Covid-19: Majority of NI schools yet to request CO2 monitors

There are about 1,000 schools in Northern Ireland

About fifty schools in Northern Ireland have so far asked for carbon dioxide monitors.

The portable devices can be used to identify areas in schools where more ventilation is needed, with the aim of reducing the spread of Covid-19.

The Education Authority (EA) said 400 monitors have been requested out of an initial supply of 1,150.

The authority wrote to schools in mid-October to tell them the monitors were available.

There are more than 1,000 schools in Northern Ireland.

• £100,000 to be spent on CO2 monitors for schools

Schools in other countries, including England, Wales and the Republic of Ireland have also been receiving the devices during the autumn term.

The EA has spent around £100,000 on the initial supply of 1,150 and has ordered a further 10,000 as part of a wider roll-out, but it is unclear exactly when these will be made available to schools.

Call for strategy

Teachers' union NASUWT has called for "a proper plan to ensure that these monitors are placed in schools and a strategy is put in place to deal with classrooms which are identified as unsafe".

The union has also urged its members to request CO2 monitors for their schools.

In a statement to BBC News NI, the EA said it expected to spend around £2m on the further supply of 10,000 monitors and "associated ventilation works" in schools.

"The EA has completed an order of a further 10,000 CO2 monitors and these will be provided to schools as part of a wider roll out," the authority said.

The authority also said they would liaise with the Department of Education (DE) on how the monitors could be best deployed to identify poorly ventilated areas in schools.