Local schools hit by staff shortages as Stormont rules out more restrictions

AS schools returned to the first week of a new term pressure mounted on Tyrone principals as they struggled to find substitute teachers to cater for the rising number of staff members having to self-isolate.

James Warnock, who is the principal of Dean Maguirc College in Carrickmore revealed the impact being felt at his school.

“Pupils were due to return on Wednesday, but I realised on Tuesday that we were going to face the week with six teachers and three classroom assistants down,” he said.

He explained that due to this shortage in staff he made the decision that one year group would return to school on Monday and that online learning would take place until then.

Mr Warnock expressed his concern that there could be more staff off in the next number of weeks stating, “We’re living from day to day.”

As well as staff, Mr Warnock said 36 pupils are currently self-isolating.

Páraic Martin who is the principal of St Oliver Plunkett’s Primary School in Beragh is also facing similar difficulties.

“It’s absolutely impossible,” he said. “On Wednesday night I was trying to get a substitute teacher for the next day and contacted 74 teachers and none of them were available.”

Mr Martin said, “It is certainly something that is concerning and we don’t know how it is going to affect us in the next number of weeks.”

Despite the difficulties schools are facing First Minister Paul Givan stated on Thursday that schools would not be closed “in terms of a universal approach”.

The Stormont Assembly is to be recalled today (Monday) at noon after a petition was brought forward by Sinn Féin and backed by the SDLP and Alliance to discuss the current Covid crisis in the education system.

MLAs will be given the opportunity to put forward questions to the Education Minister, Michelle McIlveen on what action she is taking in schools.

Deputy First Minister Michelle O’Neill has been critical of the Education Minister for failing to bring forward measures to help support schools.

She said, “We have been consistently calling for the Education Minister to do more to support schools throughout this period. At the Executive meeting I asked the Education Minister to bring forward other measures that will actually support schools to keep them open and safe at this time.”

The Education Minister explained keeping schools open remains her top priority and said her department was supporting and supplementing the substitute teacher register. She said they had also started to get responses to letters sent to around 800 recently retired teachers asking them to return to the classroom.

Ms McIlveen also said her department was working to get the right air filtration units for use in schools.