Covid-19: Special needs teachers 'overlooked by Stormont'

A special educational needs (SEN) teacher has said greater support is needed for staff in the sector.

It comes amid increased calls for educational staff, including SEN workers, to be a vaccination priority.

Tania Marshall, who teaches nursery-age children at Roddensvale School in Larne, said "no instruction" had been given other than to stay open.

She said three staff members in the school's nursery had tested positive for coronavirus.

It meant the class was not able to continue with lessons as it normally would.

Mrs Marshall said she felt the "people who are talking don't have a knowledge of what we do in special schools".

"Our focus is making sure our children feel safe and secure - we cannot do that wearing PPE, and we cannot do that social-distancing," she said.

Mrs Marshall said the requirements in SEN schools meant it was difficult for teachers and staff to socially distance from pupils and to wear PPE.

She said teachers in SEN schools should be tested as frequently as workers in care homes and should be prioritised in the distribution of the vaccine.

"[With our pupils] we are getting them onto trampolines, getting onto physio balls, they are using specialised equipment to meet their sensory needs - we cannot do that from a distance or wearing PPE or it would frighten them."

Along with SEN schools, previous guidance was for nursery schools to also remain open.

However, after a meeting of the Stormont executive on Tuesday, nursery schools and pre-school settings were closed.

They are likely also to be asked to admit vulnerable children and the children of key workers.

Mark McTaggart, assistant northern secretary with trade union the Irish National Teachers' Organisation (Into), said "all education workers need to be prioritised for vaccination".

"While teachers in most schools can have some form of social-distancing, [for] teachers in special and early years it is a lot more difficult to ensure social-distancing in those classrooms," he said.

The Department of Health said the rollout of the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine meant a "significant acceleration of Northern Ireland's vaccination programme".

The department said the rollout of the vaccine was being guided by Westminster's Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation.

Guidance for the next stage of the rollout states that workers in areas "at increased risk of exposure... could also be a priority in the next phase".

"This could include first responders, the military, those involved in the justice system, teachers, transport workers, and public servants essential to the pandemic response."

Vaccination for front-line workers in health and social care was included in the first phase of the rollout.

Education Minister Peter Weir has asked the executive to prioritise school staff for Covid-19 vaccination.

Those in special schools would be the first to be vaccinated if the proposal is approved.

"Nobody is suggesting that anybody in the education staff would be ahead of the highest priority groups, which are going to roll out between now and February," he told BBC News NI.

"But I think there is a strong need across the board then for education staff to be given prioritisation."