Teachers Welcome New Schools Opening Delay
On behalf of teachers at Bayside and Westside schools, representatives have extended their gratitude to the Minister for Education and Department of Education for taking the decision to delay the start of the official academic term for students to Monday 16th September.
A statement continued: “Although it is only a difference of three working days, teachers feel that it will have a marked impact on staff morale and ultimately the student experience of their new and state-of-the-art educational institutions. We are glad that Prof. Cortes has seen the value of giving teachers the settling in time necessary to prepare their classrooms and their resources so that they are ready to go at 09:00 on Monday 16th. After all, a finished building is clearly not the same as a functioning building, which is what we discussed and agreed in yesterday’s positive and fruitful meeting at No6 Convent Place.
“Teachers in both secondary schools want students to come in on their first day to a fully equipped and educationally ready school and classrooms. They want to be able to teach and have their resources at hand to do so, which should minimise potential behavioural issues. This will serve to create a positive ethos in both schools as a solid base on which to build on for decades to come.
“We are therefore extremely happy and thankful that the staff were consulted on the way forward, even at this advanced stage of the process, and that our concerns were considered and acted upon by the Department of Education and by Government.”
