Darren O'Rourke (Meath East, Sinn Fein)
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128. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the guidelines issued to teachers and schools on the social distancing requirements in classrooms in primary and post-primary schools; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [35557/20]

Norma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
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My Department has published a suite of helpful guidance for the safe and sustainable reopening of schools. Each school is required to have a COVID-19 Response Plan for the safe operation through the prevention, early detection and control of COVID-19 in line with public health advice. This guidance is focused on the practical steps schools must take to minimise the risk of transmission of infection and includes key measures such as respiratory and hand hygiene, cleaning, PPE and physical distancing.

In relation to physical distancing, public health advises of two broad approaches; increasing separation and decreasing interaction between students themselves, between students and staff and staff when together. HSE and HPSC guidance also advises that the application of physical distancing measures in a school should allow for some flexibility when needed and that it must be applied in a practical way, recognising that the learning environment cannot be dominated by a potentially counterproductive focus on this issue.

In order to facilitate physical distancing in primary schools, pupils and their teachers may be sorted into ‘Class Bubbles’ and ‘Pods’. A ‘Class Bubble’ is a class grouping which stays apart from other classes as much as possible. The objective is to limit contact and sharing of common facilities between people in different Class Bubbles (and Pods within those Class Bubbles) as much as possible, rather than to avoid all contact between Pods, as this will not always be possible.

Whenever possible, pupils and teaching staff should consistently be in the same Class Bubbles. Different Class Bubbles should have separate breaks and mealtimes or occupy separate areas at break or mealtimes. Movement of staff members between Class Bubbles should be limited as much as possible.

My Department has also published guidance for Post Primary schools on maintaining physical distance in the classroom, with illustrative classroom layouts. This guidance also includes options such as reconfiguring class spaces to maximise physical distancing, using all other space within the school, reviewing timetables and reconfiguring classes, and live streaming of a class to another room or area in the school. All students and staff must wear face covering in post primary schools.

While recognising that each school is different in terms of location, physical layout and available space, school themselves are best placed to decide on appropriate changes necessary to maintain physical distancing.

Guidance in relation to physical distancing measures is available on my Department’s website, .