A Tipperary primary school principal says it is likely to be chaotic when classes return later this week.
The Department of Education will meet with the ASTI and TUI today to discuss Thursday’s scheduled reopening of schools.
The ASTI is suggesting only exam year students return to school this week.
The Union is calling for a staggered reopening to schools post-Christmas amid concerns of staff shortages and inadequate ventilation.
Louise Tobin is deputy president of the IPPN and principal of St Joseph’s primary school in Tipperary Town.
“At the moment I’m not aware in my own school situation of any staff shortages but its 48 hours to go and based on my previous experience of the last term it was chaotic.
“The amount of staff absences, the lack of qualified substitutes or indeed unqualified student teachers – it was chaos from September to December.
“To put that now in the context of the huge surge in numbers I can imagine it will be extra chaotic if we’re looking for sub teachers as we will be over the next couple of weeks.”
