6th August 2020
Considering today’s decision to have schools re-open fully from August 31st, Gerry Murphy, Northern Secretary of the INTO and Chairperson of the Northern Ireland Teachers’ Council said:
“The NITC fully supports the community and the Minister in seeking a full return to normality for all pupils as soon as it’s safely possible.
We as trade unions have a duty to protect the health and well-being not only of our members but to those children and young people in their care. A wider re-opening of schools such as Minister Weir is now directing goes beyond the New School Day guidance of the 19th of June and is a cause of deep concern to our members. The Minister and his Department have not supplied the updated information which has brought about the change in their position. Now, with 6 working days until the original proposed re-opening date, school managements are being forced to make further unreasonable demands of the education workforce.”
Justin McCamphill, of the NASUWT, Secretary of the NITC, added:
“The Department of Education has paid lip service to their promises regarding adequate consultation with the trade unions and appears not to have learned anything from their Covid experience so far. The statement from the Minister, as usual, lacks sufficient clarity and detail. The changes to the New School Day Guidance announced today will force principals and teachers to again redraft and unpick physical changes which they have already laboured to put in place.
The dumping of social distancing and the apparent belief of the Minister and his Executive colleagues that schools exist outside of normal society and are somehow immune to the virus presents a real threat to education workers, children and society. Teachers and our colleagues in the education workforce deserve better from a Minister and Department who have relied upon them to do what they could not do, keep the education system functioning.”
Mr Murphy concluded by saying:
“The NITC concerns are real and solely prompted by a genuine concern for the safety and well-being of the entire education workforce and those in their care. Attempts by others to portray this as a reluctance on the part of teachers to see a wider re-opening of schools simply distracts and attempts to obfuscate the issue in an effort to confuse the public. Throughout this pandemic teachers, like all front line workers have given their all in the interests of the children and our wider society; they will continue to do so.”