Teachers have 'grave safety concerns' about schools reopening

INTO president Mary Magner: 'We have heard the concerns of teachers in recent days and, while teachers across the country are keen to get back to the classroom, they are scared.' Picture: Gareth Chaney

Doubts have been cast over the partial reopening of schools this week after the Irish National Teachers’ Organisation (INTO) called on the Department of Education to reconsider plans to resume in-school special education this Thursday. 

Following an emergency meeting of the union’s central executive committee, the union said teachers' “grave safety concerns” had not been adequately addressed by public health or by Government.

In a statement, the union said it will continue to engage with the department and public health authorities in an effort to work towards a phased reopening.

The INTO committee is due to meet again tomorrow. INTO president Mary Magner said: “We have heard the concerns of teachers in recent days and, while teachers across the country are keen to get back to the classroom, they are scared.

“Teachers are committed to supporting their vulnerable pupils, but the safety of staff is vital.”

Separately, Fórsa, the union that represents special needs assistants, is also due to hold an executive meeting tomorrow to discuss the situation and advise its members. According to the union, serious concerns remain over childcare and vulnerable staff members.

Today, a webinar for teachers, principals, and SNAs heard that no changes are needed to the current infection prevention and control measures for schools.

Thousands of school staff attended the virtual meeting this afternoon, hosted by the Department of Education and public health officials in the HSE.

Anger and anxiety

This included Dr Abigail Collins, a public health consultant and the HSE Covid-19 lead on schools, and Dr Kevin Kelleher, the HSE assistant national director for public health. The level of anxiety and anger amongst a number of those attending was clear from the hundreds of messages sent to the livestream’s chat throughout the webinar.

Dr Kelleher said that public health teams are “absolutely committed” to getting children with special educational needs back to school. “What we witnessed last spring was really problematic in terms of this group of children,” he said.

When asked if changes are necessary to the current infection prevention measures in schools, given the new variants of Covid-19, he said the variants do appear to be more transmissible. “But actually the measures that we have been saying, that should [already be in place], are as applicable before as they are now," he said.

The real issue is when people let the mitigation measures slip, such as during break times, he added.

The new variants are there, but the measures are the same. 

"They will protect you if you adhere to them,” he added. 

Close contacts linked to schools will be tested if there are incidents of positive cases, similarly to hospitals and nursing homes, the meeting was also told.

There are high rates of community transmission, Dr Collins said, but data collected by the HSE show rates of the virus amongst school-age children have been lower than the general population. 

“We know that with mitigation measures in place and implemented, it does help prevent onward spread with school settings,” she said.