RISE IN SCHOOL ABSENCES AS COVID HITS HARD

A drop in school attendance has been reported across The Avondhu region, with some local schools reporting less than 80% attendance following the Christmas break, reports Katie Glavin.

According to a number of school principals this newspaper spoke to, absenteeism ranges between pupils and staff.

“We’re down to 75% attendance, but attendance is down in every school across the country at the moment.

“I presume this is because of the close contact guidelines. PreCovid, we would normally average over 90% attendance,” one principal said.

Another school that spoke to The Avondhu following the Christmas break, said that a ‘very small amount’ of parents had elected to keep children at home, but only until the following week to allow some extra days of a break as a precaution.

By mid- December, positive cases of Covid-19 among 5-12 year olds had multiplied to 1,100 per day, a matter that the Irish National Teachers’ Organisation (INTO) had said was a time of ‘great unease and anxiety’.

GOOD TO BE BACK

The return to school however was welcomed by one local principal, who noted that many were glad to be back.

“We’re glad to be opened and back to a bit of normality for children and adults. If the reopening was pushed out, the fear is that it would be pushed out again and again.

“We’re keeping to the same routine as regards guidelines. What litigation measures we have in place have worked so far for us. I envisage the next few months could be tricky with (positive) numbers so high in the community,” the principal confirmed.

STAFFING CHALLENGE

According to one principal in the area, staffing remains a key issue for primary schools across the region as they reported a number of staff absences in the school’s first week of reopening.

“There is a substitute crisis. Pre-Covid it was becoming more and more difficult to acquire substitute teachers and SNAs across schools. It’s very difficult. The biggest challenge schools and school principals are facing at the minute is staffing,” the principal added.

Having raised the matter with Minister for Education Norma Foley, officials from the Department of Education and Public Health ahead of the reopening of schools earlier this month, INTO said that the primary sector remains amid a ‘staffing crisis’.

At this meeting, the union was informed that more student teachers will be made available to undertake paid substitution work over January and February at least.

INTO was also advised at the time that school inspectors will be made available to help schools who cannot access substitution cover to make decisions regarding how best to give priority to children with additional needs and younger classes, while other classes may have to return to remote learning from time to time.

PLAYING THEIR PART

Routine contact tracing ended for close contacts among children aged 12 years and younger in primary schools and creches in September 2021.

One principal noted that in place of contact tracing, staff, students and parents have been stepping up to the role.

“In my experience, staff, students and parents have been brilliant to come forward and notify us if there is a contact that is positive. It has been difficult but we’re doing our best and everyone is playing their part to keep one another safe,” the principal added.

A statement from INTO regarding contact tracing following the meeting prior to reopening of schools in January read: “We fundamentally reject the findings of the public health review which has concluded today that contact tracing should not be reinstated in primary educational settings at this time. We will continue to demand that this essential support be reinstated”.