Mr. Kieran Christie:

This links to the previous question regarding the weakest link. Teachers and students want to return to school because, notwithstanding their best efforts in the months since March, there have been deficiencies and these will have to be addressed. It is early days to quantify and particularise these deficiencies but we are already hearing from some of our members that it is an issue in classes. Compensatory measures will have to be considered once there has been a proper assessment of where students are because there has been slippage, notwithstanding, as I said, the great efforts that were made. There is no question that additional resources will have to be made available for that. To link back to the previous question, that is why schools need to remain open. There must be sustainable reopening and all roads lead to physical distancing and the other suite of measures that need to be taken to ensure that. We called for a constant review to be undertaken to ensure the physical distancing requirements are appropriate for schools. That review will have to be implemented.