Several schools in Northern Ireland have announced that multi-year groups will have to return to distance learning this week due to staff pressure.
It comes as Education Secretary Michelle McKelvin is expected to unveil plans from Monday’s plenary session of the Stormont Association to ensure the safety of children in the community amid the recent surge in Covid-19 cases.
The motion of no-confidence was filed by Sinn Fein MP Pat Sheehan last week and supported by members of the Democratic Party of Representatives and the Alliance party.
Ms McKelvin said she wanted the schools here to remain open.
On Friday, Belfast Girl’s Model School announced that due to a staff shortage associated with Kovid, 10th graders will stay home and study remotely on Mondays and Tuesdays.
School Principal, Paula Stewart, said: “Unfortunately, given the current level of staff shortages associated with the Covid-19 pandemic, there are not enough faculty members to conduct all face-to-face lessons as per the schedule.
To ease the pressure, we have reluctantly decided that our 10th graders will stay home and study remotely on Monday, January 10, and Tuesday, January 11, 2022.
Grade 10 students are expected to return to school on Wednesday, January 12, 2022 at 8:45 am
Lessons and resources will be available to 10-year-olds through the Google classroom.
Share your thoughts on opening schools below or click here.
A similar move was made at Mercy College in Belfast, which has a group of several years.
The school has notified parents and guardians that from Monday, 8th to 11th grade, there will be several stable distance learning days.
Elsewhere, Fiona Kane, principal of St. Ronan’s College in Lorgan, said her school is also experiencing significant delays due to a shortage of Coved staff, both staff and students.
Implement a contingency plan that prioritizes GCSE and A-level students for classroom learning.
The plan is that other year groups will study at home on certain days so that the rest of the faculty can cover the class for students who will take exams.
“We’ve introduced the program to parents, and it’s on a rolling basis and I know many schools and many of my core colleagues are doing exactly the same,” Ms Kane told the BBC’s Good Morning Ulster program on Monday.
“We want to keep as many children as possible in school, face to face, and Grades 12 and 14 – GCSE and A-level classes – are a priority, so they will stay in school.
Source: Belfastlive
Tim-32Brown is a distinguished writer for TodayTimesLive, known for his exceptional talent in article writing. With a keen eye for detail and a gift for storytelling, Tim crafts engaging and informative content that resonates with readers. His contributions reflect a deep-seated passion for insightful journalism and a commitment to delivering high-quality articles.
