Daily Mirror (Northern Ireland)
Schools out till March 8
New ‘earliest date’ for classes return is agreed But virus fear may force delay until after Easter
NORTHERN Ireland’s schools are to remain closed until March 8 at the earliest, it was confirmed yesterday.
Stormont backed a proposal from Education Minister Peter Weir to continue with current arrangements, which only allow vulnerable children and those of key workers to attend class, until Friday, March 5.
Whether or not schools will open fully three days later remains in doubt and will depend on the public health situation.
First Minister Arlene Foster and Deputy First Minister Michelle O’neill said it was not possible to give a definitive date for a return to class and stressed the second week in March was the “earliest” return date.
Ministers will review the position again on February 18 amid concerns a substantive reopening could yet be delayed until past Easter.
If the current remote learning arrangements are altered on March 8, all pupils may not be able to get back into classrooms immediately.
And Mr Weir has raised the potential of a phased return, with children in key exam years returning first.
Mrs Foster said she knew the decision, while expected, would come as a disappointment to many pupils and parents.
She told an Executive press conference in Dungannon, Co Tyrone: “As a working mother with children still in full-time education I have a sense how difficult home schooling can be practically, educationally and emotionally.
“The kitchen table is no substitute for the school desk. And as my children would no doubt agree, parents are no substitute for trained teachers or lecturers.
“I am resolved, as is this Executive, to get our young people back into the classroom as soon as possible.”
Ms O’neill added: “We understand how difficult and how worrying this situation is for young people and for children, for families and school staff.
“Young people have had such a tough time over the last year and we’re really trying very hard to improve the situation to allow some normality to return to your lives and we really hope that that’s not too far away.
“But the situation in the here and now remains very difficult, and we need to keep going for a wee bit longer.” Schools had been due to
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reopen after the mid-term break in the middle of February but there had been widespread expectation the date would be pushed back, given ministers had already decided to extend the region-wide lockdown to March 5.
Special schools have been permitted to remain open to all pupils during the current lockdown.
In a statement issued after last night First and Deputy First Ministers’ press conference, Mr Weir said his “aim would be to start face-to-face teaching in early March but all actions on resumption will be dependent on the wider public health situation”.
He also referenced the continuing lack of any concrete decision on the marking of GCSE and A-level exams, but only said “an announcement on alternative awarding arrangements for key examination years is expected shortly”. Mr Weir also hinted at a phased return for pupils doing exams.
He said: “It is important those year groups engaged in learning for key qualifications must be prioritised in any consideration of plans for schools returning.
“They must have the maximum opportunity to acquire the knowledge, skills and understanding required for progression to the next stage of education, employment or training.
Given the disruption to our children’s education, educational recovery is critical to their future.
“I will be seeking resources to enable investment in catch-up to allow children to make up for the loss of face-toface teaching over these two academic years, and welcome the agreement in principle by the Executive to this.”
A Sinn Fein MLA earlier this week told the Assembly the Minister should bid with Finance Minister Conor Murphy for cash for ipads for children learning from home.
At yesterday’s Executive meeting, Mr Weir also asked colleagues to support his call for special school teachers to be prioritised for
Covid-19 jabs. Ministers requested further talks take place between health and education chiefs on the issue before considering their collective position. Decisions on jab prioritisation are ultimately made on a Uk-wide basis by the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation. Meanwhile, the deaths of a further 13 people with Covid-19 in Northern Ireland were announced yesterday along with 592 new positive cases. There were 768 patients with the virus in hospital, including 67 in ICU. Ministers were also told the reproduction rate for new cases is between 0.65 and 0.8.
The R rate for hospital admissions is between 0.8 and 0.9 while for ICU admissions it is between 0.95 and 1.15. It comes as other main indicators of the virus are tracking downward.
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