Clare’s representative in the Irish Second Level Students’ Union is calling for pupils at home due to being close contacts to be facilitated with online learning.
Schools reopened this morning amid concern over teacher staffing levels, with many out with the virus or as a close contact.
Between 27 hundred and 4 and a half thousand secondary school teachers are missing their first day of term today, due to covid-related absences.
Many primary and secondary schools are missing both students and teachers, with schools continuing to struggle to find substitutes.
The General Secretary of the Teachers’ Union of Ireland, Michael Gillespie, says some teachers have been reluctant to return to the classroom.
Some teachers say their concerns may be allayed via the introduction of higher grade masks.
Clare’s INTO representative says schools using capital funding for them may lead to further difficulties investing in other resources.
The union says it had been advised FFP2 masks would be provided to schools, though the Education Minister says schools must use their own allocated funding to buy them.
Clare INTO representative Brendan Horan believes this could have a knock on effect on other areas.
Clare’s representative in the Irish Second Level Students’ Union wants pupils are who close contacts of confirmed cases to be permitted to access online learning facilities.
The ISSU is criticising the Department of Education for not consulting with students before decisions around reopening classes were made.
MollyJane Sweeney, who’s a transition year student at St Joseph’s Secondary School in Tulla, says not facilitating online learning has been a failure of the Department.
