Commenting on the action needed to keep staff and young
people safe in schools and colleges that have remained
open, Dr Mary Bousted, Joint General Secretary of the
National Education Union, said:
“In less than three weeks, according to our country's
current trajectory, we will be in the same situation as
Italy.
“Our priority as a Union is to our members and the children
and young people they work with. We are concerned that
Government advice for schools is not currently strong enough. We
have got to get on the front foot if we are to slow transmission
and flatten the curve.
“This means testing of all education staff, and that no one
at heightened risk attends schools and colleges from today. No
staff should attend who are vulnerable or would go home to family
who are vulnerable. We also need to see coherent rotas for those
who continue to go to their place of work.
“Virus testing must be available to schools that remain
open. With so many parents on the key worker list, this means an
extensive effort is required to make sure every school can access
the tests. This is no time for half-measures.
“Government protocols on distance and hand-washing for
children have to ensure safety. The vast majority of children are
themselves at low risk but are nonetheless carriers, so we must
ensure that intensified cleanliness and minimised exposure
rapidly become the norm in those schools which are having to
remain open.
“We are liaising with the Department for Education to
ensure action is taken on all of these points. If we are to help
the community, which we should, we need maximum protection from
the Government. Our members' lives are doing enormously brave
work right now. As with NHS workers, they are putting themselves
at risk. Our ethical responsibility is to them. The NEU will do
everything in its power to protect members at this critical
time.”
Editor’s Note
Our current guidance to members, which is regularly
updated, can be viewed here: https://neu.org.uk/coronavirus
