1.                  Board of Management meetings and Child Protection Oversight Report (CPOR) Update.

2.                  Letter to Parents from the Chief Medical Officer, CMO.

3.                  Advisory Group on Planning for State Examinations 2021.

4.                  No requirement for staff to complete a Return to Work Form.

5.                  Mock Examinations.

1. Board of Management meetings and Child Protection Oversight Report Update.

The Department of Education has updated the requirements to provide the Child Protection Oversight Report, CPOR, to the Board of Management. Where there are events to report a face to face meeting must take place at least once per term. If it has not been possible to hold a face to face meeting to consider the CPOR where there are events to report this term a meeting should be scheduled early in January.  In this instance a second meeting is required prior to the end of Term 2.

The following are the key provisions of the updated requirement:

A face to face meeting of the board must be held at least once in every school term in order for the CPOR report along with required supporting documentation to be provided to the board and for the board to resume and continue to carry out its important oversight role in respect of the reporting of child protection concerns in accordance with the procedures. A Board meeting for these purposes is considered essential work. The following shall apply to such a meeting –

• The face to face meeting may be convened to deal solely with the CPOR report

• A quorum must be physically present at the face to face meeting

• No members are permitted to join remotely

• The relevant requirements of the procedures must be adhered to in full in respect of the CPOR, including those in relation to the provision and recovery of documents at the meeting

• The CPOR report submitted shall set out under each of the required headings the number of cases arising since the last CPOR report was provided to the board

• Appropriate social distancing and other relevant public health measures and guidance must be followed

The CPOR report shall not be provided at any board meeting that is held remotely except in circumstances where, since the last CPOR was provided to the board, there have been no cases arising under each of the headings set out in sections 9.5 to 9.7 inclusive of the procedures.

2. Letter to Parents from the Chief Medical Officer, CMO.

Please find attached a letter from the CMO addressed to all parents. We encourage schools to forward the letter to all parents. It highlights the importance of being vigilant over this Christmas period and continuing to observe all Public Health guidance. The letter also asks parents to avoid all non-essential travel both domestically and internationally. It clearly states that anyone who does travel internationally must restrict their movements for 14 days on arrival into Ireland.

The letter requests everyone to continue to support the excellent work to date in ensuring schools continue to be safe places. The data presented at weekly stakeholder meetings with Public Health continue to show the work in schools is having very positive effects in mitigating the risk of transmission of Covid-19.

3. Advisory Group on Planning for State Examinations 2021.

A second meeting of the Advisory Group on planning for state examinations 2021 took place on Monday 14th December. 

As discussed at the Advisory Group meeting on 25th November, it is the firm intention of the Department and the Minister to hold the 2021 examinations with appropriate contingency and public health measures in place.

Key issues considered at this meeting were:

• The State Examinations Commission provided a presentation on possible arrangements for various components of the 2021 examinations in the context of Covid-19.

• The Inspectorate provided clarifications to the assessment arrangements for the 2021 state examinations which originally issued to schools in August. These clarifications will issue to schools in the coming days.

• Additional flexibility in the arrangements for the completion of coursework where such measures are required to support students due to Covid-19.

The group will meet again in January.

4. No requirement for staff to complete a Return to Work Form.

On completion of the Christmas break the Department has confirmed there is no requirement for school personnel to complete a return to work form prior to reopening.  However, all school personnel and members of the school community should be reminded they should not attend at school if symptomatic.

5. Mock Examinations.

While we would like to provide absolute certainty on this issue it is dependent on evolving Public Health advice. Based on current advice schools should plan on not using large centres and observing current room maximums. All current public health advice on physical distancing, mask wearing, hand hygiene and respiratory hygiene should be observed. The recent resits of the Leaving Certificate examinations 2021 hosted in schools allowed for full time durations and operated successfully.  Promised guidance from the Department has not yet been issued. 

Keep well.

Is mise, le mór mheas,

John Irwin, GENERAL SECRETARY.

Addendum:

Chief Medical Officer Letter to Schools – Christmas 2020

Update to ACCS Info Bulletin 83/20 Re: Clarification regarding staff returning to work.