The NASUWT – The Teachers’ Union has today
submitted a ten-point plan to the Education ministers in the four
nations of the United Kingdom to secure safe schools during the
Coronavirus Pandemic.
Teachers cannot teach and children cannot learn effectively where
their health or safety is at risk.
The coronavirus pandemic has delivered an unprecedented impact on
children’s education, highlighting the need for safe conditions
for teaching and learning, without which there will be fewer
teachers teaching and more pupils forced to spend time out of
school whilst they self-isolate.
Governments and employers have a duty at all times, especially
during this crisis, to do whatever it takes to ensure that, where
they remain open to pupils, schools/colleges are, above all, safe
places for teaching and learning.
The full plan submitted by the NASUWT to ministers is attached
and it calls on ministers to:
1. Demonstrate that they are following the scientific evidence
and advice.
2. Strengthen the guidance to schools and colleges on ensuring
COVID-safe and COVID-secure working practices.
3. Secure the updating and publication of health and safety risk
assessments and equality impact assessments by school and college
employers.
4. Publish weekly data on positive cases of COVID-19 infections
of school/college staff and pupils by local government area
5. Ramp up inspection and enforcement measures in schools and
colleges, including more comprehensive use of spot checks and
visits by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE).
6. Take swift action to protect public health in the event of an
outbreak.
7. Protect vulnerable teachers andand support staff and pupils.
8. Strengthen the guidance to insist on effective social
distancing in schools/colleges.
9. Establish a national plan for remote education/blended and
distance learning.
10. Provide significant additional financial support for schools
and colleges urgently to ensure the safety of staff and pupils,
including extra funding for cleaning, personal protective
equipment (PPE) and supply teachers
NASUWT General Secretary Dr Patrick Roach said:
“Throughout the Coronavirus pandemic, the education of children
and young people has been of paramount importance to the country
as well as to members of the NASUWT. Teachers and headteachers
have worked tirelessly throughout the year to ensure that every
child has access to the highest quality education provision and
support, even during the enforced national lockdown which saw the
closure of schools during the spring and summer.
“With the full reopening of schools this autumn, teachers and
headteachers have once again demonstrated their commitment to
children’s education. As levels of Coronavirus transmission have
increased rapidly in the wider community, teachers, headteachers
and support staff have worked valiantly to keep schools open
safely.
“However, with a second wave of virus transmission, teachers’
safety concerns cannot be overlooked. Teachers and headteachers
are increasingly reporting high levels of stress and fatigue as a
consequence of trying to maintain a covid-safe environment in
schools and colleges. Our members report that they are struggling
to cope with significant additional workload pressures which are
impacting adversely on their ability to continue to provide the
education that all children and young people deserve.
“It is evident that teachers cannot teach and children cannot
learn effectively where their health or safety is at risk. The
Coronavirus pandemic has delivered an unprecedented impact on
children’s education. We believe that without an urgent and
effective programme of national action and measures to ensure the
safety and sustainability of education provision during the
pandemic, there is very a serious risk that fewer teachers will
be available to continue teaching and that more pupils will be
forced to spend time out of school whilst they self-isolate.
“The NASUWT reminds Government and employers that they have a
duty at all times, especially during this crisis, to do whatever
it takes to ensure that schools and colleges are, above all, safe
places for teaching and learning.
“To that end, the NASUWT has endorsed a 10-point programme of
measures to enable the safe and sustainable provision of teaching
and learning, which we strongly urge to consider
and act upon.
“These measures are designed to protect the education of children
and young people whilst ensuring that our schools and colleges
can continue to operate safely in the interests of children and
young people and the education workforce, whilst the country
continues to take the wider measures necessary in response to the
pandemic threat and in order to protect public health.”
ENDS
The full plan and letter to Education Secretary is
attached.
