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TEACHERS ARE ASKING to be given guaranteed timeframes on Covid-19 testing amid concerns that delays in accessing testing is already causing “severe disruption” in some schools around the country.
The situation is “not sustainable” and will worsen in the coming weeks and months unless action is taken to address delays in testing according to the Teachers’ Union of Ireland (TUI).
The union wants teachers and other school staff to have a guaranteed test on the day they first experience Covid-19 symptoms, with an additional guarantee of a test result within 24 hours.
Public health officials and the government have said the country has capacity for 100,000 tests a week. This capacity has been utilised to focus on serial testing in nursing homes, meat factories and Direct Provision centres.
Based on case definition, carrying out 100,000 tests per week is not required at present, the HSE has said.
Last week, 77,000 tests were carried out but the reopening of schools has placed further pressure on our Test & Trace system which could come under strain as flu season approaches.
Throughout the new five level approach to living with Covid-19 for the medium term that was announced by the government earlier this week, a clear priority is placed on keeping schools open.
This is the case even if the situation with the virus was to worsen considerably.
Teachers say that further resources are needed on an ongoing basis to make sure that schools can stay open. This includes more rapid access to testing to prevent absenteeism.
Speaking to TheJournal.ie, TUI general secretary Michael Gillespie said that the union is hearing of a sharp disparity in the turnaround time from getting a test and then a result across the country.
He said: “In Dublin, we’ve had reports of people having symptoms at 9am, getting a swab at 10am and the results the next day. That’s the fastest.
At the other end of that in other parts of the country, we’re hearing that some are waiting two-to-three days for a swab and then maybe the same time again for their result.
Gillespie said that if a teacher is left waiting they cannot go to work, and it means students who have already lost many months of being in school earlier this year are missing out again.
“Teachers want to catch them up,” he said. “Our teachers are very loyal to their students but they also want to obey the health rules.”
The TUI has previously called for rapid testing for teachers and other school staff, including at a recent sitting of the Oireachtas Special Committee on Covid-19 response, but have so far not been provided with any such guarantees.
“Teachers and other school staff must have guaranteed access to a test on the day that they first experience possible Covid-19 symptoms, with a guarantee of a result of the test within a maximum of 24 hours,” Gillespie said.
We are hearing that, in too many cases, teachers and other school staff are waiting days for both. This is not sustainable if schools are to remain open. Given traditional trends in terms of colds and flu over the winter months and the additional burden that will be put on any testing regime, it is certain that the problems we are seeing now will greatly worsen unless a robust testing system is put in place.
An additional problem being faced by schools in this regard is the “extreme difficulty” many principals are experiencing in recruiting substitute teachers.
“When appropriate substitute cover is not available, students experience a diminished education service,” Gillespie said.
He added that introducing such testing would be a cost-saving measure as it would prevent schools having to recruit substitute teachers to cover absences and would give schools “a fighting chance” heading into the winter.
“We’re all co-operating with what’s expected of us,” the TUI general secretary said. “We absolutely don’t want to see a scenario where a school is closed because of the number of teachers having to be absent.”
At yesterday’s HSE briefing, public health officials said that when an outbreak is identified at a school testing is prioritised. Each week, there is capacity for 3,000 rapid tests but that wouldn’t be enough to cover all schools, officials said.
A HSE spokesperson told TheJournal.ie: “When a case of Covid-19 is identified which is associated to an educational facility, public health professionals engages directly with the person, or family as appropriate, and asks them about their contacts.
“Public health professionals will also discuss the matter directly with the educational facility if deemed necessary, undertaking a public health risk assessment. Recommended measures, including any exclusions of other pupils or staff members, are made at this point. Responses and recommendations for each facility may well differ, depending on the circumstances identified by public health.”
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In the balance between COVID and the economy the government has moved the children to the front lines.
