Coronavirus: NI schools not doing enough for key workers, says parent

The latest directive from the NI Executive on Tuesday said that a school place should be available for those children, even if only one parent was an NHS employee or other key worker.

However, not all schools are adhering to the Department of Education (DE) directive.

Earlier this week, education minister Peter Weir said: “I am aware of a small number of cases where key workers’ children have not been able to access school premises. We must all play our part in supporting those people who are at the frontline of dealing with this current crisis.”

According to the DE website, there are 406 schools across Northern Ireland remaining open this week.

One key worker parent told the News Letter she believes some schools are setting their own unreasonable criteria – making it impossible for both her and her husband to continue working.

“The school has been making people feel like they are abusing the system for sending the kids in. Schools are completely ignoring the [education] department’s advice and just making up their own rules. They are setting criteria that is way more rigid that the department has set and nothing is being done about it as far as I can see.

“We are both key workers but one of us in now going to have to look after the kids because there is nowhere else to send them. The letters being sent by the school seem to be designed to discourage anyone from sending their children.

“According the school rules, if you are a doctor or nurse coming home in the morning from a 12-hour night shift as your partner, who also works for the NHS heads off for a day shift, then the night worker is at home and can look after the children.

“The school said it won’t be open for the children of those key workers if one if at home while the other is at work. They have devised this in a way that basically nobody will meet the criteria.”

A DE spokeswoman said schools have been requested, rather than directed, to facilitate key workers, and added: :”The Education Minister has asked schools to remain open to provide educational supervision for vulnerable children and the children of key workers, up to the end of Year 10, to ensure that frontline workers and in particular health service staff are able to fulfil their important roles. We very much appreciate the efforts of the schools that have remained open across the whole sector to assist the fight against COVID-19.

“Parents and carers should only send their child to school if they are a key worker in terms of the overall response to the Covid-19 emergency and have no other viable option for their child’s supervision. Only one parent is required to be a key worker.”