Mr. John Boyle:

I am grateful for the opportunity to appear before the committee this week as more than 500,000 pupils and 50,000 staff return to their primary and special school buildings. There is excitement and trepidation in equal measure. While INTO members are taking on the challenge of restarting formal education in the school system, it is the responsibility of the Government to ensure that all reasonable steps have been taken and all protections are in place to safeguard the members of the school community.

I acknowledge the progress made to date by the Department of Education and Skills with strong input from stakeholders, including the INTO. The publication of the roadmap for primary and special schools was welcomed. The urgent calls for additional resources and a centralised procurement system for the purchase of hand sanitiser and personal protective equipment, PPE, were listened to and acted upon. The additional grants to schools are also welcome and efforts to ensure they were paid in a timely fashion are appreciated. We also welcome the establishment of the supply panels and other teacher supply measures as a way to improve access to substitute teachers in the event of a teacher becoming sick or self-isolating with Covid-19 symptoms.

The INTO further welcomes the announcement that no new school self-evaluation activities will be expected this year, and that the inspectorate’s role will be more advisory and supportive.

I commend the serious volume of work that was done in schools throughout the country all over the summer, especially the sacrifices made by principal teachers and those who directly supported them. As we know, classrooms have been reconfigured and stripped of extraneous furniture, new sanitation stations have been installed, one-way systems have been mapped out, signage has been placed everywhere and communication with parents is ongoing. These practical matters are all in addition to the many changes involved in classroom management, supervising and reassuring pupils, creating class bubbles and pods and adapting the curriculum and teaching and learning to fit the new reality. Returning safely to school is a common goal shared by all members of the school community. Ongoing communication via the national media will be vital to ensure buy-in from the entire school community. Clear advice and guidance for parents on supporting their children will be required throughout the entire year.

As has been stated by my colleagues, we must facilitate teachers who are in the high risk category. We called for and received assurances that a robust appeal mechanism will be available to those who dispute original medical evaluations conducted by the occupational health service, Medmark. We must also ensure that everyone in the education sector has quick access to testing and tracing and that there is an ongoing surveillance system for the education sector. Schools are essential services and they are now the new front line in the battle against Covid-19. Of course, our teachers want to be back in school but they must have full confidence that where a case arises all necessary measures, to use the words of Dr. Ronan Glynn, will be taken to protect students and staff.

It is also essential that employers show flexibility for workers whose children have to self-isolate and that such workers receive payment while they are absent from their workplaces minding sick children. Otherwise, they will be disinclined to keep their children at home, adding further pressure and making schools unsafe. School leaders will need ongoing access to guidance, in addition to their leadership and management days, to deal with the additional responsibilities that continue to fall on them. The introduction of planned changes to the system and non-essential paperwork should be suspended for the duration of the Covid-19 crisis. Stakeholder consultations are ongoing, and they will be vital to ensure that any change in circumstances can be anticipated, planned for and reacted to in a timely and comprehensive manner.

Just because schools are open, it does not mean there is nothing further to be done. It is imperative that a review be undertaken, by the end of September, to assess the reopening of schools and identify improvements which may be necessary. This review must be cross-governmental and include input from the HSA, the HSE, the inspectorate and all stakeholders. There has to be a trusting relationship between the HSE and schools if everyone is to remain safe throughout the year. Unless we are vigilant and in a position to adapt quickly to changing circumstances, schools may risk a second period of enforced closure.

Covid-19 has been a transformative experience for everyone in Irish society. With regard to primary schools, it has shone a harsh light on years of underinvestment, the massive size of our primary classes and the inadequate spaces they inhabit. No other European country had to issue illustrations of classrooms which were expected to accommodate up to 32 children in a class. It has also highlighted the degree to which the system relies on the goodwill and professionalism of school leaders. Principal teachers have taken on almost single-handedly the enormous task of managing the safe return to school of hundreds of thousands of children and staff. School leaders must be supported, facilitated and remunerated to continue this vital work in the coming school year.

We need to take this opportunity to re-evaluate what is important in our society, acknowledge what are essential services and value them accordingly.

For our younger teachers, that is, those who graduated after 2010, this means that the scourge of pay inequality needs to be eliminated for once and for all. Otherwise, after the Covid pandemic ends we will again see mass emigration of our brightest and best teachers overseas.

In regard to Covid-19, no one knows what will lie ahead. However, I am proud to say that Irish primary school teachers have answered the call and responded to this unprecedented situation, often despite personal anxiety and trauma, with the professionalism, integrity and duty of care that has been their hallmark.

Acting Chairman (Deputy Jennifer Carroll MacNeill):I thank Mr. Boyle. I ask Mr. Pike to make his opening statement.