Bank holiday lock-in teacher still hasn’t returned to school

THE elderly Limerick teacher who accidentally locked herself into a school for four nights over a bank holiday weekend has still not returned to work, more than a month after the incident.

Bertha Curran, a widow who lives in Rhebogue, Limerick, has not returned to St Canice’s Special School, Coovagh House.

She was trapped alone in the building for almost 100 hours over the St Patrick’s bank holiday weekend.

The school has special security systems and caters for disturbed children.

A HSE spokeswoman said: “The HSE and Board of Management at St Canice’s School do not as a matter of policy comment on personnel circumstances or welfare of individual staff members.

“We trust that both the media and public understand the rational for this situation.”

However a school source revealed this week that Ms Curran has still not returned to work.

“It obviously had a very serious effect on her. She has not been back since and there is no sign of her returning either,” said the source.

Investigations by St Canice’s Board of Management and the HSE Mid-West area immediately began when the teacher was found in a distressed state on March 21.

It is believed there was at least one care worker on the premises at various stages over the weekend in addition to the security staff.

Ms Curran’s car was parked outside the school throughout the entire weekend after becoming accidentally trapped while locking the building up.

All the other teaching staff and students had left the premises and an electronically operated door at the entrance to the high security section of the building closed automatically behind her locking her in.

Ms Curran, who it’s understood has grown up children, left her phone and personal alarm in another room while locking up.

St Canice’s Special School caters for students with severe emotional and behavioural disturbance.

Embarrassed school officials remain tight-lipped and refuse to comment on the matter.