The country’s three main teaching unions have all voiced grave concern with plans to keep schools open for Leaving Cert students and children with special needs.

The Taoiseach this afternoon confirmed that schools around the country would remain shut until February at the earliest.

However, Leaving Cert students will return on Monday and are due to attend classes for three days a week.

Individual schools will be given 'autonomy' to decide how that will work in practice.

Meanwhile, the provision of special education will also resume on Monday in special schools, special classes and in specialised settings.

"Gravely concerned"

In a statement this afternoon, the Teachers Union of Ireland said it was “gravely concerned” at the plan and said it posed health and safety risks as well as logistical problems.

TUI President Martin Marjoram said it was “completely unacceptable” unions were not consulted on the plans.

“The proposed opening of schools for Leaving Certificate students will inevitably see large numbers of people – teachers, other staff and students – mixing in confined spaces at a time when the unambiguous public health advice to the population is to do the exact opposite,” he said.

“At a time of significant rise in positive COVID-19 cases and large numbers in isolation due to contact tracing plus the serious concerns about the new variant of the disease, this appears to be an extremely dangerous risk to take.”

He said the implementing the plan would also be a “logistical nightmare, not least in terms of timetabling.”

“Students in other years still have to be catered for, along with those Leaving Certificate students who, for a variety of reasons, will not be in a position to attend,” he said.

"Rushed and reckless"

Meanwhile the Irish National Teachers Organisation said the “rushed and reckless decision” to keep special needs education going could undermine public health.

It said it had “serious concerns about the Department's expectation that these specialised settings could simply reopen fully from next Monday without necessary preparation time and protections required for staff and students.”

“Special schools, students and staff do not exist in a bubble separate from wider society,” it said.

“The sustainable and safe reopening of these schools and classes should be based on specific health advice, with adequate preparation and a staged reopening.

“The rushed plan as laid out today is reckless and takes unnecessary risks which could easily be avoided. In light of public health advice, It is questionable whether attendance at such premises will be other than minimal.”

Safety

The Association of Secondary Teachers in Ireland (ASTI) said the Government had brought forward “no credible assurance” that schools will be safe for Leaving Cert students.

It said it has not been shown any data proving the safety of reopening schools, “in the context of the new variant and the alarmingly high numbers.”

It said it was worried the Government had failed to fully consider the potential consequences of reopening schools to Leaving Cert students.