or bubbles with their teachers, as there will be no mixing and only the pupils and the teacher will access their room; third to sixth class are being advised under the guide-lines to social distance using one metre separation, and classrooms will be laid out in this manner; pupils will access their classroom via various corridors in order to prevent mingling, and these will be colour coded; opening will take place gradually from the end of August, with classes returning one by one rather than together; and more staggered arrival and departure times to prevent large crowds from gathering.
“It is not insurmountable but there will be difficulties,” Mr D’Arcy said.
“The key thing is to make it welcoming and protect the integrity of the school and not turn it into a hospital.”
“All our actions affect everybody else...There are challenging times ahead, but we want to be open and welcome everyone in as normal and safe a way as possible.”