School holidays should be extended this Christmas, according to the Labour Party.
The party is calling on the Minister to consider closing them on December 18th, to give staff and students an extra break.
Norma Foley's due before the Oireachtas Education Committee later to discuss schools and the impact of Covid-19.
"As we continue to go through November and December, I think the Department has to acknowledge how hard the teachers and the student community are working" said Labour education spokesperson, Aodhain O'Riordain, who thinks many students and staff have struggled with burnout and high stress levels in recent months.
"And there may also be scope for us to discuss potentially having a longer Christmas break, just to allow for that little bit of tension - that little bit of anxiety - to be lessened as we ease into the Christmas period.
"I think there's a growing conversation within schools about the heightened anxiety, the level of stress the students are learning under, that teachers are teaching within - that it's coming to a point where fatigue is a genuine issue.
"So there is a strong argument that maybe schools should close on the 18th December, to allow for those few extra days for a Christmas break.
