Clare teachers are calling for further clarity on how schools are expected to manage rising levels of Covid-19 transmission.
It comes as Minister for Education Norma Foley insists schools remain safe places, despite cases doubling among children in the past fortnight.
The number of positive cases amongst children has increased almost two-fold in the past two weeks.
There were over 15,000 cases in the fortnight that ended on Wednesday.
That’s 82 per cent higher than the 8,435 infections in the previous two weeks.
But Education Minister Norma Foley insists schools remain safe places for children.
However, an Ennis principal is concerned as to how effective the planned roll-out of antigen testing will be for close contacts in primary schools.
An antigen testing regime will be rolled out in national schools before the end of this month.
If there’s a case in a pod, every child will be asked to take a rapid test – while if there’s more than a single case an entire class will require testing.
However, it isn’t mandatory for children to take part in the testing.
Dónal Ó hAiniféin, principal of Gaelscoil Mhíchíl Cíosóg, says the pod system isn’t enforceable in junior classes and that contact tracing for this age-group needs to be rethought.
Meanwhile, an assistant principal in the county town says concerns remain over ongoing difficulties in sourcing subsitute teachers.
New isolation rules mean household close contacts of a confirmed case – including teachers – will have to stay at home for 5 days.
Those in the education system have expressed fears this could lead to further staffing shortages.
While, Minister Norma Foley insists every effort will be made to find more subs, Colm Davoren from CBS Primary School Ennis says concrete details on how this will be achieved are needed.
