The General Secretaries of 10 teacher trade unions across the UK
and Ireland have written to the Education Ministers in all 5
jurisdictions urging “significant caution in any consideration of
reopening schools.”
The letter, sent by the British Irish Group of Teacher
Unions (BIGTU) on behalf of almost 1 million teachers and
education staff, warns of the “very real risk of creating a
spike in the transmission of the virus by a premature opening of
schools”.
It calls for the establishment of sufficient capacity
to “test trace and isolate” the infection as a prerequisite
for school reopening, alongside “significant operational
changes [being] in place to ensure effective social distancing,
strong hygiene routines linked to thorough cleansing practices,
appropriate PPE [being] available where required, and ongoing
risk assessments in place to monitor operations.”
The letter was sent to:
Deputy First Minister and Cabinet
Secretary for Education and Skills, Scottish Parliament
MP Secretary of State for Education, UK
Parliament
Minister for Education,
National Assembly of Wales
Joe McHugh TD Minister of Education and Skills, Dail
Eireann
MLA Minister for Education,
Northern Ireland Assembly
The letter is signed by:
Larry Flanagan, General Secretary EIS (Educational
Institute of Scotland)
Seamus Searson, General Secretary SSTA (Scottish Secondary
Teachers’ Association)
Patrick Roach, General Secretary NASUWT (National
Association of Schoolmasters Union of Women Teachers)
Mary Bousted, Joint General Secretary NEU (National
Education Union)
Kevin Courtney, Joint General Secretary NEU (National
Education Union)
Jo Grady, General Secretary UCU (University and College
union)
John Mac Gabhann, General Secretary TUI (Teachers Union of
Ireland)
Kieran Christie, General Secretary ASTI (Association of
Secondary Teachers, Ireland)
Joan Donegan, General Secretary IFUT (Irish Federation of
University Teachers)
John Boyle, General Secretary INTO (Irish National
Teachers’ Association)
Jacquie White, General Secretary UTU (Ulster Teachers’
Union)
