Responding to the announcement of the Government on catch up
plans for pupils, including funding to run summer schools and
expand tutoring provision, Dr Patrick Roach, General Secretary of
the NASUWT-The Teachers’ Union, said:
“The disruption that the pandemic has caused has had a profound
impact, not only on the educational progress and achievement of
many children and young people, but also on their emotional and
mental wellbeing.
“It is important that as part of efforts to build a sustained and
sustainable recovery from the pandemic, substantially more
investment will be needed to provide increased capacity to meet
the needs of children, young people and families.
“The announcement of additional funding from the Government
today, whilst welcome, is only a drop in the ocean given the
profound impact the pandemic has already had in children’s lives.
Education recovery cannot be done on the cheap or at the expense
of teachers and support staff in schools who are already working
around the clock.
“Education recovery cannot be based on trying to squeeze more out
of an education system and an education workforce that is already
at breaking point as they continue to deal with the unprecedented
and exceptional challenges of the pandemic. The Government must
now commit to recruiting substantially more staff to provide an
ambitious programme that will deliver the education recovery that
all children and young people deserve.
“Today's announcement is thin on detail and it will be important
for the Government to engage with the NASUWT and other
stakeholders on the further development of these programmes. In
particular, Ministers must provide prompt assurance that all
programmes will be designed and implemented in a way that
respects the full range of teachers' and school leaders'
statutory and contractual employment rights.”
