img src=”https://www.derrydaily.net/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/EMPTY-CLASSROOM-e1478597806966.jpg” alt=”” width=”588″ height=”391″ class=”aligncenter size-full wp-image-158902″ />TWO Derry primary schools have said pupils will not be marked absent if they do schoolwork at home in the final week of term.
Principals at Ebrington and Lisnagelvin primaries said they would be “annoyed if families could not enjoy the Christmas period like they had hoped”.
In a letter to parents, they said they could not condone absences.
They said they would prepare work for children to do at home if their parents wanted to keep them off after Friday.
Education Minister Peter Weir has repeatedly said that there are no plans to close schools early for the Christmas break.
Most schools end term on Friday, 18 December, but some will continue until early the following week.
The principals of the two schools said that if pupils had to self-isolate for 14 days during the final week of term this could prevent families from enjoying time together at Christmas.
In a letter to the parents of more than 400 pupils, Ebrington Primary School principal, Brian Guthrie, said that he was “not in a position to close the school early, but are still concerned for our families”.
“During the last week of term, the children usually take part in some fun activities which still promote their learning, but in a fun way through the use of Christmas worksheets and practical activities,” he wrote.
“Whilst we cannot condone absences from school, we are also mindful of the mental health and well-being of all our families and, as such, would be annoyed if families could not enjoy the Christmas period like they had hoped.
“Therefore we are willing to prepare some school work alongside Christmas activities, in advance, and send them home on Friday, 11 December.”
Mr Guthrie said this would help “those who are in a position to do so and who wish to protect their family Christmas time, by keeping their children off school during the last week”.
“Providing the children are engaging in the set work, as per the school’s blended/remote learning policy, your child’s attendance will not be affected,” he added.
Mr Guthrie also told parents that teachers would be in contact with their pupils each day next week.
He said there had been a number of positive cases in Ebrington Primary School since the start of term in August.
While those cases had come from the community, he said they had resulted in the closure of six class “bubbles” and “disruption for over 100 families, whose children have had to self-isolate, as a precaution, for at least two weeks”.
“In a school our size it is very possible that other positive cases could arise,” his letter said.
“Should this happen in the final week of term, then everyone in the class concerned will have to self-isolate, at home, for 14 days which will include the Christmas period.”
Mr Guthrie said this could prevent “families from enjoying time with other family members from 23-27 December”.
Several schools, including some in Derry, have had to close for a period due to a number of Covid cases in recent months.
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