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Most pupils are set for a return to full-time education in Northern Ireland in the autumn, after ministers agreed to cut the social distancing measure to one meter.<\/p>\nMost pupils are set for a return to full-time education in Northern Ireland in the autumn, after ministers agreed to cut the social distancing measure to one meter.<\/p>\n
First Minister Arlene Foster said the move would enable the majority of primary and secondary schools in the region to operate \u201cclose to normality\u201d.<\/p>\n
While pupils will be required to keep one meter apart, the social distancing measure will remain at two meters for teachers, ministers in the power-sharing executive have decided.<\/p>\n
Schools have been closed in Northern Ireland since March. The traditional summer term would normally finish at the end of June in the region.<\/p>\n
Teachers will now return to school on August 17. Key year groups \u2013 seven, 12 and 14 \u2013 will return a week later on August 24. The rest of the school population will go back to class at the start of September.<\/p>\n
All primary school children, and secondary school children in younger year groups, will have to remain in protective bubbles limited to their own classes when they return.<\/p>\n
The announcement was one of a series of lockdown relaxations announced by the executive on Thursday.<\/p>\n
Graham Gault, a principal of a primary school in Co Antrim, says he still has some things he needs to get cleared-up, however.<\/p>\n
“Adults will still have to maintain a 2m social distance from other adults so we do have a lot of questions about how we are going to manage our own safety as well as for the kids,” Mr Gault said.<\/p>\n