Commenting on week 28 school attendance figures published by the
Department for Education, Kevin Courtney, Joint General
Secretary of the National Education Union, said:
“The number of pupils absent for COVID-19 related reasons is now
the highest at any point in the pandemic. One in five pupils,
including more than a quarter of secondary pupils, were absent
from school last week for all reasons combined. This means that
many pupils will be facing further disruption to the end of the
school year: missing end of year trips, transitions to new
classes and schools, and the chance to say goodbye to friends and
staff. Education professionals are being exposed to classroom
outbreaks, with more than one in twenty education staff absent
for Covid-related reasons last week. With more than half of
teachers aged under 40, this means a majority of education
professionals are likely to still be vulnerable while awaiting
double vaccination.
“The Government has failed to protect students and staff by not
prioritising mitigation measures such as masks and testing, in
the face of evidence and advice. The NEU wrote to last week
(1) in light of the government's intention to do away with almost
all safety guidance for education settings. Other voices have
joined us in asking for the data and modelling that has led
government to make this change. No one from government has been
so far able to provide these answers, and this can only raise
concerns that we may need alternatives - which are not being
planned.
"Too many of the government's recent actions on Covid have been
driven by optimism, and a refusal to give serious thought to
contingency planning. In a pandemic Plan Bs should not be viewed
as a sign of weakness, but one of strength. is yet to learn this lesson. Today's decision
advances on an earlier relaxation of rules around masks in
classrooms, which in our view has now proven to be a mistake.
"It is now abundantly clear that the government has no plan for
schools and colleges in the event that cases carry on rising over
the summer. School outbreaks are now at their highest level in
2021 so far, and self-testing amongst school-age children has
collapsed to less than 20%. This is from a 60% high in March.
Gavin Williamson's only response to this is to give up. The root
cause of the current disruption in schools is virus spread, so
focusing every effort on reducing transmission in schools to keep
children healthy and in education should be the government's
priority.
"Simply hoping for the best did not prevent the Delta variant
breaching our borders, and hoping for the best will not be
sufficient support for school and college leaders who need the
backing of Government to stay open safely and sustainably when
case counts rise. We can all hope for the best but we must plan
for something that is less than the best."
ENDS
Editor’s Note
- Letter to , 8 July
2021: https://neu.org.uk/press-releases/removal-school-safety-measures
