Covid-19: State Exams Commission has 'many questions' about alternative exam arrangements for students

All schools, pre-schools and higher education establishments will close from 6pm today until March 29 in a bid to contain the spread of Covid-19.

The Association of Secondary Teachers in Ireland (ASTI) has said that the State Exams Commission only found out this morning about school closures.

Taoiseach Leo Varadkar announced the “shock” measures in a speech, saying that the nation “has a duty” to protect the elderly and the vulnerable in society.

“There will be more cases and more deaths,” he said, but the spread of the virus “can be slowed”.

All schools are to continue to plan lessons and, where possible, provide online resources for students or online lessons, the Department of Education has advised.

Schools are asked to be conscious of students that may not have access to online facilities and to prioritise exam classes.

Oral and aural exams scheduled for the coming weeks must now be cancelled, Kieran Christie of the Association of Secondary Teachers in Ireland (ASTI) said on a special RTE broadcast about the new measures.

Teachers will be “stepping up” to meet the challenge but he warned that remote communication could be problematic due to the “lack of decent broadband in many places”.

“It was a surprise but there has been speculation all week,” he said.

Minister for Education Joe McHugh announced that his department would liaise with the Exams Commission to put contingency plans in place for exams, but no definite measures were announced.

Mr Christie said that, as far as he was aware, the State Exams Commission only found out this morning about school closures, but he said there would be “many questions” over the coming weeks about alternative exam arrangements.

All pupils and students, from pre-school to third level are urged to practice social distancing, the Department of Education advised, and to minimise physical contact with each other, to help avoid the spread of Covid-19.

"This should include minimising social contact, avoiding meeting up and keeping physical space between them. Parents and guardians are urged to support their children to maintain this approach," a statement from the Department advised.

Physical classes in universities and higher education facilities will not be held during the closure.

Minister McHugh said: “I am deeply conscious of the impact that school and education setting closures have on students, on families and on the wider community. This is a necessary and proportionate measure that we are taking as a pro-active measure to help contain the threat of Covid-19.

“This is the right decision at the right time. It is taken in the best interests of our children, our young people, our school and college communities and our wider society.

“At this point in time the closure is planned for two weeks, from tomorrow until March 29. The Government, in conjunction with the public health authorities, will keep the situation under ongoing review. Any change to that date will be communicated widely.

“Pupils should take their books and learning materials home with them this evening.

“This is a very challenging time for our pupils, our teachers, our students and our colleagues in further and higher education.

“Ar scáth a chéile a mhaireann na daoine – we all live in one another’s shadow. If there was ever a time for us to appreciate how closely we are connected, how much what we do maters to others, how much we rely on each other, this is it. This is a time where we all need to work together for the best possible outcome for our students. The support of everyone across the sector is vital, as we all strive to ensure that this threat is dealt with as effectively as possible.”