Norma Foley brought a memo to cabinet confirming schools have been advised they will be able to reopen at the end of August and start of September with the same precautions from before the summer in place.
Schools will also be provided with CO2 monitors and an information campaign will be launched for parents and students before schools reopen.
Teaching unions say the opening of the vaccine portal to 16 and 17 year olds today will also help to reassure their members.
NIAC also confirmed today that 12 to 15 year old can be vaccinated.
Speaking to RedFM News, ASTI President Ann Piggot outlines how CO2 monitors will be distributed:
"Primary Schools will be given them based on the number of classrooms, whereas in second level which is what my union is responsible for- second level teachers- the numbers work out as follows. If you have less than 500 pupils, you will get 20 monitors, 501 to 750 pupils you'll have 25 monitors, 751 to 1,000 pupils you have 30 monitors, and then any more than that- 1,001 or more pupils, you get 35 monitors, so we will have a lot of monitors, but we won't have enough to cover every classroom."
