FF calls for greater transparency around re-opening of schools
Fianna Fáil’s education spokesperson Thomas Byrne has called on the Department of Education to be more transparent in its communications and to work towards reopening schools in September.
“We all want our children back in school in September,” he told RTÉ radio’s News at One.
“Public health was the main reason the Leaving Cert was cancelled, but for the very reasons, lack of school time, the mental health issues, the stress, the lack of socialisation, that were the other reasons for the Leaving Cert being cancelled, they are in fact reasons to start our schools back in September.
“We don't have an eLearning platform at the moment, what's happening now is a huge experiment where people are trying their best in the circumstances that they're in, but it is far from ideal.
“We've seen studies before and I've raised it in the Dáil before in terms of the homeless situation.
"When Hurricane Katrina happened children who missed out on a lot of school at that time in 2005, because they had to move out, are still suffering the consequences. That's what we don't want to happen in this country.”
Mr Byrne said he wants to see children back at school in September, “that's what Fianna Fáil wants, and we've got to start working now to make sure that that does happen.
"In terms of the faffing around that went on with the Leaving Cert, we've got to work openly on this, there's got to be public communication and consultation at all times.
“I think the secrecy in the Department (of Education) hasn't helped things with the Leaving Cert.
"We've really got to have a new openness and transparency about this, but with the absolute aim of getting our children back to school in the safest possible way in September because it is not good for them to be sitting at home.
“The public health advice obviously is there and that's absolutely key, I'm not detracting from that, but it has developed and knowledge of the virus has developed, that will continue to develop over the next weeks and months as well.
"We're only a couple of months into this, that's going to develop before September, so let's look at that.”
Mr Byrne said there was some evidence that children were not “as prone to it or are not carriers of it, I'm not a medicine man or an epidemiologist, but the department has got to be getting expert advice as well as consulting with teachers, and with school management and parents and everyone else who is important in education.
"They have to make sure that they have the best outside advice on the wellbeing of our children and on the educational wellbeing and the educational continuity of our children.
“After the Leaving Cert issue has resolved itself for the most part, the Fifth years are on and they're very concerned as well.
"That whole education continuity is critical and we've got to keep it going.”
