A Clare teacher claims forcing unvaccinated women in the early stages of their pregnancy to go back into the classroom is both dangerous and disrespectful.
It comes amid calls for the Department of Education to reverse rules which will see teachers under 14 weeks pregnant returning to the workplace.
Ahead of the weekend, schools received updated guildelines from the Department of Education on what measures they need to take when schools re-open in less than two weeks time.
Infection prevention and control measures which were in place last term will continue to operate, with a new covid-19 response plan to be issued this coming Wednesday.
Among the measures aimed at keeping students and staff safe are keeping windows paritally open while classrooms are in use and fully open when they’re not.
Carbon dioxide monitors will be delivered to each school by next month, while capacity limits on public transport will remain in place.
Teachers who are categorised as very high risk of serious illness will be allowed to work remotely.
However following updated advice from the HSE, teachers or SNAs who are medically fit to work will be required to return to the classroom up to 14 weeks of their pregnancy.
Last year pregnant staff were allowed to work from home and Chair of the Clare branch of the TUI and teacher at St Michael’s Community College Kilmihil, Kate Hehir says women should be given the option again this year.
The Principal of Gaelscoil Mhíchíl Cíosóig in Ennis has described the move as a bridge too far.
Donal O’hAinifein believes that asking unvaccinated teachers in their first trimester to expose themselves to 30 children in an enclosed space for up to 6 hours a day is “immoral” and “unfair”.
He hopes common sense will prevail and the decision will be reversed.
