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The principal of a Co Down grammar school said having to telephone 17 families to tell their daughters to self-isolate was a horrible experience, but one which could have easily been avoided.
It is a scenario that has been played out at hundreds of schools across Northern Ireland in the last few days as schools remained open.
Fiona McAlinden, principal at Our Lady s Grammar in Newry, said the experience has left her frustrated and it would never have happened if school principals had been listened to by the Education Minister. She explained how a pupil tested positive on Friday, the final day before closing for Christmas. She said there have been five cases at the school since Halloween, which are not related.
Fiona McAlinden of Our Lady’s Grammar School said parents were gracious and understanding . It has been clear to me and many other school leaders, since before Halloween, that schools should have moved to remote learning on December 11 to avoid this scenario, but our voices were not listened to, she said in a social media post. How can it not be obvious that schools should deliver remote learning for the first fortnight in January? she asked. Exceptions could be made for P7s and Year 12s, so that the transfer test and GCSE English and maths modules could go ahead, but limited numbers would reduce risk for everyone.