One union has asked that primary and second school students return to classrooms in a staggered approach from Thursday due to rising Covid numners
A meeting between Minister Foley and a number of teacher's unions is set to take place on Tuesday, but one of those unions has written to the Minister before it.
The President of the ETB-Schools-National Parents Association, David O'Gorman, wants a staggered reopening.
Mr O'Gorman wrote: "We the Etb-Schools-National Parents Association who represent over 47% of post primary schools have written to the Minister of Education asking that given the recent predictions by NPHET that this wave is yet to peak and that numbers may reach 50,000 a day by mid January, that a cautious approach to the reopening of schools is needed to ensure everyone's wellbeing."
Instead of a gung-ho reopening on Thursday, the ETB-SNPA want things to be staggered, similar to how they were earlier in the pandemic.
Mr O'Gorman continued: "Our proposal is for a staggered school reopening, with schools reopening on Monday 10th for just the Leaving Cert and Junior Cert students.
"And then based on the daily number of cases to slowly open up the other classes over the following 2 weeks.
"This would allow Parents, Schools and Teachers to deal with the projected wave and level of illness in the community in a more manageable way."
However, the most recent update from Transport Minister Eamon Ryan indicates that educational institutions will reopen as planned on Thursday.
The Green Party leader said it is "vitally important" schools, colleges and creches open this week and he believes that while all schools "will have different circumstances", it is imperative that they are open.
Speaking to This Week on RTE Radio 1, Mr Ryan said: "I expect our schools, creches and colleges to open. I think it's really important.
"The loss if we don't have our children back in school in my mind is much larger than any other measure."
