SCHOOLS:THE IRISH National Teachers' Organisation has said individual schools should be left to decide whether or not they make up school days lost during the bad weather.
The union, which is the largest in the country, also dismissed calls for a change to the standardised school year in an effort to make up lost days later in the school year.
The extent of closures had varied, with some schools reporting little disruption, the union said, adding that some schools had used closed days for teacher training and planning.
“Others have taught pupils using the internet where this was possible, while other schools have already made up time lost by working a planned closure on December 8th 2010 where the board agreed to this,” it added.
The union also said the key planning that needed to be undertaken related to the gritting of roads and footpaths, particularly secondary roads. “Nearly every school closure related to safety issues outside of the control of schools,” it added. “If this matter were addressed, there would be fewer closings no matter how bad the weather.”
It dismissed a call from a group representing principals that days could be made up during upcoming holiday periods. “It is not possible to say with any certainty what weather conditions will be like in early January. This makes talk of reopening schools on an earlier date in January, premature and speculative,” it said.
The union also pointed out that an attempt to manage the system centrally last year – when all schools were ordered to close by the Department of Education – backfired and had to be rescinded.
The Irish Primary Principals Network, which represents primary school principals, said yesterday if a school can make up lost days, then it should do so. “If they cannot make up those days, then they cannot do so and either outcome is valid,” it said.
“A minority of schools have lost a significant number of days and their principals find themselves in a difficult situation. As professionals, they want to do the right thing for the children in their schools, but they find themselves restricted by the standardised school year,” it added.
But teacher union said the agreement emerged from a demand to give certainty to parents around school breaks to allow plans to be made for work arrangements, childminding and family holidays.
Speaking on behalf of voluntary school management boards, Ferdia Kelly, general secretary of the joint managerial body, said principals were under unfair pressure. “They are left to make a choice between health and safety concerns and tuition times. Either way they are blamed. They want to provide the students with as much help, especially those in exam years, but then if anyone was injured because of keeping the school open, that is their responsibility,” he said.
The guideline for the number of days a school is supposed to be open is 167 for post-primary schools and 183 for primary level schools.
It is unclear where schools will be required to make up the required amount of days.
Since schools are not obliged to notify the department before closing, there is no way to officially know how many schools stayed open.
However, principals around the country were asked to respond to a mobile phone text survey which estimated that one-in-four schools closed yesterday.