Parents ‘should prepare’ for disruption before Christmas, says union

As reported by BBC News, a union representing head teachers has urged parents to be prepared for disruption in schools before the Christmas break

It comes as concern continues to grow about a shortage of teachers to cover classes. The National Association of Head Teachers (NAHT) said there were not enough substitute teachers and the demand was “absolutely huge”. The NASUWT union has called for schools to close early as a “circuit breaker”.

Helena Macormac, director of the NAHT in Northern Ireland, said the situation in schools was “startling”. Macormac said the priority for school leaders was to keep children in school, but she added that the Northern Ireland Executive must put in place contingency plans.

“I think contingency plans need to be put in place, but it’s not something we want to see happen,” Macormac said.

“We do not want to see a circuit breaker. We would prefer it if that could be avoided, but safety has to be paramount.”

Asked if parents should be prepared for potential school disruption ahead of Christmas, Macormac said that was a message that needed to come from the Department of Education.

But she added: “Be prepared is what we’re saying, but we really don’t want this to happen.

“School leaders are taking a very measured approach to this. They’re trying to do everything in their power to ensure it has minimal disruption on children, but if there are not the substitute teachers in the system, then schools cannot open safely.”

Macormac called on the Department of Education to expand the register for substitute teachers to help alleviate the situation.

“We want to see them perhaps encouraging recently retired teachers to come back or incentivising teachers which are within other areas of the system, and asking them to return to teaching,” she said.

The union director said there needed to be clear messaging from the department for parents and pupils and to let them know their school may be faced with this situation.

On Tuesday, NASUWT’s Justin McCamphill said the teacher shortage situation was “spiralling”. He said more students may have to learn remotely in the coming weeks. It came after it was revealed Belfast Boys’ Model School had required some year groups to learn from home or leave early every day this week due to “serious staff shortages”.

The Department of Education said there were currently “no plans” to close schools early ahead of Christmas, and a decision to do so would have to be made by the executive. It also said there were “currently no plans to return to remote learning across all schools”.

“The department is aware of the ongoing difficulties faced by some schools in securing appropriate cover as a result of staff absence, and acknowledges that individual schools may need to consider a short period of remote learning for a class or classes, in response to local circumstances,” the department added.

Schools have switched to remote learning several times since the pandemic began, in a bid to help curb COVID-19 infections. All students returned to school in April this year, as Northern Ireland emerged from its post-Christmas lockdown.

Schools were also shut for five months from the first lockdown in March 2020, and for an extended half-term holiday. Several schools also voluntarily moved to remote learning in the lead-up to Christmas.