School workers say they feel ‘scared for their life’, ‘anxious’
and ‘schools can never be covid safe’ in mass poll with more than
7,000 responses
Almost 60% of staff say covid outbreaks have taken place in
their school since the start of the pandemic, according to a mass
survey by GMB Union.
More than 57% of the 7,100 school staff who responded to
the poll said there had been confirmed cases at their
school.
Meanwhile more than 67% said there was no testing available
for staff or pupils who were displaying symptoms and more than
60% said they had been asked to work across bubbles.
Responding to the survey – which was sent to teaching
assistants, administrators, catering workers and other members of
school support staff across the country – workers said they felt
‘scared’ and ‘anxious’.
Responses from the survey include:
-
“I am high risk with diabetes and high blood
pressure and I feel worried sick to be in a room with thirty
children and three other adults. I do not feel that my health
problems are being considered by the Government at
all.”
-
"When there is a covid outbreak, it is kept under
wraps and we only find out through staff gossiping about it.
Staff have been told to keep quiet about outbreaks they know of
and only a few children are kept away when there is an outbreak
rather than a whole bubble."
-
“We are not safe, somebody needs to get a grip, can
we stop pretending that schools are a safe place to
be.”
-
“I'm scared for my life at work."
Karen Leonard, GMB National Officer,
said:
“Our members in schools are scared. Covid outbreaks are
rife and the safety of school staff appears to come second to
political point scoring by Ministers.
“We all agree it’s vitally important not to disrupt
children’s education - but we shouldn’t have to put the people
who work in school’s lives at risk to do so.
“The Government’s Winter Plan has scant detail on the
testing schools urgently need.
“We urge the Department for Education to sit down with
unions to come up with a constructive solution.”
ENDS
Media enquiries: GMB Press Office on
07958 156846 or at press.office@gmb.org.uk
Notes to Editors:
[1] Survey results and comments
attached
