Teachers are being put in impossible position - Kelly

SDLP MLA Dolores Kelly called on the Minister for Education Peter Weir to ‘scale up engagement’ with principals.

Mrs Kelly said: “This week, I had a useful engagement on Zoom with school principals from across the Upper Bann constituency, with the SDLP Education Spokesperson, Daniel McCrossan MLA and colleague, Ciaran Toman.

“It was very stark to hear the many, many concerns from principals and teachers ahead of schools reopening in September.

“They are still awaiting tangible guidance from the Department of Education and I will be pressing the Minister to prioritise making this guidance available.”

“There is an urgent need for the burden of workplace assessments to be taken away from school principals,” said Mrs Kelly.

“The Minister must engage relevant Health and Safety personnel to conduct assessments to enable the children to return to school,” she said.

“Teachers and principals are doing their very best to prepare for schools reopening.

“This is in the context of squeezed budgets to manage and in many cases, infrastructural challenges to overcome about school buildings.

“They have been put in an impossible situation and the Minister for Education must make more funding available to support reopening preparations.

“He also must step up dialogue with the education sector, to ensure these many concerns are taken aboard and solutions found.”

“I would also urge parents to recognise the very difficult position our principals and teachers are in.

“They are not at fault here and are doing their very best. Some flexibility and patience is needed as we work through these challenges,” said the Upper Bann MLA.

The Department for Education was asked for a response but none was forthcoming at the time of going to press.

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