Some pupils to be taught remotely from January 25

Education Minister Peter Weir during a visit to St Joseph's Primary School, Carryduff, Belfast, as schools in Northern Ireland reopen to pupils following the coronavirus lockdown.

Primary school pupils, those in years 11-14 and pupils at special schools will remain in school.

The Education Minister Peter Weir stold MLAs that all ‘schools need to reopen for face-to-face teaching for all students at their usual time in January.’

However, he said that the return to school won’t be a return to school as normal.

The Minister said that a number of measures are being considered, including an extension to the use of face covering in post primary schools, a further roll out of test and trace withing schools and changes to school pick-up and drop-offs at school gates.

Improved messaging to youngpeople to increase responsible behaviour and safety in connection with the pandemic is also being considered by the Department.

The Minister told MLAs that other jurisdictions find themselves in a similar situation to the North and some or all of their students are returning to face to face education in the first week in Janaury.

He said that his department was seeking to implement ‘a sustained package of interventions, which day by day, week on week, month on month, have an ongoing positive contribution to our battle with COVID.’

Mr Weir said that he would not take any action which will ‘damage the future prospects of our young people’

He added that the proposal for some pupils to move to remote learning from January 25, will ‘allow schools time to prepare for any change’.