The ASTI addressed the Special Oireachtas Committee on Covid 19 yesterday (July 2nd).
Addressing the Committee, ASTI General Secretary Kieran Christie said the reopening of schools must be carried out in a manner that is safe and enjoys the confidence of all concerned.
Key issues for the ASTI are:
- Ensuring the health, safety and wellbeing of students, teachers and other school personnel
- Adjusting the physical infrastructure to maintain social distancing
- Implementing the Return to Work Safely protocol as it will apply in schools and ensuring compliance
- Attending to the needs of vulnerable members of the school community
- Dealing with the enormity of the initiative overload burden placed on schools in recent years and rebalancing the Inspection process in schools so that these don’t constitute a barrier to an efficient school reopening and the making up for lost time.
- Addressing the impact on students, teaching and learning and the challenges of potential staggered attendance that may still be necessary for a time. In relation to a blended learning approach, a whole raft of issues have arisen and will have to be addressed regarding remote teaching and digital literacy skills.
- It will be important to address the equity issues that were thrown into the limelight in such a stark manner after the school closures in March as a matter of urgent priority at national and school level.
- Students with special and additional educational needs have suffered enormously during this period. Their needs will have to be addressed.
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