Catholic schools body urges Govt to vaccinate staff in special schools

All staff and teachers working in special schools or in special classes attached to mainstream schools must be prioritised for vaccination, say the Catholic Primary Schools Management Association (CPSMA).

“It is vital that all staff [in special schools and special classes] are vaccinated to reduce the demand for substitutes, or we will assuredly face the forced closure of special schools and special classes in the not-too-distant future,” Seamus Mulconry, CPSMA General Secretary, warned Minister Stephen Donnelly in a letter.

Mr Mulconry told The Irish Catholic that teachers working with children with special needs “can’t employ the same risk mitigations as in mainstream schools”.

“These staff are in many cases performing the same type work and are exposed to the same type of Covid-19 risks as frontline health workers,” he said.

“It seems to us both prudent and fair that the staff in these schools and classes with special needs should be given priority in vaccination.”