Loyalist death threats against staff at Catholic schools in north Belfast must be lifted immediately, Northern Ireland education minister Mr Martin McGuinness said today.
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The Sinn Féin minister, who had talks with unions and management from the education sector, said schools and all those associated with them must be regarded as sacred.
"It is absolutely vital that the community gets in behind educationalists of all descriptions, that we respond to this challenge by asking our community, particularly community leaders and politicians to engage in the real work of dialogue," he said.
He was speaking as hundreds of police and soldiers were drafted in to protect teachers and pupils outside all schools in north Belfast.
At Holy Cross School on the Ardoyne Road, which has been the centre of a loyalist protest, parents escorted their young daughters past dozens of armoured police vehicles lining the route.
There was a police presence at the other schools in the area, including Our Lady of Mercy Secondary School, where loyalists smashed up to 20 cars belonging to teachers last week.
At the weekend the loyalist Red Hand Defenders - a cover name used by the Ulster Defence Association (UDA) - had threatened that all staff at Catholic schools were now considered legitimate targets.
Mr McGuinness said it was clear that loyalist paramilitaries were intent on upping the ante.
A senior union official described the meeting with Mr McGuinness as very productive.
Mr Frank Bunting, northern secretary of the Irish National Teachers Organisation, said: "We were united that this was a deplorable situation, that the role of the school as a sanctuary in our community had to be strengthened".
He said the minister had promised to approach his colleagues to seek additional resources to increase school security in areas most at risk. PA