THE experience of lockdown learning has shown that teachers are `virtually' irreplaceable, a union has said.
The Irish National Teachers' Organisation (INTO) commended members for their dedication to their role throughout the pandemic, especially in the area of remote learning.
All schools have experienced several extended periods of closure over the last two academic years.
Teachers were asked to adapt quickly to delivering distance and online learning.
INTO official Paul Groogan told the annual northern conference yesterday that few teachers were ready for all the changes that followed.
"Communications with students and families, for example, suddenly switched from in-person conversations to digital chats. To track student learning, teachers now had to access and interpret data gathered digitally. Most importantly, actual instruction was either mediated by a screen or took place through videos students could watch at a time of their own choosing, fundamentally altering the ways teachers were able to gauge their students' reactions," he said.
"Remote learning caused a major increase in teachers' workload and this was compounded by issues with internet connections and available hardware for both teachers and pupils.
"As much as technology and remote learning specifically enabled us to provide a continuing provision of education for our young people, it also identified that it cannot replace face-to-face learning and there are concerns about the impact virtual learning has had on children's educational development and physical health."
Mr Groogan said members were concerned that new technologies might replace areas of work and potentially jobs.
"Management side and teaching unions need to develop agreed policies and practices in relation to the use of technology for the delivery of learning which doesn't fundamentally replace the face-to- face learning which children and young people obviously need and want. Teachers should not be virtually replaced," he said.
