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Schools could close for an ext...

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Schools could close for an extended mid-term break this month

Jonathan Duane
Jonathan Duane

11:51 9 Oct 2020


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There have been reports the up-coming mid-term break may be extended.

The Government is looking at an extended mid-term break for schools at the end of this month.

Cabinet's sub-committee meeting will meet later to discuss the idea of introducing fines to help enforce Level 3 restrictions.

The Irish Independent reported schools would close from the 23rd of October until November 9th, a week longer than usual.

"We want schools to be open," the source told the paper, "but a lot of EU countries are looking at it to suppress [the] virus, Northern Ireland included."

Fionnan Sheahan, the Ireland Editor with the paper, says the idea behind it is to restrict the movement of children for two weeks.

''It could be unrelated to any level that you're on in terms of your restrictions, so you could be back down to level 2 or at level 3 or back up higher and still close the school, so it can be done independently of that'', he said.

''But it will obviously it will restrict movement and mean that kids aren't interacting as much''.

The Department of Education has declined to rule out the prospect of an extended school closure over the coming mid-term break.

The department said in a statement this morning that "no decision has been taken".


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