VIDEO: Offaly TD calls for Government action on freezing classrooms in schools
In the Dáil yesterday (Thursday), Offaly TD Carol Nolan urged the Government to act on the issue of low temperatures in classrooms, saying "thousands of young children, especially those being taught in prefabs, are literally numb with the cold during the school day."
The Independent TD also told Tánaiste Leo Varadkar that the Government and the Department of Education needed to provide clarity on the format of this year's Leaving Certificate examinations.
Deputy Nolan, who is a member of the Oireachtas Committee on Education and Further and Higher Education, was speaking during Leaders Questions in the Dáil.
"What I am hearing from parents and indeed from schools is that the current situation regarding the freezing cold conditions in which staff, very young children, and Leaving Certificate students are expected to learn is simply intolerable.
"Parents are telling me that their children are returning home with headaches or muscle pain from constant clenching of their teeth and from shivering.
"This is a totally ludicrous, absurd and unacceptable situation," she said.
"It borders on negligence to expect pupils as young as 5 years of age to begin their formative years of education in conditions more suited to a penguin than a child.
"I accept that there is a balance to be met and the need for ventilation is clear with respect to Covid prevention measures, but it is obvious that the guidelines issued by the Department last May are in urgent need of revision."
Tanaiste Leo Varadkar told her this issue had been mentioned to him on a number of occasions, and that it was "a case of getting the balance right between ventilation and temperature control... no child should be in a classroom wearing and anorak, or having to wear gloves, because it's so cold."
You can watch the video of the Dáil discussion here:
When asked about the 2022 Leaving Cert format, the Tánaiste said the State Exams Advisory Group was meeting on this and that clarity would be provided to students "in the very near future."
Deputy Nolan said it was her hope that the advisory group would "listen to common sense and support the wishes of parents and students alike for the hybrid-model of exams for 2022."