LISTEN: Education minister says schools should deliver remote learning from January

By Michael McHugh, PA

Remote learning should begin for some post-primary pupils in Northern Ireland from January 25, the Education Minister has proposed.

Special needs schools would remain open to protect vulnerable students, Peter Weir added, and virtual teaching would not include exam years.

He has faced calls for changes to schools provision due to the rising coronavirus infection rate.

Mr Weir told the Assembly: “Schools must also be given the time to prepare for any change.

“Therefore at this time, and dependent upon the public health situation, I am proposing that remote learning would need to be brought in for post-primaries for the non-exam year students with effect from 25th January, on a temporary basis until the end of half-term.

“We need to protect our most vulnerable students, and so, irrespective of year group, the aim will be to keep special schools open throughout this period, and to provide provision within all schools for vulnerable children.”

Health Minister Robin Swann has said returning to school as normal in January is not a sustainable position.

He added that that view was informed by chief medical officer Dr Michael McBride and chief scientific adviser Professor Ian Young.

Mr Weir said: “The basis on which schools will return in January will not be on the basis of a return as normal.

“That would be an impossibility, and I agree with the Health Minister that matters cannot be ‘as normal’, nor indeed, given the unusual conditions that education has had to work in this year, it cannot be even a return to the ‘new normal’.

“I have made that very clear to all my Executive colleagues, no later than last night.

“We need a further step change in the actions that are taken.”

Mr Weir said he wants to implement a package of measures in early January.

He said consideration has already begun of:

– Extension of the use of face coverings within post-primary schools;

– How compliance on face coverings and safety measures can be increased on school transport;

– How people can dramatically improve behaviour at drop-off and collection of students around the school gates;

– Building on the current pilot scheme in Limavady, working alongside colleagues in health, exploring how officials can begin to further roll out test and trace capacity within schools;

– How messaging can be improved to young people to increase responsible behaviour and safety in connection with the pandemic.