Commenting on the latest announcement from on the easing of COVID
restrictions in England and the requirement for face coverings in
classrooms to be ended, Dr Mary Bousted, Joint
General Secretary of the National Education Union,
said,
"Schools and colleges are still feeling the impact of COVID. The
latest ONS infection survey update shows 1 in 10 primary age
pupils have COVID. While the trend amongst secondary aged
children is down it is however uncertain, due to the short
time schools have been back since the Christmas holidays, that
this trend will continue. Such uncertainty could
lead to a pronounced risk of increased disruption with
children and staff having to isolate.
'We are concerned to see what the Covid related absence is when
figures are released next week. The danger is we lift
restrictions too quickly before the effects of returning to
school are clear. This will result in more education disruption
which is extremely worrying particularly for pupils taking
national exams this year whose education has been so badly
disrupted already.
'Rather than announcements aimed at saving Boris Johnson’s job,
Government should be exercising a duty of care to the nation’s
pupils and the staff who educate them. This disruption is at
the door of the Government who should have got ventilation and
filtration solutions in place before Omicron as advised by SAGE
and they should be getting these solutions in place urgently now
to ensure interruption of education remains at the
minimum."
