Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science Simon Harris TD has today (Tuesday) published the plan for a safe return to on-site activity for September 2021.
Higher and further education and training, and research, are essential activities, and the plan for the 2021/22 academic year is for mainly on-site activity for all students, learners, and staff.
At a minimum, the following can take place:
- Laboratory teaching and learning
- Classroom based teaching and learning
- Tutorials
- Workshops
- Smaller lectures
- Research
- Workspaces
- Libraries
- Canteens – operational in accordance with public health advice on work place canteens
- Sports facilities – operational in accordance with public health advice
- Clubs and societies – operational in accordance with public health advice
- Bars – operational in accordance with public health advice
At a maximum large scale lectures will also be allowed with modifications.
Speaking today, Minister Harris said: “Today is a really exciting moment. Students, staff and our third level institutions have shown incredible resilience over the past year but we all agree we cannot have another year like this.We have worked with all our stakeholders and public health and created this plan to resume third level education – from apprenticeships to further education and higher education. College was mainly online last year. From September, it will be mainly onsite.”