Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on education in the Republic of Ireland
On 12 March 2020, all schools, colleges, and childcare facilities in the Republic of Ireland were shut down in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The shutdown resulted in the cancellation of the 2020 Leaving Certificate and 2020–2021 Junior Certificate examinations, as well as all 2020–2021 Irish language summer courses in the Gaeltacht.
Confirmed cases[edit]
On 1 September 2020, the first day of reopening schools, a primary school class in Dublin was sent home after one pupil tested positive for COVID-19.[39] On 2 September, a second primary school class in Dublin was sent home after a number of pupils tested positive for COVID-19.[40] Also on 2 September, a primary school in County Clare closed for one week after a number of staff members were identified as close contacts of a case of COVID-19.[41] On 3 September, one primary school and one secondary school in County Kerry sent a number of students home after students tested positive for COVID-19.[42]
From 7–20 September, six cases of COVID-19 were confirmed in two counties—Cork[43][44][45] and Westmeath[46][47]—while several schools around the country closed from October 2020 due to multiple cases of COVID-19, in accordance with the Department of Education and the Health Service Executive (HSE).
On 13 September, a primary school in Rathcormac, County Cork became the third school in County Cork to confirm a case of COVID-19.[48]
On 8 October, a secondary school in Longford announced its closure due to a confirmed case of COVID-19.[49][50]
On 25 November, all staff and students at a Gaelscoil primary school in Glanmire, County Cork began restricting their movements until 8 December, after 17 cases of COVID-19 was confirmed there, resulting in the closure of the school.[51]
On 11 December, two primary schools in Laois and Mayo closed early for the Christmas holidays due to an increase in COVID-19 cases among students.[52][53]
On 16 December, all pupils at a primary school in Killorglin, County Kerry began to restrict their movements after 17 people tested positive for COVID-19.[54][55][56]
On 1 March 2021, following another period of remote learning, a school in north Dublin confirmed a case of COVID-19 as parents received an urgent letter from the school.[57][58] A secondary school in Cork confirmed a case of COVID-19 while a south Dublin school announced its closure due to a confirmed case of COVID-19 just one day after schools reopened.[59][60]
On 22 March, a primary school in Carrick-on-Suir, County Tipperary closed after two positive cases of COVID-19 were confirmed.[61][62] On the next day on 23 March, six classes were sent home from a primary school in County Longford after five cases of COVID-19 were confirmed,[63] and a class was sent home following an outbreak of COVID-19 at a primary school in Dublin.[64] On 26 March, a number of students were asked to stay at home after multiple cases of COVID-19 were confirmed at a secondary school in Limerick.[65]
On 2 April, a COVID-19 outbreak of 15 cases was confirmed in a special school in Clontarf, Dublin.[66]
On 23 April, a COVID-19 outbreak resulted in all Leaving Certificate students being sent home from a secondary school in Letterkenny, County Donegal.[67]
On 27 April, a primary school in County Offaly closed following confirmation of 23 cases of COVID-19.[68]
On 19 June, a primary school in County Offaly confirmed a suspected case of the Delta variant with the children told to self isolate at home.[69]
After schools reopened for the 2021/2022 academic year, the HSE's lead for testing and tracing Niamh O'Beirne revealed that around 800 schools reported a positive COVID-19 case since they reopened, with 500 in primary schools and 300 in secondary schools.[70] By 8 September, the number of children restricting their movements as a result of being designated a close contact of a COVID-19 case increased to 16,000, after more than 100 schools contacted the HSE over cases among pupils.[71]
On 18 October, a primary school in County Wexford closed until after the mid-term break in November after 34 cases of COVID-19 were detected at the school.[72] One day later on 19 October, a primary school in County Wicklow closed over concerns at a high incidence of COVID-19 at the school.[73]
Junior and Leaving Certificate 2020–21[edit]
2020[edit]
On 19 March, Minister for Education Joe McHugh announced the cancellation of Leaving and Junior Certificate oral and practical exams, with all students given top marks.[74] On 10 April, McHugh announced the postponement of Leaving Certificate written exams until late July/August, and that Junior Cycle examinations due to take place in June would be replaced by school-based exams and assessments held early in the new school year.[75] On 23 April, McHugh confirmed in the Dáil that Leaving Certificate examinations would begin on 29 July.[76][77] On 29 April, McHugh announced that all third-year Junior Cycle students would receive a certificate of completion and a report on achievement and that the decision to hold school-based exams and assessments early in the new school year was abandoned.[78][79]
