Thread by @StRonansPS1

So as we prepare to return to school what guidance and new mitigations have DE and @niexecutive produced for schools especially Primary Schools in light of the highly infectious Omicron CV19 which has overtaken Delta CV19 during the Christmas break?
@chrischirp @Dr2NisreenAlwan

Where are we going to find supply cover for sick teachers? We have seen hospitals and the ambulance 🚑 service highlight the severe staffing pressures they are under...

Northern Ireland Ambulance Service warns urgent 999 calls may face delays

belfastlive.co.uk/news/northern-…

Where exactly do we find staff to continue face to face teaching...schools wish to remain open but they need to be staffed, supported and resourced
@rupert_pearse @michael_merrick @llewelyn20 @ciarano71 @doctor_oxford

In primary schools we work with children who are unvaccinated, where there are no close contacts, no track and trace, no social distancing, Primary School children do not do LFTs...
@DrZoeHyde

As schools we are financed at 2009/10 levels. The education budget has been cut by 10% already and faces a further 2% cut.The @niexecutive say that educating our children are a key priority

As school leaders we will keep the schools open, we always have. We never closed.We will manage with low staff numbers, rising child absences.We will do our best for the children in their care. Why?Because we are teachers,this is what we do ... #WeAreTeachers

We require
-adequate funding
-support
-ventilation
-resources
-access to supply teachers
-meaningful phase specific supportive guidance
-proper track and trace

news.sky.com/story/covid-19…
Increased levels of CV19 in hospitals 🏥

If @niexecutive really want to support schools in the New year,this is what they need to do-
T- trust US to do what’s right
E- empower US to take the precautions we need
A- allow us to focus on face2face teaching
C- create space
H- help us by increasing funding
@MMcIlveenDUP

Every other sector of society has received updated guidance and new restrictions. For schools there is to be no new guidance or restrictions from @Education_NI .We are to carry on as we have been, even though infection rates have doubled over Christmas 🎄.

These are the rates with schools 🏫 closed...we know that when schools open, there will be more mixing and increased rates. There has been a low uptake of retired teachers coming back to support schools

There have been no new proposals as to how we source cover teachers...Many of us open on Tues....this is going to be an extremely difficult situation to manage...
@JudeHill_utv @UTVNews @BBCNewsNI @DarranMarshall @NewsDeclan @SashaWylie @Gareth_McCull

https://twitter.com/DarranMarshall/status/1476918113371365378?t=cl8ZWhstwflDbhqMvR0mlg&s=19

https://twitter.com/DarranMarshall/status/1476918758899916800?t=cl8ZWhstwflDbhqMvR0mlg&s=19

Meanwhile in Wales
bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-…

https://twitter.com/EBPSPrincipal/status/1477103924406587394?t=kNpE3Ze1G8kaziuflSysUA&s=19

@StephenMorganMP #Schools

@frank_broadcast

@Chris_Lyttle

https://twitter.com/Chris_Lyttle/status/1477236911148253189?t=BpbAroRw-Qkp7Lu0rkNHVA&s=19

https://twitter.com/Dr2NisreenAlwan/status/1477272298990325764?t=QUk4BsTcNE4gY397rMvCEw&s=19

Children and CV19

@Robinson_Linds

@Robinson_Linds