The Chair of the NIC-ICTU Education Trade Union Group Maxine Murphy-Higgins has called for the mitigations that were in place in June to remain in place in our schools, as they prepare to reopen next week.
As we see the infection rates rise particularly among our school age population, it seems ill advised to be withdrawing the mitigations. It would seem the right thing to do would be to keep the mitigations in place to establish the extent of the impact the return to school will have on the infection rates. We all have a civic responsibility to play our part in the fight against the virus and we are all alarmed at the increased rate of infections and deaths.
We see no reason to relax the mitigations. The decision by the NI Executive to state that bubbles are no longer required will make it impossible to trace close contacts. This guidance suggests that bubbles may remain a good idea. This will create massive challenges for schools who wish to do this. With the ‘bubbling’ gone and larger meetings being allowed, combined with those who are double vaccinated not having to self-isolate, we can only see the infection rate going one way.
We are still awaiting revised guidance but it appears that it will put further pressure on individual principals to make decisions in relation to their own school and fails to offer practical and helpful support; more importantly, it does not answer the key questions that school staff and leaders have in an unambiguous way so that schools can open safely.
ENDS
Note for editors:
The NIC-ICTU Education Trade Union Group comprises affiliated trade unions representing principals, teachers and support staff of all grades across all sectors of the NI Education system: NASUWT; UNISON; UTU; GMB; INTO; Unite; NAHT; Prospect; NIPSA
