Disadvantaged children and young people have experienced the
greatest loss and inequality during the Covid-19 pandemic and
action is vital to support education recovery for all pupils, the
TUC Congress will hear today.
The NASUWT – The Teachers Union is calling on
the Government to support teachers as they help pupils recover
from lost learning by investing in schools and the education
workforce to address the educational, development and social
impacts of the pandemic on children.
A motion to be debated at the Congress will praise teachers and
education workers in how they have responded to the pandemic but
warns that significant challenges remain.
NASUWT General Secretary Dr Patrick Roach said:
“This pandemic has further exposed the widening inequalities in
our society and the impact of lost learning and lost educational
opportunity on young people has been considerable.
“And so often it is children in our most disadvantaged
communities who have been the most affected from the disruption
to education
“While the education workforce has responded brilliantly in
helping children recover the Government has not delivered on the
investment needed to deliver education recovery for pupils.
“So far ministers have failed to deliver to deliver for pupils
the levels of additional investment needed to support education
recovery. And they are failing to invest in keeping those
teachers who will be key to supporting the recovery that children
and young people deserve.”
ENDS
Notes to editors
A copy of Dr Roach’s speech is attached.
The text of the motion to on education recovery debated today by
TUC Congress is below:
Congress notes that the Covid-19 pandemic has caused huge
disruption to education across the UK.
Congress celebrates the work of the education workforce in
responding rapidly, flexibly and sensitively in exceptionally
difficult circumstances to the challenges the pandemic has
created.
Congress acknowledges that significant challenges remain and that
the pandemic has impacted differentially on communities,
families, and schools and colleges.
Congress is particularly concerned that disadvantaged children
and young people have experienced the greatest losses and
inequalities and those inequities have widened as a result of the
pandemic.
Congress confirms that it is vital that action is taken to
support education recovery from the Covid-19 pandemic for the
benefit of pupils, the school and college workforce and local
communities.
Congress calls on the General Council to lobby the government to
develop recovery strategies that:
-
support the workforce to meet the needs of children and young
people, including through action to end the teacher recruitment
and retention crisis, promote good staff mental health and
wellbeing and
tackle excessive and unnecessary workload
ii. secure the rights of children and young people to a
high-quality education, including access to a broad and
balanced curriculum and the right to be taught by qualified
teachers
iii. address the educational, development and social impacts of
the pandemic on children and young people through significant
additional investment in schools and colleges and wider
children and young people’s services
iv. tackle the racial, socio-economic and gender-based
disparities that have been exposed and further exacerbated
during the pandemic.
