LISTEN: Unions urge Stormont Executive to prioritise vaccination for special school staff

By Q Radio news

The Education Trade Union Group of the Northern Ireland Committee of the ICTU has written to the Minister of Health calling on him to prioritise special school staff for the Cov-19 vaccination.

The Chair of ETUG Maxine Murphy-Higgins of the NASUWT said:

On the 1st of February, the Ministers of Health and Education announced a decision to vaccinate some special school staff. 

This decision was received by some elements of the media, the public as well as some MLAs as a move which in the words of the Minister of Education would “ease the anxiety of parents and carers as well as staff working in special schools. 

Unfortunately, after expectations being raised, staff in special schools now find that most will not receive the vaccine while no extra mitigation measures have been put in place to protect them.

Staff within special school settings have difficulty implementing social distancing from their pupils and while some are provided with essential PPE as part of their day-to-day roles this is often compromised when supporting pupils with learning difficulties.

Meanwhile, the head of the Ulster Teachers' Union says safety must be the priority when deciding when pupils can return to schools.

Stormont minister Peter Weir says there is no fixed date for a return to school.

However ministers are expected to meet on Thursday to review current lockdown measures and whether or not they should be extended beyond March the 5th.

UTU President Stephen McCord, who's head of science at Larne High is urging caution:

Earlier a senior doctor in Northern Ireland says there's still a lot of work to be done - before restrictions can be eased in Northern Ireland.

The Chair of the British Medical Association in Northern Ireland Tom Black says we still have high rates of infection in the community and a high number of hospital inpatients - which needs to be considered by the executive.