Schools restrictions
Primary schools may have to have a morning and an afternoon session when they reopen according to a union representing teachers.
The Health Minister Simon Harris says he has discussed the possibility of re-opening primary schools, even for just one day a week.
Latest figures show 610 people have now died from COVID-19, while there are more than 15,000 confirmed cases in Ireland.
INTO engagement and public health advice key factors in any decision to re-open schools. For more visit - https://t.co/e1syOWTUVj
— INTO (@INTOnews) April 19, 2020
General Secretary of the INTO, John Boyle, says the school day may have to be staggered because of class sizes;
"We have the largest classes in Europe, 30 children in a class, and obviously they would have 60 square metres to play around with in the classroom."
But he says he couldn't imagine that everyone would be back together initially; "perhaps if half the class came in in the morning and the other half came in in the afternoon or something."
