AN increasing number of schools are offering a remote learning option to pupils next week.
Two Derry primaries told parents their children could work from home in the final week of term to ensure families can enjoy Christmas without fear of having to self-isolate due to Covid cases.
Ebrington and Lisnagelvin primary schools were joined yesterday by St Ronan’s primary in Newry and Braniel PS in Belfast in offering “blended learning” options to parents who wish to keep their children at home.
Education minister Peter Weir has insisted that schools will not close early before Christmas, having already had an extended mid-term break.
In letters to parents over the weekend, the principals of Ebrington and Lisnagelvin stressed that their schools were not closing and that they would not condone absences.
However, they said they would prepare work for children to do at home and if parents wished to avail of that option, their children would not be marked absent.
Ebrington principal Brian Guthrie said the move was a result of concern for school communities and families.
“During the last week of term, the children usually take part in some fun activities which still promote their learning but in a fun way through the use of Christmas worksheets and practical activities.
“Whilst we cannot condone absences from school, we are also mindful of the mental health and wellbeing of all our families and, as such, would be annoyed if families could not enjoy the Christmas period like they had hoped.
"Therefore, we are willing to prepare some school work alongside Christmas activities in advance and send them home on Friday 11 December."
If families avail of the blended learning option, teachers would be in contact with their children each day next week.
With several positive Covid cases at Ebrington since schools returned in September, Mr Guthrie said up to 100 families had already been disrupted as children self-isolated.
Further cases next week would mean all children in affected classes having to self-isolate for two weeks, preventing families from socialising with other relations when rules are relaxed between December 23 and 27.
Meanwhile, it was confirmed yesterday that staff and pupils at two Co Derry schools are taking part in an NHS Covid-19 testing scheme.
St Mary’s, Limavady and Limavady High School started the tests yesterday as part of a scheme running throughout Northern Ireland and Britain.
Health minister Robin Swann said the “New Testing Interventions” (NTI) would help health services understand how new technologies could be implemented and extended more widely.
