Experience of School Leaders in Education and Training Board Irish-Medium Schools during Covid-19: Successes and challenges since 12 March 2020
Gean Gilger, Educational Policy and Development Officer (with responsibility for Irish-medium education), Education and Training Boards Ireland
Education is always a hot topic, but since 12 March of this year, Ireland’s schools have been under a constant spotlight. In the Education and Training Boards (ETB) sector, at post-primary level there are 245 schools, 48 of which provide education through Irish, including Gaeltacht schools, Gaelcholáistí, and Aonaid Lán-Ghaeilge. While every school in the country faced a variety of challenges, school leaders in all-Irish settings
faced additional challenges. This article provides an insight into the experience of the leaders of all-Irish schools in the ETB sector, both successes and challenges, since the school closures on that fateful day in March 2020. In August 2020 a questionnaire was distributed to those school leaders to share their insights with Education and Training Boards Ireland (ETBI). The issues raised reflect the views shared by the
principals themselves.
https://irelandseducationyearbook.ie/downloads/IEYB2020/YB2020-second-level-6.pdf