From next Thursday, the government plans to reopen schools and classes for children with special needs according to education sources.
This follows an agreement between school staff unions and Minister for Education Norma Foley and Minister of State with responsibility for special education Josepha Madigan over assurances to be provided by public health specialists over the safe reopening of schools.
It was signalled earlier this week by school unions that they were keen to reopen special schools with the main special needs assistants’ union stating that it will support the reopening on the basis that health and safety checks show that it is safe to do so.
Minister for Education Norma Foley stated, “I very much hope that we can work together to set out a pathway for the return of all children at all levels of schooling at the start of February, subject of course to Government and public health consideration of what constitutes the safe movement of people at that point.”