Schools expect ‘huge absenteeism’ rates this week due to fears over Omicron

Schools expect “huge absenteeism” rates this week due to fears among parents over rising numbers of Covid-19 cases and proximity to the Christmas holidays.

Primary and secondary schools are due to close on Wednesday, December 22nd, and reopen on Thursday, January 6th.

Some health experts and school principals have called for early closure in light of rising case numbers of the more transmissible Omicron variant.

However, a spokesman for the department said the scheduling of school holiday periods would not change and there was “no evidence to suggest that extending school holidays has a public health rationale”.

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Séamus Mulconry, general secretary of the Catholic Primary Schools Management Association, which supports more than 2,800 primary schools, said a significant fall-off in attendance is expected this week.

“We are expecting attendance to be down. Families are making decisions based on the fact that, in some cases, they are meeting with vulnerable family members over Christmas and want to minimise the risk, which is very understandable,” he said.

School principals, in some cases, say they expect attendance to be down by about 25 per cent or more.

‘Insane’

Public health expert Prof Anthony Staines, head of health systems at Dublin City University, said that schools should close this week and reopen later in the new year to suppress the number of Covid-19 cases in light of the Omicron variant. He said it was "insane" to reopen schools on Monday.

"There is no conceivable reason for it. Irish schoolchildren will not be permanently damaged by having three days off," said Prof Staines, a member of the Independent Scientific Advisory Group. The group has in the past called for pre-emptive, short and hard lockdowns as a last-ditch effort to eliminate the virus when case numbers reach high levels.*

Matt Melvin, principal of St Etchen's National School in Kinnegad, Co Westmeath, said it had organised many of its Christmas events for last week in the knowledge that many will not attend this week.

Many schools have decided to send pupils’ books home with them for the Christmas period, in case schools do not open on schedule.

Others have been refamiliarising themselves with remote teaching platforms and upskilling new teaching staff.

However, Mr Mulconry said senior Department of Education officials have been “adamant” over recent days that schools will reopen as planned on January 6th next.

“If that is the case, schools will need support to be ramped up. That means a resumption of contact tracing and greater assistance for principals, because they will be reopening in a more challenging environment.”

Meanwhile, Leaving Cert oral exams for up to 60,000 students look set to be moved to the first week of the Easter holidays to ease what schools describe as a “crisis” in teacher supply.

In normal times, Leaving Cert oral and music exams are conducted during term time.

However, The Irish Times understands plans are being finalised to hold oral exams in Irish and modern languages, along with practical performance tests in music, during a seven- or eight-day window extending from Thursday, April 7th, to Friday, April 15th.

Easter holidays

This could see exams taking place at weekends and over the first week of the Easter holidays.

The proposal has been explored with school managers and teachers’ unions and a final plan is due to be discussed at a meeting of education partners on Monday. If signed off, an announcement is due shortly.

The move is being planned due to the volume of teachers absent on sick leave or self-isolating due to Covid-19.

Many post-primary schools are struggling to find sufficient staff to teach and supervise classes and would not be able release teachers to work as examiners during term time.

Under the plans, Junior Cycle oral exams and practical performance tests in music and home economics would continue to take place during term time.

It is understood that enhanced payment rates for teachers who opt to work as examiners are also being explored.

Even in pre-Covid years, the State Examinations Commission has struggled to find enough applicants for the positions of examiners across all modes of assessment including the oral and practical exams.

* This article was amended on December 20th, 2021