Principal warns that ‘schools will not be back as normal in September’

A primary school principal has warned that schools will not be able to open at full capacity in September - despite new advice on social distancing.
Schools are preparing to reopenSchools are preparing to reopen
Schools are preparing to reopen

The Northern Ireland Executive has agreed that social distancing of 1m (just over 3ft) as opposed to 2m (6ft) is “safe and appropriate” for children and young people at school.

The measure will allow “full classes to attend” school, according to guidance being sent by Education Minister Peter Weir to school principals.

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But Graham Gault, principal at Maghaberry Primary School and vice president of the National Association of Head Teachers, said teachers had a responsibility to “speak realistically to parents and communities”.

“It’s really important that communities don’t listen to yesterday’s comments and think children are going to be coming back to school as normal in September,” he told the BBC’S Good Morning Ulster programme.

“It is really important to know that schools want our children to be back full time, it’s what we crave, but that is not going to happen unless something very drastic changes.”

Mr Gault said introducing social distancing meant around half his school’s pupils would be able to attend at any one time.

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Meanwhile First Minister Arlene Foster has told The View programme that the executive’s objective “is to get everybody back to school in September, I think that’s what parents want”.

She said they would work with schools “to find extra space, whether that’s the assembly hall, the dining hall, or indeed as I’ve said, other facilities beside the schools”.

Deputy First Minister Michelle O’Neill told the programme: “This was all discussed today with the chief medical officer and the chief scientific officer; we would never step outside that, we will make sure that we can get the maximum number of children into school, but all that has to be safe for the children, safe for the staff.”