Northern Ireland

Arlene Foster 'being led by Boris Johnson, not science,' over re-opening of schools

DUP leader Arlene Foster. Picture by Liam McBurney, Press Association
DUP leader Arlene Foster. Picture by Liam McBurney, Press Association DUP leader Arlene Foster. Picture by Liam McBurney, Press Association

Schools should be reopened on a phased basis, the chief medical officer has said after the DUP called for all pupils to return next month.

Arlene Foster said on Monday evening that her party wanted to revisit the reopening of schools next month after the prime minister announced that all pupils in England can return to school on March 8.

Her party colleagues, including MLA Paul Givan, yesterday questioned why Northern Ireland's approach was so different to that in England.

However, Chief Medical Officer Dr Michael McBride said yesterday that he supported a phased return to school.

The Executive announced last week that pupils in P1-3 will resume face-to-face learning from March 8.

Pupils in years 12-14, who will be awarded qualifications this summer, will come back on March 22.

Ian Knox cartoon 24/2/21
Ian Knox cartoon 24/2/21 Ian Knox cartoon 24/2/21

No decision has been made on when other pupils should return to school.

Mrs Foster said her party colleague, education minister Peter Weir, had wanted to pursue a similar strategy to that in England but Stormont's health advisers "didn't think that that was the right way forward".

"I understand that we have to take a safe and sustainable way forward, but I hope we can now revisit that again because I know full well from my own personal experience that the kitchen table is no substitute for a classroom," she told the BBC.

Mr Weir said yesterday that the roll-out of Covid-19 vaccinations offered an opportunity to get all children back to school.

"I think that that does give us an opportunity to revisit what's there and at least move in a quicker direction in terms of the movement for our young people to try to protect their educational future and indeed their overall wellbeing," he said.

DUP MLA Paul Givan said that England's chief medical officer Professor Chris Whitty had justified a full return to schools on March 8 on the basis that the risks were negligible.

"If it's based upon the science, why is our science so different to England compared to here in Northern Ireland when we're dealing with very similar dynamics of this virus?" he said.

He insisted Mr Weir had not advocated the decision to allow P1 to P3 children to return for two weeks and then revert back to home learning for a week ahead of Easter.

"This is not what he wanted," he told MLAs.

Dr McBride said schools should return in a "stepwise process".

"I have not provided further advice to the Executive in the last number of days," he said yesterday.

Chief Medical Officer Dr Michael McBride. Picture by Kelvin Boyes, Press Eye, Press Association
Chief Medical Officer Dr Michael McBride. Picture by Kelvin Boyes, Press Eye, Press Association Chief Medical Officer Dr Michael McBride. Picture by Kelvin Boyes, Press Eye, Press Association

In his weekly media briefing, Dr McBride said it was important that children returned in phases so the impact on Covid-19 infection rates could be assessed.

"We all want children back to school, children need to be back in school and my advice is that we just do that cautiously and carefully," he said.

SDLP education spokesman Daniel McCrossan said the easing of restrictions must be based on scientific advice.

"If the First Minister and DUP leader, Arlene Foster, has seen any different evidence then she should bring it to the Executive table, for a science led conversation on our own local approach," he said.

"If, as I suspect, she is just dancing to the tune of Boris Johnson, she should resist adding further stress and confusion."

Sinn Féin education spokesman Pat Sheehan. Picture by David Young, Press Association
Sinn Féin education spokesman Pat Sheehan. Picture by David Young, Press Association Sinn Féin education spokesman Pat Sheehan. Picture by David Young, Press Association

Sinn Féin's education spokesman Pat Sheehan accused Mrs Foster of blindly following Mr Johnson.

"Nothing has changed since last Thursday and in fact the CMO (Dr Michael McBride) told us last week that the reopening of schools completely would lead to a rise in the R number by between 0.3 and 0.7," he told the BBC.

"If the R rate at the minute is sitting around 0.75, even if we only hit that lowest number, it brings us back above one and we're back in the exact same situation again."

He added: "The only thing that has changed is that Boris Johnson has decided to make a decision for England.

"You would think by now that the DUP would have learned not to hitch their wagon to Boris."