Primary and secondary school children in Ireland are set to return to face-to-face teaching this month with some classes already back.
The Irish government has prioritised education and childcare in a cautious roadmap with phased reopenings in March.
This is how terms across Ireland will look after level five lockdown forced the majority of pupils to work remotely since December.
March 8:
- Early Childhood Care and Education preschool scheme (mainly three to five-year-olds) set to come back.
March 15:
- Third, fourth, fifth and sixth classes to return to primary school
- Fifth years set to go back to secondary school.
March 29:
- Early learning and care (from birth to six years) and school-age childcare services (up to 14 years) to reopen.
April 12:
- First-, second-, third- and fourth-year students to go back to secondary school.
So when are the school holidays taking place this year?
Easter Holidays 2021 - March 29 to April 12
All schools will close on Friday March 26 2021, which will be the final day of the school term, unless changes are required as part of contingency arrangements to make up for time lost due to unforeseen school closures.
Where contingency arrangements are required a school authority may reduce the length of the Easter break by remaining open up to and including Wednesday March 31 2021.
All schools will re-open on Monday April 12 2021.
Summer holidays 2021
Secondary school students will start their summer holidays at the start of June.
Primary school students will being their holidays at the end of June.
What have parents been advised to do?
Parents and others have been advised not to see the reopening of schools as an chance to resume normal activities by deputy chief medical officer Dr Ronan Glynn.
He said that parents should avoid gathering at the school gates, that play dates shouldn't happen and that parents who can work from home should keep doing so.
Dr Glynn explained that the risk of Covid-19 had been carefully weighed against the harm that can be caused by schools being closed for long periods.
He said: "We must do all we can individually and collectively to ensure that the reopening of schools results in the minimum possible upward pressure on the reproduction number.
"The importance of schools for the overall health and wellbeing of children cannot be overstated."
He added that "NPHET's most significant concern is that it will be taken as a signal by parents and wider society that other forms of household mixing, and mobility are now acceptable".
When to keep your child at home from school
Do not send your child to school or childcare if any of the following apply.
Your child has:
- a temperature of 38 degrees Celsius or more
- any other common symptoms of COVID-19 - a new cough, loss or changed sense of taste or smell, shortness of breath or an existing breathing condition that has recently become worse
- been in close contact with someone who has tested positive for COVID-19
- been living with someone who is unwell and may have COVID-19
- other uncommon symptoms of COVID-19, such as sore throat or headaches
- diarrhoea
- returned from another country in the last 14 days
What to do if you need to keep your child at home?
Follow the advice for children with symptoms if your child has:
- common symptoms of COVID-19
- other symptoms, such as sore throat or headaches
- diarrhoea
- an existing breathing condition that has recently become worse
Follow the advice on what to do if your child is a close contact of Covid-19 if your child has:
- been in close contact with someone who has tested positive for COVID-19
- been living with someone who is unwell and may have COVID-19
- returned from another country in the last 14 days
