The Association of Secondary Teachers Ireland (ASTI) Standing Committee met this evening to discuss the announcement by the Minister for Education Norma Foley this week.
As the Irish Examiner reports, despite widespread school closures, special schools and special classes have been directed to reopen from Monday.
Leaving Cert students have also been told they will receive in-person lessons three days per week.
In a statement issued this evening, the ASTI said it was not consulted before this announcement.
“The ASTI has not been provided with the necessary assurances that schools are sufficiently safe for students and teachers at this time, in the context of the new variant of Covid-19 circulating in the community and the alarmingly high numbers.”
Following the Minister’s announcement, the union received a high number of communications from teachers expressing concern that the movement of more than 80,000 individuals to and from schools.
The ASTI Standing Committee has directed its members not to cooperate with the arrangements announced by the Minister for Education for in-school teaching, but to engage in remote teaching/ learning provision from Monday, January 11th.
Speaking after the meeting, ASTI President Ann Piggott said: “The ASTI has repeatedly sought sufficient assurances that schools are safe for students and teachers at this time, in the context of the new variant of Covid-19 circulating in the community and the alarmingly high numbers.
“We engaged with the Department of Education and with public health officials today. Unfortunately, the assurances we sought have not been forthcoming.”
