Peter Fitzpatrick (Louth, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I wish to raise three issues with the Minister. Covid is rampant within our community and it is spreading quicker than ever before. As reported this week, Ireland has the highest rate of infection in the world in recent weeks. This is a truly frightening time for everyone. With this in mind, the first issue I wish to raise is the safety of students and staff in schools once they return. I have spoken to many parents and staff who are genuinely worried about the safety, not only of their schoolgoing children but also the staff. The Minister has constantly stated that schools are the safest place for children and while I believe she may be correct in some regard, we need to take another look at this, in particular due to the new UK strain of Covid, which appears to be more easily spread. Could she confirm if her Department has received advice on this and what the current status is with regard to this new strain of Covid? The new strain is extremely contagious and as a result has the ability to spread rapidly if it gets a foothold in schools.

Children with special needs have been particularly affected by the lockdowns. They have been forced to stay at home, with no or very little interaction with their friends or schools. I know from speaking to parents of children with special needs that the one thing on which they are all agreed is that the children have all gone back into themselves and that any progress they have made is all but lost. These parents and their children need our support. Words are no good to them. What they need is real support. By real support I mean the reopening of special units in schools. This must be done as a matter of urgency. I welcome the Minister's commitment to the reopening of special schools on 21 January. Clarity was required so that the parents and children know exactly when life can go back to some sort of normality for them.

The final issue I wish to raise is the leaving certificate. Exactly one year ago the headline in The Irish Timeswas about leaving certificate marking being rushed and unfair. This headline was before there was any talk of schools closing as a result of Covid. Today we have 6th year students who do not know if the leaving certificate is going to go ahead at all. This is completely unfair not only to them but also to the teaching staff. There is no point in saying something one day and then something completely different a few days later. The bottom line is that a firm decision needs to be made now. There is no point in dragging this on for weeks on end and creating uncertainty among students and staff. The very latest date for a firm decision is the end of January as to whether the leaving certificate is going to go ahead or not. From her comments, I know the Minister is of the opinion that the leaving certificate must go ahead at all costs. This is the wrong message to send out. If it is not safe to hold the leaving certificate, then alternatives must be provided. There is no point in waiting until the last minute to decide. I urge the Minister to give clarity to students and staff by the end of January at the very latest.

I have been inundated with emails from students, parents and staff outlining their worries on this year's leaving certificate exam. The following is from a very worried parent of a leaving certificate student who is also a teacher.

l am writing to you as a parent of a leaving cert student and also as a second level teacher to ask you to use your good office to appeal to the Government, Minister Foley and the Department of Education to make a speedy decision as to how the Leaving Certificate will be assessed in 2021.

My daughter is already extremely stressed, trying to cope with online, remote learning and trying to stay motivated in the face of so much uncertainty and adversity. The leaving cert exam is such a difficult trial at the best of times and so much of a student's future depends on it. To have the additional stress of not knowing when-if practicals will happen, whether the leaving cert will happen or whether it will be predicted grades again, (which was a disaster in my view). There are also rumours floating around that the leaving cert exam might be delayed.

That is only a small example of some of the correspondence I have received. Could the Minister confirm a definite date on when a decision will be made on the 2021 leaving certificate and the advice she received regarding the UK strain of Covid and its effect on the safety of students and staff? In fairness to her, she has already answered the question on special needs.

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