Move follows closure of schools following storms, snowfall and power cuts
A fake circular, falsely attributed to the Irish Department of Education, directed primary schools to remain open during part of the Easter holidays to compensate for closures due to storms and power outages. The Department quickly issued a clarification advising schools to disregard the false document, which was circulating online and appeared convincing, including using the Department's logo and circular format. The motivation behind the fake circular is unknown, but it highlights the issue of lost instruction time due to recent weather-related disruptions, with some schools missing up to 10 days this year. Existing regulations already allow schools flexibility to address these shortfalls, including potentially opening during breaks, but this is often impractical.
