Teachers’ union demands ‘plan B’ from Government on what to do if Covid infections rise when schools reopen
- Teaching union demanded a ‘plan B’ from the Government on school reopenings
- NEU said schools should hire more staff and provide extra teaching space
- Comes as school pupils in England, Wales and Northern Ireland are due to return
The UK’s largest teaching union has demanded a ‘plan B’ from the Government on what to do if Covid-19 infections rise when schools reopen.
The National Education Union (NEU) said that facilities including more staff and extra teaching space were required alongside greater clarity on what will happen if there are further outbreaks.
It comes as pupils in England, Wales and Northern Ireland are due to return to school in the coming days and weeks.
The UK’s largest teaching union has demanded a ‘plan B’ from the Government on what to do if Covid-19 infections rise when schools reopen (File image)
Writing in the Sunday Times, Education Secretary Gavin Williamson sought to reassure parents and students that schools were ‘ready for them’ and that returning to school this September was ‘more important than ever’.
Kevin Courtney, joint general secretary of the National Education Union (NEU), said schools and colleges needed to know what should happen if an outbreak of the virus occurs in individual schools or through national, regional or local spikes.
He said the Government needed to issue guidance on moving to teaching rotas or limited openings and to hire more teachers to allow education to continue if infection rates rise.
Mr Courtney added: ‘Government advice needs to cover the possible self-isolation of bubbles and, in extremis, moving to rotas or to more limited opening.
Education Secretary Gavin Williamson (pictured) sought to reassure parents and students that schools were ‘ready for them’
‘It needs to cover advice to heads about the protections needed for staff in high-risk categories if infection rates rise.
‘Government should be employing more teachers and seeking extra teaching spaces to allow education to continue in a Covid-secure manner if infections rise.’
According to a Public Health England report published on Sunday, the reopening of schools following the easing of national lockdown was associated with a total of 198 confirmed Covid-19 cases, 70 in children and 128 in staff.
There were 67 single confirmed cases, four ‘co-primary’ cases and 30 outbreaks of Covid-19 in schools during June, it added.
A total of 121 cases were linked to the outbreaks, 30 in children and 91 in staff, the analysis said.