Schools across the North have been empty since lockdown in March
On Thursday, the Stormont Executive announced that when pupils return to school from late August social distancing measures will be reduced from two metres to one metre.
Education Minister Peter Weir said his announcement would allow “full classes to attend” school as Coronavirus lockdown restrictions are eased.
But Collin Torrens, who is principal of Lisnagelvin Primary school, told BBC Radio Foyle “it is physically not possible to get a full class back in at a one metre distance”.
“What they (the executive) have got to realise is that children sit at desks and these desk are made for two children,” Mr Torrens said.
“I was gobsmacked at what I heard last night,” Mr Torrens added.
Speaking later on the programme, Peter Weir defended his approach saying Mr Torrens will be getting guidance this morning.
“You would not have desks where children are going to face each other, that is not good from a health point of view or indeed the opportunity to get the maximum number of children in- that is not the correct approach,” the minister said.
“We are also saying to schools that in terms of space, they need to use everything they possibly can within the school building to absolutely maximise space,” Mr Weir added.
Graham Gault, who is also the vice president of the National Association of Head Teachers, told BBC Radio Ulster’s Good Morning Ulster programme teachers had a responsibility to “speak realistically to parents and communities”.
“It’s really important that communities don’t listen to yesterday’s comments and think children are going to be coming back to school as normal in September,” he said.
“It is really important to know that schools want our children to be back full time, it’s what we crave, but that is not going to happen unless something very drastic changes.”
Mr Gault said introducing social distancing meant around half his school’s pupils would be able to attend at any one time.
He added teaching unions had made “great progress” in their discussions with Education Minister Peter Weir in recent days.
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