The Taoiseach has announced a Government decision to close schools, pre-schools and cease all learning activity in education centres, education and training boards, further and higher education settings, for a period until 29th March 2020, to support efforts to contain the spread of Covid-19. This will take effect from 6pm this evening, Thursday 12th March. This is in line with the advice of the National Public Health Emergency Team.

All pupils and students, from pre-school to third level are urged to practice social distancing, and to minimise physical contact with each other, to help avoid the spread of Covid-19. This should include minimising social contact, avoiding meeting up and keeping physical space between them. Parents and guardians are urged to support their children to maintain this approach. Fórsa endorses this decision which is aimed at reducing the spread of the Covid-19 virus.

The Department of Education and Skills held a briefing for stakeholders in the education sector at lunchtime today, this enables us to issue you with the following advice on how the closure will affect you workplace and staff group.

Special Needs Assistants

SNAs should not report for work on Friday 13th March. All primary, post primary and special schools will be closed. The DES issued Circular 0020/2020 which makes clear that during the period of school closure SNAs will be placed on special leave. Any SNA who contracts Covid-19 will be placed on special leave for the duration of any illness. Staff will be paid as normal.

School Secretaries in independent schools

The DES advice is that school secretaries should not report for work on Friday 13th March unless it is absolutely essential. All primary, post primary and special schools will be closed. The DES issued a letter to school management bodies making clear that the ancillary grant will continue to be paid as per normal. Schools should therefore maintain full pay for secretaries. Any secretary who is not paid must urgently contact Fórsa as representations will be made on their behalf directly to the Minister for Education and Skills. We do not anticipate that any board of management will withhold pay.

Members are advised that they should only attend work where it is absolutely essential that they do so for the purposes of processing payroll or other critical tasks. School secretaries are encouraged to ask school principals for a rationale if their attendance is requested. Government advice is that workers should not attend work unless it is absolutely necessary.

School Caretakers in independent schools

Caretakers will be required to work during the period of closure to ensure that buildings are safe and secure as would be the case during the Easter holiday period or other times when the school is closed. Deep cleaning of schools is not necessary or required on health advice. This is because the closure is intended to address the problem of the virus spreading through people being in close contact, the school buildings are not seen as risk.

Staff working in Education and Training Boards (including secretaries and caretakers in ETB Schools)

ETBs have been instructed to cease all face to face learning activities on 13th March. This covers classes, lectures and training sessions.

Staff will be encouraged to work remotely using on line facilities where available and will be encouraged not to attend work or attend meetings unless this is strictly necessary. Key functions will need to continue to ensure staff are paid and that health and safety is maintained. Further advice will issue through the ETBs and ETBI shortly.

The DES issued Circular 0021/2020 which makes clear that during the period of closure staff will be placed on special leave. Any employee who contracts Covid-19 will be placed on special leave for the duration of any illness. Staff will be paid as normal.

Staff working in higher education institutions

All institutions will cease direct face to face learning from 13th March. This means all lectures, tutorials and meetings will be cancelled. Staff will be encouraged to work remotely using online facilities where available and will be encouraged not to attend work or attend meetings unless this is strictly necessary. Key functions will need to continue to ensure staff are paid and that health and safety is maintained. Further advice will issue through the local institutions.

The DES issued Circular 0022/2020 which makes clear that during the period of closure staff will be placed on special leave. Any employee who contracts Covid-19 will be placed on special leave for the duration of any illness. Staff will be paid as normal.

Staff working in education centres

All centres will cease direct face to face learning from 13th March. This means all lectures, tutorials and meetings will be cancelled. Staff will be encouraged to work remotely using on line facilities where available and will be encouraged not to attend work or attend meetings unless this is strictly necessary. Key functions will need to continue to ensure staff are paid and that health and safety is maintained. Further advice will issue through the local centres.

Directors who attended the DES briefing earlier today confirmed that the public service pay arrangements for Covid-19 will be applied to staff. Any staff who experience difficulties should contact Fórsa as a matter of urgency.

School Completion staff (SCP)

All projects will cease direct face to face learning from 13th March. This means all lectures, tutorials and meetings will be cancelled. Staff will be encouraged to work remotely using on line facilities where available and will be encouraged not to attend work or attend meetings unless this is strictly necessary.

School Completion staff should be treated in the same way as other colleagues and should be paid during the period of closure. Any member experiencing any difficulties should contact Fórsa as a matter of urgency.

Reopening workplaces on the 29th March 2020

Members are advised that schools and other workplaces may re-open on the 29th March, this decision will be made in advance, based on public health advice. It is possible that the period of closure will extend further into the Easter holiday period. Further information will be issued by the Government in advance of 29th March.

General advice on requests to work during the closure period

As schools are closed there is no requirement to attend the workplace, and requests for work to be carried out should be addressed through remote working where this is possible, further information may issue in regard to payroll requirements.

In other workplaces staff should work remotely and avoid attending meetings, where a request for remote work is made by a manager staff have an obligation to complete such work if possible providing the request is reasonable.

Government health advice encourages everyone to:

• self-distance
• avoid meeting in groups and
• work remotely where possible

There will no doubt be many other questions that arise during the period of closure across the education sector. Please contact Fórsa if you have a query. We will issue further information as the situation develops.

Andy Pike
National Secretary (Education)

Click on the image above to view Circular from the Department of Education and Skills Circular 0020/2020