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Education Minister Aims For Ma...

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Education Minister Aims For March 1st To Reopen Schools

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Newsroom

02:22 16 Feb 2021


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The Education Minister has told the cabinet she's planning for a phased return to school for all students next month.

March 1st has been set as a target date, but opposition politicians are sceptical that's achievable.

As well as that, the date has yet to be agreed with teaching unions with talks ongoing.

Labour's Education Spokesman Aodhan O'Riordain says he's not convinced it will be March 1st.

"I hope that she's correct but I heard a different date yesterday."

He said also said the reopening of schools must be looked at in a winder context.

"We cannot divorce the school reopening discussion from the wider discussion of the suppression of the virus."

Education Spokesman for the Social Democrats Gary Gannon says dates are not the right deadlines.

"I think we've all been let down by dates."

"We give a date and then we don't meet that date."

The Dublin Central TD said he'd rather see a metric that would point to "a certain level [of cases] that schools can reopen".

"For me, it would give much more certainty."

Cabinet was also updated on the talks around this year's Leaving Cert with it hoped a resolution will be reached later this week.

While cabinet also approved legislation for mandatory hotel quarantine for people arriving to Ireland from certain countries, which will go before the Dáil on Thursday.

 


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