INTO President pleads with parents in Kilkenny to keep symptomatic children home from school

President of the INTO, Joe Mc Keown is urging parents to keep symptomatic children at home as primary schools across the city and county remain open despite significant staff shortages.

Staffing issues are prevalent with record levels of the virus circulating in the community and schools are reporting between 10 to 20% absenteeism in staff and between 10% and 35% in pupils.

"Even though it is challenging the vast majority if not all primary schools are open in Kilkenny," said Mr McKeown who added that in many schools special education teachers are being used to cover mainstream classes.

"This means that the Department of Education will have to give additional teaching resources and special education hours to schools later in the year. We need to have a plan on how schools will get resources to help children who have missed out on school due to Covid. For example senior infants have now had two years of disrupted education.

"Principals and teachers have done a phenomenal job in making sure that the schools opened and it will be a challenge but they will continue to do their best. My message to parents is do not send a child to school if they have symptoms of Covid. That is the single most important thing that parents can do right now.

"Between now and the February mid term every effort will be made to keep schools open. If classes have to be sent home younger pupils and special education will be prioritised for face to face learning," he said adding that the next two weeks will be extremely challenging.