Irish Examiner View: Schools reopening is a testing move for all of society

This step requires discipline and concentration if it is to be consolidated

There is no reason to imagine that the re-opening of schools will not go ahead successfully today. 

The reopening of our schools gathers pace this morning when around  320,000 students and their teachers return to their classrooms. This longed-for advance builds on the progress made last month when special classes in mainstream schools resumed.

This is a step everyone, well nearly everyone, involved have looked forward to for one reason or another for some time now. It is nevertheless fraught with challenges. Students will want to try to catch up on their education, friends will be delighted to meet for the first time in many weeks while teachers and school administrators will worry that something might go wrong to jeopardise this small step back towards what was or normal just one year ago.