On 8 May, McHugh announced the cancellation of the Leaving Certificate examinations.[80] A guide to calculated grades that included four layers was published online by the Department of Education on 8 May.[81] The calculated grades system was initially rejected by the Association of Secondary Teachers, Ireland,[82][83] but was later agreed after further clarification was made by McHugh.[84][85]
On 16 July, new Minister for Education Norma Foley announced that Leaving Certificate results would be published on 7 September, three weeks later than usual.[86] After the announcement, the Association of Secondary Teachers, Ireland described the way that the time of the Leaving Certificate results being released as 'disappointing'.[87] On 26 August, Foley announced that the postponed Leaving Certificate written examinations would begin on Monday 16 November for those who couldn't get calculated grades.[88] On 1 September, Foley announced that under 17% of Leaving Certificate grades calculated by schools would be reduced and 4% would be increased.[89] On 2 February 2021, over 2,000 students who sat the postponed written Leaving Certificate exams in November 2020 received their results, with over 40% of the grades higher than the calculated grades students had received.[90]
Universities[edit]
Trinity College Dublin cancelled lectures in March and moved to online delivery.[109]
On 6 April, Galway's University held the first non-physical online graduation ceremonies in its history, after bringing forward the examinations of 190 medical students to send them into service in hospitals with immediate effect.[110] Michael Ryan, the Irish-born Executive Director of the World Health Organization's Health Emergencies Programme, addressed those graduating from what was also the university where he studied.[111] The university also held another similar online ceremony two days later.[112] University College Cork held its first non-physical online graduation ceremony on 17 April (a date also brought forward for the same reason), with Taoiseach Leo Varadkar addressing them through a video link and asking anyone from overseas to stay in Ireland, because "everyone graduating this year" would be guaranteed an internship as a result of the virus.[113]
In May, researchers at Galway were reported to have developed a smartphone social distancing app which set off a vibrator if people were too close to each other for too long, with it being possible to suspend the vibrator if movement is not possible.[114]
In June, some universities either had (Galway) or were intending to (Dublin) refund rent fees to students (Galway also vowed to reduce the cost of its on-campus accommodation for the following academic year). However, Cork reduced its lease by only three weeks for the following academic year and Dublin's second university gave no comment on its intentions.[115]
On 25 September, Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science Simon Harris announced that all higher education institutions had been asked to deliver lectures remotely where possible for the next two weeks.[116][117]
In October 2020, all further and higher education institutions across the country moved classes primarily online due to Level 5 lockdown restrictions,[118][119] however buildings of universities and colleges were allowed to remain open to students and staff after the government granted higher-education institutions "essential service" status under the country's Level 5 lockdown.[120]
On 9 October, University College Cork confirmed several cases of COVID-19 amongst students in a UCC-run student accommodation.[121]
On 16 February 2021, it was announced that two universities in Galway and Limerick had been hit by major COVID-19 outbreaks of up to nearly 250 confirmed cases due to students breaching Level 5 lockdown regulations, which caused clusters of infection involving up to 40 people.[122][123][124]
On 3 June, speaking on RTÉ's Morning Ireland, Minister for Further and Higher Education Simon Harris stated that he expected students and staff to be back on campus for the new academic year of 2021/22.[125]
Other[edit]
The Royal Irish Academy of Music (RIAM), which had announced the cancellation of its spring and summer music exams on 12 March, announced on 8 April that it would allow online submissions of home-recorded exam performances in June 2020.[126]
On 20 April, the Department of Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht announced that all summer Irish language college courses scheduled for the various Gaeltacht regions throughout the country were cancelled, with the counties of Donegal and Galway particularly affected.[127]
In January 2021, the pandemic forced the annual Young Scientist and Technology Exhibition online for the first time.[128]
On 7 May, the Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media announced that all summer Irish language college courses in the Gaeltacht were cancelled for a second year running.[129]
On 22 September, following advice from Chief Medical Officer Tony Holohan, asymptomatic primary school children and those in childcare facilities identified as close contacts of a confirmed case of COVID-19 would no longer have to restrict their movements or get tested from Monday 27 September.[130]