Schools make own decision on closing as icy spell grips [Independent.ie]
- Published: 29 November 2010
IT will be up to individual schools to decide whether or not to close as freezing weather continues its grip on many areas.
In some cases, pupils will have difficulty getting to school because of the snow and ice.
Bus Eireann advised last night that there may be disruption to school buses in certain parts of the country.
Individual school boards of management have the discretion to decide whether they should close, and for how long, when hit by extreme weather conditions.
A spokesperson for the Department of Education said last night that it was not issuing any instructions and confirmed it was a matter for individual schools.
In general, if a school is closed due to bad weather, it is expected to compensate for the lost time later in the school year.
Exceptional
However, in exceptional circumstances, the department may exempt a school from this requirement.
After last winter's big freeze, which led to widespread closure of schools, some made up the lost time but in other cases -- where the shutdown was extended -- it proved more difficult to replace all the lost days.
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