Clarification on the ISSU Proposal + Further Consultation
We conducted a survey of 9,500 students and we asked them to rank 5 scenarios for the return to school.
34.89% said they would like schools to close at level 5
65.11% of student said the would prefer one of the following before a blanket closure of schools.
Schools remain open with no changes
Schools remain open with additional covid mesures
Student whom are high risk / have high risk family members can learn from home
Exam years stay in and non- exam years go home
60.32 % of students who answered the survey put exam years should remain in school as one of their top 3 choices.
Over the Christmas holidays we consulted widely on the 2021 state exams and how they should function.
We took into account all the information and insight we had gained over the dozens of meetings with the department and the insights students had communicated to us individually and through our social media combined with the comments raised on our SEC submission and the survey.
A snap meeting was called by the DES stating that school would opens as normal and this proposal formed taking all of the above factors into consideration and in response to the worries and stresses of students in returning to school with higher numbers and balancing the need to ensure that exam students do not miss out.
Further information regarding student consultation will follow tomorrow
Second-Level Schools to Close
Second-Level in Ireland are to close until February 11th
6th years will be in school 3 days a week.
Special Education Needs (SEN) students will be in school
School buses will run as normal
Teachers will be able to work in the school to deliver online eeducation
Schools will be prioritised to open
What are ISSU doing now?
We have made a proposal to the Department of Education for the eventual return to school that supports exam and SEN students
We are calling for a meeting with the Department of Education to discuss the announcement regarding the closure of schools
We are meeting with all of our officers this evening following the announcement to plan our course of action.
We are organising a campaign for clarity for students
We are planning a student consultation
The ISSU Reopening of Schools Proposal
The ISSU is recommending:
The schools to re-open for 3rd, 5th, 6th Year and SEN students, and children of frontline/essential workers to go into school to partake in online learning if it is not possible for them to do so from home. Students in 1st, 2nd and 4th Year should receive online tuition, with increased training for online education and provision of technological resources. Teachers should be supported to teach from their classrooms.
What does this mean?:
Schools re-open for 3rd, 5th, 6th Year and SEN students to receive in-person tuition.
Children of frontline/essential workers will have the choice to attend school to receive support and supervision to partake in online/remote learning.
1st, 2nd, and 4th Year students will receive remote tuition, with increased training and technology provided for online teaching and learning.
Supports will be put in place so that teachers can conduct their online teaching from their classrooms.
ISSU Education Officer wishes Leaving Certificate students of 2020 the best of luck in their examinations
The Education Officer for the Irish Second-Level Students' Union, Alicia O'Sullivan, would like to send well wishes to all students beginning examinations today, Monday the 16th of November, for the Leaving Certificate 2020.
"I want to wish every student who is sitting the Leaving Certificate, starting today, the very best of luck. It takes courage, strength and bravery to do what these students are doing. We hope that by sitting these exams they get to where they want to go in life and can move on fully from what has been a difficult experience for any young person."
ISSU Statement: Schools Remaining Open During Level 5
The Irish Second-Level Students’ Union (ISSU) expresses its serious apprehension over the continuation of schooling without improved measures to support student safety, wellbeing and learning. The recent move to further restrictions is posing a very serious and stressful worry on students, families and the entire school community.The ISSU is very aware that the negative impact felt by young people in previous school closures was exponential and that a return to previous full closures could negatively affect students again. The Department of Education and Skills and the Health Service Executive must provide more practical and robust measures to ensure the safe and sustainable continuation of schooling is possible.
The ISSU is extremely concerned about the contact tracing mechanism implemented for schools. We have received reports of delays in the assessment of transmission in a school, communication of cases/close contacts and dissatisfaction as to what is deemed a close contact .With the decision made to keep schools open the deficiencies in contact tracing within schools must be prioritised and improved immediately. The issues noted have increased student anxiety and fear, causing a substantial strain on student wellbeing. Students must feel safe going to school.
The ISSU has additional concerns around the continuity of learning for students who must isolate at home due to being confirmed a positive case or close contact, are medically vulnerable or have immediate family members at high risk. We are calling for the Department of Education and Skills to release an official online learning strategy. This strategy should outline the appropriate measures a school is required to implement for the effective continuation of learning. Students should not be penalised for not being able to attend school due to health concerns or advised isolation during a pandemic.
ISSU President Reuban Murray commented; “This is a terribly stressful time for students and there are a wide variety of issues that need to be tackled. The close contact definition for students currently means that if a student has sat next to someone in a classroom all day who is a positive case; they are not deemed a close contact. Students are being over assessed, being told that there are now exams every month and these grades will be used if calculated grades are implemented again - now every class test is a leaving cert exam for these students. This isn't sustainable. Most importantly we have to truly establish if schools are safe. We need an urgent review of the safety measures in schools and complete assurance by epidemiologists that schools are safe not “they are not key drivers for infection”. We need to know if they are safe.”
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For more information, please contact:
Alison Dervan - ISSU Communications - 01 443 4461