NI school strikes: Education Authority suggests parents volunteer

Harberton, which operates from two Belfast campuses, has had to close one of its sites for the next three days as up to 30 members of staff are expected to strike.

Mr Curran told BBC News NI’s Good Morning Ulster programme it was a “devastating” decision that was “taken out of his hands”.

“Our decisions are based on whats right for children… The risk just becomes very difficult to mitigate against,” he said.

According to Mr Curran, on Friday evening the EA had suggested Harberton use substitute teachers to cover absences, of which he said there is a “real lack”.

Another suggestion was bringing parents and volunteers in to support the children.

“It would put those people at an incredible risk to bring them in to support children who they don’t know,” he said.

“We would need to try and organise training at the very last minute… It really wasn’t something that we could actually deliver on.”

The EA has confirmed that, for several schools, this mitigation was suggested but it is understood no school has followed through with the request.

“Our non-teaching support staff are very skilled professional staff,” Mr McDermott told Good Morning Ulster.

“When they go out on strike there is no easy mitigation that we can put in place.”