@Bob Murray: totally agree.if somebody in my childs class gets symptoms and possibly have covid that class remains open for my child to keep going to.on the other hand our minister for health has a cough and they lock down the whole government and not return for a week.are they really superior to us
@stavro blofeld: if your child has symptoms then you are not to send them to school.
@stavro blofeld: so you think your child shouldn’t be in school?
@Bob Murray: the demographic least affected by the virus, but most affected by the government actions. They have been sacrificed for a virus that has an average age of death 83, that is higher than the average life expectancy in Ireland, 82.
Perhaps it’s because children don’t vote, but be reassured, they will do one day, and their parents will next time.
@Tony Humphreys: And of course mum and dad at home? and maybe grandparents ? they never seem to mention that.
Teachers need to best tested Asap if they have symptoms, this is the least they can do . CoviD will spread through a school and households in days . It will be very difficult to keep the school open once they get a hand full of cases . I think teachers should be tested weekly even if they don’t have symptoms.
Absolutely. Nurses, Guards and teachers should all get same day results.
@Motherofthree: more important than a minister for health who shouts covid to get out of answering questions. He had his back in 3 hours. A school in celbridge has been forced to close
It is incredible how little has been done to make sure schools stay open while, at the same time, the government are sending the message that it is a top priority. It isn’t. Children are sitting in one room for 6 hours a day with 30 other people. There is no room for distancing and no ventilation. At breaks they then mix with the other couple of hundred people in the building. Then they get on a bus to go home.
Schools and classrooms are hotbeds of spread and it will only get worse leading into the winter
Best of luck with your request for fast track testing you’ll be told by hse that you’ve been granted it but you’ll be on the queue with everyone else, not a hope they’ll prioritise teachers.
One primary school in Celbridge closed already as to COVID-19 outbreak
The trouble with some schools is that a person is negative until proven positive, which should be the other way round for obvious reasons. That is what happened in certain school near me, the teacher came back positive and the years he/she teaches had to go home and some of the students had to get tested.
I work in a school got a cough yesterday being tested today
@Geraldine Lawlor: Good for you, and best of luck with the results. Hope you don’t have to wait more than a day.
I love in Galway and I know a good few parents who’s young children had to get tested after returning to school, I’ve also heard of adults getting testing too (friends), they all seemed to get tested in last few weeks, same day as symptoms and results back the next day. Some relations children of mine in the East had same turn around. Sad to hear its not like this nationwide.
Yesterday I was surprised to see a large group of young primary school kids all holding hands in pairs of 2/3. Probably around the age of 8. I understand they don’t have to wear masks and there were 3 teachers with them who had masks on. Considering what’s going on seems irresponsible of the teachers though.
I’ve never taught children, but isn’t there some bubble system where everyone sticks to their own friend/sibling & avoids mingling? Seems a reasonable way to manage that.
I agree with bringing in serial testing of teachers but beyond that what can they do? Many of us had to continue to go to work during the lockdown period, such as large HSE offices and we took the risk of bringing it home to our families because it was essential work. Teaching our children is essential work and we cannot afford to put it on pause again. I feel like SOME teachers would only love schools to be suspended again.. That would be far more detrimental to our youth than a disease which doesn’t even translate into symptoms among most of them. Lobby for greater testing but other than that get on with it, it’s a disease we will have to live with and teacher around the world continue to teach in much harsher landscapes.
@Clare Rose: Nothing in this article suggests teachers want schools to be closed again. As a teacher I can tell you that when the schools were locked down I was working from home and putting in more hours than I did when they were open. As for the “harsher environments” other teachers are in – Irish schools have the lowest funding levels and highest class sizes in the EU and the OECD. It is actually the worst equipped education system in the so-called “First World” (though thanks to its excellent teachers it still somehow manages to have some of the highest results in literacy and numeracy). So we don’t need you to tell us to “get on with it”, thanks. We are getting on with it, that’s why we’re asking for priority testing so we’re not sitting at home useless waiting 5 days for a test.
Feel for the teachers having to go on PUP if school closes especially in a week where this payment has been reduced
have your say