Cork school gets innovative with Covid safety measures

A marquee has been set up at Carrigaline Community School in order to ensure there are opportunities for the students to get a fresh air fix during the academic months ahead.

Speaking to The Echo, Carrigaline Community School Principal Paul Burke said the marquee, which has been set up by Red Penguin, the company which looks after the Live At The Marquee (LATM) tent every year, will be in place until next May.

“It is a breakout space, we have 1,100 kids in the school, so when they have a break, either morning or lunch break, it just gives us some extra space.

“We want to get kids out as much as possible and this just gets them out of the building, so that they can stand out in shelter.” 

Mr Burke said this was one of a few measures the school is implementing thanks to the Covid Government grant.

“We are putting up awnings at the different sides of the school as well so that they can shelter there too.

“We put a new path around part of the building, to allow them to access the building because they all go in separate doors and they all stay in their area, that kind of thing, so some of these awnings are outside their areas. 

"So it is all about getting them out in the fresh air, in shelter, That is what we are at.” 

Mr Burke said getting students out in the wet and cold was just one of the worries the school had for the months ahead.

“We are just trying to be innovative in getting kids out in the fresh air and in the meantime we can ensure that classrooms are properly ventilated, which will be an issue in the heart of winter.” The school principal also said that the school has employed a cleaning company and have two people wiping things down all day.

“They are constantly walking around cleaning things, touchpoints, etc, in fairness, this all came from Government funding.”