Teaching union head says reopening of special schools ‘will happen this time’

Schools for some pupils with special education needs will reopen next week as planned, the general secretary of the Irish National Teachers Organisation (INTO) has said.

John Boyle said Covid-19 and the rise in case numbers recently had “scuppered” earlier plans for special schools to reopen. The decision not to go ahead previously had been the right decision, he said, but: “Now we have a proper plan”.

He told RTÉ Radio One’s Morning Ireland: “It will happen this time”.

On Monday it emerged that special education is set to partially reopen to thousands of children from February 11th following agreement with school staff unions.

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The revised plan will see special schools opening from February 11th with 50 per cent student attendance. Special classes in mainstream primary schools are due to reopen fully to all pupils from February 22nd.

The breakthrough followed the collapse of two separate plans to reopen schools last month, amid safety concerns among schools staff unions.

Mr Boyle said the difference this time was that the boards of management of schools will receive a detailed plan a week in advance, which would allow them liaise with parents, staff and bus services.

Special classes did not exist in isolation, he said. Some children spent part of their day in special class and the rest of the day in mainstream classes.

Next week they would return to schools with their teachers and Special Needs Assistants (SNAs) for a full day. They would have the “full run of the building”, which would give them the opportunity to settle back before the rest of the children returned to school in early March, he said.

High-risk teachers would not return to school and their places would be taken by teachers on the supply panel. “I am confident that staff will be there.”

It had been important to take the time to get the details right, he said, given the concerns that many had. “Time is precious, but life is even more precious.

Minister for Health Stephen Donnelly told the same programme that there was no plan to move teachers up the priority list for vaccination, but the schedule was “a living document”. The priorities had been drawn up by the National Immunisation Advisory Committee (NIAC) and endorsed by the National Public Health Emergency Team (Nphet) and the Government, with the objective of minimising illness and death.

Teachers had raised serious concerns which would have “to be taken seriously,” he added.