Primary schools to get antigen tests as Ronan Glynn admits 'schools are not as safe'

The new antigen testing programme is expected to be operational from early next week. File photo

The new antigen testing programme for primary school children will begin in schools on Monday, the Education Minister has said.

The programme, which will see tests issued by the HSE, is expected to be operational from early next week, according to Norma Foley.

All guidance on the use of the tests will be made available to schools and parents ahead of their introduction, she added. It comes following a raft of new measures announced this week aimed at curbing the current staffing crisis faced by schools throughout the country.

The current transmission levels of Covid-19 continue to impact schools, with many currently dealing with high cases of Covid-19 amongst their students. Many schools have struggled to source substitute teachers to cover for those who are sick or isolating. 

The teacher education colleges have agreed to free up third-year and fourth-year students so they can provide substitution cover in schools up to the end of term.  Students will be paid for this work. 

The move will add to the available pool of teachers and 680 teachers are now being made available to provide emergency cover to schools, Ms Foley told RTÉ radio. “It is a cumulative approach that’s been taken.” 

She also defended her department from accusations that it had failed to see the staff shortages coming. “There has been significant, not just in immediate planning, but there has been long-term planning as well,” she said. 

She said that schools remain relatively safe but admitted the situation was challenging. “There has been nothing easy about Covid." 

On Wednesday, Dr Ronan Glynn, the deputy chief medical officer (CMO), said that schools are not as safe now as they were when the incidence rate of Covid-19 was lower a number of months ago. 

"No environment is as safe now as it was then. We’ve said all along that when incidence is really high in the community, as it is at the moment, then schools are not as safe as they would otherwise be. We’ve never said that schools are a safe environment. We’ve said that they’re a lower-risk environment," he told Newstalk.

Members of the National Public Health Emergency Team (Nphet), including Dr  Glynn, and the Government have on several occasions during the pandemic referred to schools as safe environments.  

The majority of school inspections were also paused this week under emergency measures. From Friday, inspections will be confined to ones that focus on child protection, inspections of schools in special care units and child detention centres, Covid inspections and urgent visits. 

A spokesman for the Department of Education said the programme of short inspections due to take place this term is deferred to later in the school year. These included monitoring anti-bullying measures in schools; the use of shortened timetables for students; and addressing the learning needs of students affected by the pandemic. 

“No date has been set for the resumption of these inspections,” he said.