A Belfast primary school principal has accused the Northern Ireland Executive and Department of Education of treating schools 'shamefully' and failing children during the pandemic. Joanne Currie, head of Cairnshill Primary School, expressed her frustration in a letter to parents of the school's 550 pupils.
Ms Currie criticised the lack of advance warning for the latest school closure, which was announced on 5 January, requiring remote learning until mid-February. She noted that schools often learned of decisions via news or social media, leaving parents confused and frustrated.
The principal also condemned the handling of transfer tests, calling it a 'debacle'. She stated that the Department of Education, AQE, GL, and grammar schools had ten months to devise a contingency plan but failed, subjecting children to emotional turmoil.
Ms Currie praised NHS workers and key workers but insisted that children must be prioritised in decision-making. She encouraged parents to write to politicians to demand better treatment for pupils.
One parent echoed Ms Currie's concerns, expressing anger at last-minute decisions and worry about long-term impacts on children, particularly those in Primary 7 facing uncertain transfer tests.
