NAPD sets out its stall over reopening of schools

The National Association of Principals and Deputy Principals (NAPD) has called for the appointment of a Covid-19 assistant for each school.

According to the NAPD, a Covid-19 assistant is required to implement and monitor public health guidelines when schools reopen.

The NAPD is also seeking financial investment to allow for "the purchase of increased cleaning and social distancing infrastructure".

A full return to school in late August or early September has been described by school leaders as the “best outcome" - provided it is safe to do so for all students and staff.

The NAPD is set to present to the Oireachtas Special Committee on Ireland’s Covid-19 response today (Tuesday), July 7.

Alan Mongey, NAPD President and Principal of Coláiste Bhaile Chláir in Claregalway, and Paul Byrne, NAPD Deputy Director, will outline the key challenges facing post-primary education as schools plan to reopen.

Minister for Education Norma Foley and all education stakeholders must take key learnings from recent months to modernise post-primary education, the NAPD insists.

The NAPD believes extra school resources are essential to deal with challenges brought about by dated infrastructure, social distancing, and immunocompromised students and staff.

Leaving Certificate reform and digital learning access for all students must now be progressed, the NAPD believes.

The NAPD and school leaders from the over 700 post-primary schools it represents have been at the forefront of ensuring continued student learning and the implementation of the Leaving Cert ‘calculated grades’ programme, necessary due to Ireland’s Covid-19 restrictions.

While the reopening of schools will create huge responsibility for all involved, the NAPD argues that centralised Department of Education support, guidance, and procurement is essential to reduce the burden that will be placed on school leaders.

"As it stands, it will be principals and deputy principals who are primarily tasked with leading and managing any return to traditional education. This workload will add to that of an already over-stretched cohort who were already calling for increased resources and support pre-Covid-19," the NAPD said.

The NAPD believes the unprecedented challenges caused by Covid-19 provide an opportunity to reflect and allow what it describes as “key learnings to be made on reforming an education sector”. It contends that the education sector has proven to be “unfit for adaption” in recent times.

The Association is calling on education stakeholders to use Covid-19 as a precedent for rolling out blended learning, Leaving Cert reform and school digitalisation.

Speaking ahead of the NAPD’s presentation to the Oireachtas Special Committee on Covid-19 Response, Alan Mongey, NAPD President, said: “School leaders are committed to working in partnership with all education stakeholders to prepare for the safe reopening of schools in late August and September in order to provide the best education for all students. There is no doubt that a return to traditional education as soon as possible is the best outcome for all concerned.

“Increased investment in education is essential. The choice for government is an important one: a failure to adequately invest in the short term will lead to a further loss in learning opportunities for those students whose school year and learning has been interrupted. The roll-out of proper resourcing now can prevent further learning loss and ensure no student is disadvantaged."

“Likewise, a failure to take and implement learnings from Covid-19 to reform post-primary education will be a missed opportunity and will leave us ill-equipped to face a similar future pandemic scenario,” he added.