Taoiseach: Junior infants up to second class set for school return from March 1
Are Up The Set School 1, Taoiseach To To Junior Children From Infants Indicated From Has Second Class To Return March
Children from junior infants up to second class are set to return to school from March 1, the Taoiseach has indicated.
Micheál Martin has said pupils will return to school on a "phased basis" and a decision will be made by the Covid sub-Committee today before the recommendation is brought to Cabinet next Tuesday.
He said a full reopening of schools is not being considered as bringing a million people back at the same time is "not possible" because of the new variants of the virus.
"I've already had sounding from public health and Nphet in relation to their sense of this. So we will be reopening schools on a phased basis, the indications are that's likely to be the beginning of March.
"The public health authorities want to do this on a gradual basis, because they want to monitor the impact of increased mobilisation of people on the spread of the disease."
But he added: "Say we open schools, not all schools at once, but say junior infants, senior infants, first and second class potentially, public health will want to monitor that over a two-week period to see what was the impact of that on the spread of the virus."
Asked if second-level students are now on board with the Leaving Cert plan to offer students a traditional exam and predicted grades, Mr Martin said: "The unions would still have some concerns in terms of how this operates on the ground. But fundamentally, given the fact that students have lost a significant amount of time last year because of Covid-19 and have lost again January and February this year because of Covid-19, the choice had to be given to the students."
He added that the Junior Certificate has been cancelled to ensure that schools have enough space to put on exams for Leaving Cert students.
In general, he said there will be a "very slow and cautious" reopening of the country in the coming months.
"In May, June, I think we will be in a different space," he said, adding that if the over 70s are vaccinated by mid-May it will allow for more movement.
"It is very difficult at the moment for people. This third wave and the lockdown associated with it is having a very significant psychological impact on people," Mr Martin told the on Live 95.
"We have to give people hope and with the vaccination hope does come, and I think we will be in a different space in June and July certainly."