Commenting on guidance issued today by the Department for
Education, intended to prepare schools for full opening from
September, Kevin Courtney, Joint General Secretary of the
National Education Union, said:
"We all want to see a full return for all pupils from September,
but this must be safe, well-planned and in pupils' short-term and
long-term interests. The litmus test for school leaders,
teachers, support staff and parents alike will be a
thought-through strategy that puts to bed any concerns over
safety. The Government guidance today is unlikely to address
these concerns.
"The Health Secretary, , speaking about the Leicester
outbreak this week said that children can transmit the disease, a
number of children have tested positive for the virus and where
outbreaks occur schools will have to close.
"The Government has to be able to convince school staff that
sufficient measures are in place to make it ‘Covid secure’ for
them to work in a class of 30 or more children – with neither
social distancing nor PPE, and often with poor ventilation. In
secondary schools the difficulties multiply, because the
Government guidelines suggest that a whole year group should be
treated as ‘a bubble’, and that these year-group bubbles should
be kept apart by staggering arrival times, breaks and lunch
times. The practical difficulties involved in arranging this
separation of year group bubbles are immense and will not be
possible in many schools.
"The Government must, as a minimum, be able to show that Public
Health England and SAGE are in complete agreement with them that
when the guidelines are implemented in September, transmission
networks can be managed and vulnerable staff kept safe. This will
certainly depend on the case count being lower in September than
it is now.
"The guidelines put an emphasis on test and trace, but parents,
school leaders and teachers will be wondering 'where is it?' The
NEU has been calling for track and trace since March. promised a 'world beating'
system by 1 June but has still not delivered anything like an
adequate programme – the Government needs to be able to inspire
confidence that track, trace and isolate will be capable of
taking the load by September or we will see patterns of school
closures like the one just announced in Leicester.
"We are concerned that the Government does not have a plan B if
these guidelines do not work or if cases are higher by the time
we get to September. That is why we have been arguing, via our
10-point Education Recovery Plan, for the Government to find
extra classroom space, mobilise supply teachers, beginner
teachers finishing college, and those colleagues who have left
the profession. If the Government could build and staff the
Nightingale hospitals then it should be able to build and staff
Nightingale classrooms to ensure our children can get back to
school.
"School leaders need clear guidance based on scientific evidence,
but instead they are confronted by a Government which is rushing
through ideas that seem more based on hope than on science. A
poor plan, such as this one, risks failing children, parents and
staff alike. We need much clearer science as well as guidance
that is grounded in reality, for the full return of all pupils to
work. As ever, the National Education Union is ready to talk with
Government to find a way forward."
