Coronavirus: Education minister says return of all school pupils 'achievable'

The education minister has said the return of all pupils to schools here at the start of the new term is achievable.

This is despite comments from a teachers' union stating that funding the return of pupils is a "massive issue".

Peter Weir said he hopes to take a paper to the Executive to get agreement on the issue very soon.

But, he said there will still be a range of safety measures necessary.

He has been facing growing pressure to set out a comprehensive plan detailing how a safe return to classrooms can be achieved.

On Tuesday, Mr Weir said there was no extra money in the education budget to help schools do that.

Justin McCamphill of the National Association of Schoolmaster and Women Teachers (NASUWT) told the BBC that how the return of pupils is to be funded is a "massive issue".

Schools, he said, will need to prepare a number of different approaches as pupils get ready to return to school in September.

A Londonderry school principal has also warned that coronavirus-like symptoms in schools over the winter months could "spread panic".

Michael Allen of Lisneal College said he was "genuinely worried" and fears a cluster could shut the school down.

"We could be facing panic, unnecessary panic perhaps, in cold and flu season when children and adults aren't well," Mr Allen said.

"I feel that pupils need to be tested," he added.

Mr Allen said that in October and November the school would send "lots of young people home" on a daily basis due to sickness.

"Once we hit flu season, we will not be in a position to determine who has a cold, who has a persistent cough, and who has Covid," Mr Allen explained.

Speaking on BBC Good Morning Ulster, Mr Allen told the programme that there are over 900 children and 100 staff members at Lisneal College.

"If someone is in school for a period of two or three days and is asymptomatic carrying that virus and that spreads, the panic and the damage will be much greater than a house party," referring to the recent announcement of a cluster in Limavady.

"If there is a cluster of young people or families associated with that young person who had contracted coronavirus, you could be looking at the school closing down," Mr Allen warned.

The school is set to return in August but Mr Allen believes the "virus is not yet under control".

Mr Allen said that by keeping children in social bubbles in school, it could help "mitigate or control that situation".

However, he said that the high number of pupils in the school could make that problematic.

"We would have to think about every surface they would have touched, every piece of equipment they touched, and who else they came in contact with," Mr Allen said.

Mr Allen has called on testing for pupils and believes a track and trace programme could help schools.

"These are the types of things we need some guidance on," Mr Allen said.

A spokesperson for the Department's of Education said its approach to planning for the re-opening of schools had been focussed on restricting opportunities for the virus to enter a school and limiting the risk of transmission.

She said: "It is, however, essential that in the event of an outbreak we are in a position to deploy an appropriate track, trace and test programme within the school community to reduce the risk of further onward transmission and to ensure any future school closures are for a minimal period of time.

"The department is developing clear guidance and agreeing processes on managing localised Covid-19 outbreaks in schools, should they occur. These processes will align with existing Public Health Agency (PHA) procedures."

Education Minister Mr Weir said on Tuesday that any extra money for schools to reopen at the end of August would have to come from the executive.

Latest figures from the Department of Health show there have been no further coronavirus-related deaths in the past 24 hours, but nine new cases. The death total remains at 556.

The department's daily figures are mostly comprised of hospital deaths, where a patient had previously tested positive for the virus.