Everything must be done to make sure that schools in the North reopen next week to avoid “repercussions for years to come” according to the Chief Executive of the Council for Catholic Maintained Schools (CCSM).
Writing in The Irish News, Gerry Campbell said the CCSM is “extremely concerned” about the immediate impact on young people but also the longer-term effects of the pandemic on the current cohort of pupils.
“The impact on the economy, communities and wider society is likely to have repercussions for years to come and education, in particular, faces significant obstacles and difficulties,” he said.
“The road ahead will continue to present many challenges and it is clear that we must all pull together to support our leaders and staff in schools so that they can do their utmost to mitigate the impact of Covid-19 and continue to provide the best possible start in life for all of our children and young people.”
Mr Campbell said that Catholic maintained schools have been “very successful in providing a balanced and holistic education to thousands of young people”, adding this has continued throughout the pandemic despite the changed circumstances.
The efforts of schools have been “phenomenal” to tackle Covid-19 challenges, he said.
“As we progress into the coming months, the challenges for our schools will become more complex. Our schools need a clear pathway that will support them to minimise the longer-term impacts on the educational progression and wellbeing of our young people as we all work through the remainder of this pandemic.”