Reassuring words from Peter Weir about keeping schools open

Children are much less likely to suffer bad symptoms, and young children (pre teen) are far more likely to die in a car crash than from Covid.

There is also a significant body of evidence that younger children are very unlikely to pass the virus on to adults.

Some of this was strongly suspected, and indeed cited by medical experts, prior to the panic to close the classrooms.

And to be clear: it was a panic.

Several Catholic schools in Northern Ireland unilaterally decided to close before the date given by the Department of Education. Sinn Fein, disgracefully, tore up an agreement between the parties at Stormont and demanded on March 13 that schools close, as they had done in the Republic of Ireland, but not in Great Britain.

While republicans were among the worst behaved at this time, they were not alone. The panic over schools caused even the UK government to close them before they wanted to.

It is worth recapping on this history, because the schools then were closed from a fortnight before Easter until September. There is talk of an inquiry into the handling of Covid: there should be a specific inquiry into what happened with schools. Behavioural scientists had talked of the importance of keeping them open for key workers, in addition to the emerging medical evidence of low risk to children.

Yet the schools, which should have come back a fortnight after Easter and run into July to make up for lost time did not do so. Exam year pupils and underprivileged kids suffered most. Paediatricians ended up pleading for a return.

Despite all of this, families were plunged into difficulties again with an extended school break just past.

With all the lost education and damage done, it is reassuring to hear Peter Weir be so emphatic about having no repeat of last year. Schools must stay open, above all for exam year pupils.

——— ———

A message from the Editor:

Thank you for reading this story on our website. While I have your attention, I also have an important request to make of you.

With the coronavirus lockdown having a major impact on many of our advertisers — and consequently the revenue we receive — we are more reliant than ever on you taking out a digital subscription.

Subscribe to newsletter.co.uk and enjoy unlimited access to the best Northern Ireland and UK news and information online and on our app. With a digital subscription, you can read more than 5 articles, see fewer ads, enjoy faster load times, and get access to exclusive newsletters and content. Visit https://www.newsletter.co.uk/subscriptions now to sign up.

Our journalism costs money and we rely on advertising, print and digital revenues to help to support them. By supporting us, we are able to support you in providing trusted, fact-checked content for this website.

Alistair Bushe

Editor