Prolonged school closures risk grows

The likelihood of prolonged closures at hundreds of second-level schools is increased by the difficulty facing schools training anyone hired to supervise students during next month’s industrial action by teachers.

While work to recruit temporary supervisors has begun, a body representing school boards said that the simple task of inducting them and explaining the layout of schools or rules on behaviour will be hampered by the lack of cooperation by members of the Association of Secondary Teachers Ireland (ASTI).

Dozens of principals, deputy principals and board chairpersons of community and comprehensive schools attended information meetings in Limerick and Mullingar yesterday, with another meeting in Sligo today.