Ten schools in Northern Ireland will remain closed on Monday due to severe structural damage caused by Storm Éowyn. Education Minister Paul Givan announced the closures, emphasizing the importance of safety as maintenance teams work tirelessly to assess and repair the damage. The storm's impact has left approximately 80 schools without power as of 22:00 GMT on Sunday, complicating efforts to resume normal operations.
The Education Authority (EA) has been inundated with 154 reports of damage to school buildings since the storm struck on Friday. Maintenance crews are on-site conducting essential repairs and assessing whether it is safe to reopen the schools. Despite these efforts, some institutions may need to transition to remote learning on Monday, given the ongoing power outages.
"Where a school does not have any electricity, then they are unable to open," – Paul Givan
Minister Givan met with the EA on Saturday to discuss the situation and coordinate the response. He assured that the EA's transport services would operate as usual, although road closures might cause some disruptions. He also highlighted that both he and the EA are closely monitoring the situation, with hopes that most schools will reopen by Tuesday.
"The safety of children and staff is paramount," – Paul Givan
The Education Minister acknowledged the challenges faced by students and parents, adding that schools would understand if children could not complete online work due to lack of electricity or internet.
"Schools will understand if children are unable to complete work that is set online if pupils do not have electricity or internet access," – Paul Givan
"Because of the weather [on Sunday], connections were being lost where they had been restored," – Paul Givan
A comprehensive list of affected schools is available on the NI Direct website, providing parents and guardians with up-to-date information. Meanwhile, maintenance teams continue to evaluate the extent of the damage and prioritize safety in their efforts to bring normalcy back to the school system.
