Commenting on the Education Policy Institute’s research about Covid-related
teacher and pupil absences in the autumn term, Geoff Barton,
General Secretary of the Association of School and College
Leaders, said:
“It is very worrying to see research which suggests that teachers
are at greater risk of contracting coronavirus than the wider
population, and there is clearly a moral imperative to prioritise
the education workforce for vaccinations.
“Schools and colleges have worked extremely hard to create
environments which are as safe as possible, but the reality is
that, when fully open, they are inherently busy and crowded
places, and high infection rates in the wider community
inevitably mean more risk.
“The government must commit to prioritising education workers in
the next phase of the vaccination programme and it must set out a
clear timetable. In particular, it must prioritise staff in
specialist settings whose roles are often akin to those of care
workers.
“This is essential, first and foremost, in protecting the health
and wellbeing of staff, but it will also have the benefit of
reducing some of the disruption that made the autumn term so
incredibly difficult.
“While schools are partially closed, the government must take the
opportunity to review its existing safety guidance for schools to
ensure its policies are sufficient in tackling the new and more
infectious form of the virus that is now prevalent. And it must
sort out the mess it has made of implementing a programme of
rapid turnaround mass testing by reviewing the logistical
arrangements and providing clear public health information.”
