Cork school principal was called a child abuser by anti-mask protestors at school gates

It is one of several incidents which has taken place at Cork schools in recent weeks, with union officials and politicians critical of such incidents

The protests have been timed to coincide with the end of the school day so protesters can meet parents to raise concerns about mask-wearing. File picture: Danny Lawson/PA Wire

A Cork school principal has told of being called a child abuser for implementing mask-wearing guidelines in a school which was targeted by anti-mask protesters.

The school was one of a number of primary schools in Cork which were targeted in the past 10 days by anti-mask protesters.

The principal said she felt intimidated and harassed when she confronted the group outside her school’s gates earlier this week. The principal, who wished not to be identified, said the protest followed a number of letters received at the school in recent weeks from a different group which has sent letters to several schools across Cork. The letters threatened that school staff would have their assets stripped from them if they continued to implement public health guidelines in schools.

The protests have been timed to coincide with the end of the school day so protesters can meet parents to raise concerns about mask-wearing.

Now, the Irish National Teachers Organisation (INTO) has come out in support of teachers and other school staff. 

A spokesman said: “No member of the school community should be subjected to abuse or harassment for following the public health advice upon which the continued opening of schools is based. Schools must be safe spaces for both pupils and staff alike and authorities must take steps to protect our school communities from this type of reprehensible behaviour. The Department of Education has advised this union that such incidents should be reported to An Garda Síochána.” 

Sinn Féin’s education spokesman Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire said while people were entitled to agree or disagree with Covid restrictions and have a right to protest, “they are not entitled to bring it to the school gates”.

He added that such actions targeting schools and their staff are unfair because the decisions on public health guidelines were not made by teachers.