Opinion

ANALYSIS: Closed but open for some - the dilemma facing schools

Pacemaker Press 19/03/20Empty class rooms   at Irish language  school 'Colݡiste Feirste' which is based  on the Falls Road in West Belfast, following the announcement on Wednesday that Schools across Northern Ireland are to close to pupils from Monday due to the coronavirus pandemic, and Schools in England, Scotland and Wales will close from Friday. At a press conference on Wednesday, Mrs Foster, standing alongside Deputy First Minister Michelle O'Neill, said now was the right time to shut schools.Pic Colm Lenaghan /Pacemaker.
Pacemaker Press 19/03/20Empty class rooms at Irish language school 'Colݡiste Feirste' which is based on the Falls Road in West Belfast, following the announcement on Wednesday that Schools across Northern Ireland are to c Pacemaker Press 19/03/20Empty class rooms at Irish language school 'Colݡiste Feirste' which is based on the Falls Road in West Belfast, following the announcement on Wednesday that Schools across Northern Ireland are to close to pupils from Monday due to the coronavirus pandemic, and Schools in England, Scotland and Wales will close from Friday. At a press conference on Wednesday, Mrs Foster, standing alongside Deputy First Minister Michelle O'Neill, said now was the right time to shut schools.Pic Colm Lenaghan /Pacemaker.

SCHOOL principals will really have no idea what they will face on Monday until Monday.

That may seem an obvious statement but there remains a great deal of confusion, despite official guidance.

Actually, confusion does not even come close to summing up the mood. There is concern, anger, worry.

Peter Weir's long list of `key workers' appears to cover about 90 per cent of the north's workforce.

On Monday, some schools may be able to provide more support, depending on numbers of staff available.

There is no idea yet of how many children could show up. It could be one, it could be 300.

There won't be any teaching. It's just supervision. Teachers and classroom assistants on a rota.

At the same time, however, teachers are meant to be involved in distance online learning.

Those staying home have been given work to complete. Patrice Hardy, a P6 teacher at John Paul II PS in west Belfast, shared a copy of the colourful timetable she put in packs for pupils and parents to use as guidance.

"Children need routine," she told her Twitter followers.

"I've kept it as close as possible to their school day whilst trying to be realistic."

Most children whose parents think they should show up at school on Monday will show up, but that will dwindle later in the week in all probability.

There will then need to be a period of review, on an area-by-area basis.

How many children are in `school A', `how many in school B', `do we need to open both those schools?'.

Presumably there will follow some grouping of provision, where a local hub school might be, or the possibility of staff working with pupils but in a different school.

Another complication is that some schools are already shaping up to fight the demand to stay partly open.

Heads recognise that provision of any level of service is dependent on staff availability. While all are expected to show up on Monday, there is no guarantee they will.

These are unprecedented arrangements and are likely to change again and again.

It is, therefore, likely that the next week will see much unravelling.