Commenting as the Department for Education today email all
schools to inform them of changes to Covid safety measures for
schools from the 1st April, including an end to universal free
testing and new guidance on isolation, Paul Whiteman, general
secretary of school leaders’ union NAHT, said:
“Many school leaders will be very worried about the government’s
decision to go ahead with a further loosening of measures at a
time when covid cases are rising rapidly in schools. The
government’s own figures show that absences due to covid are back
up to the levels we last saw in January and many schools are once
again struggling to keep classes open.
“Given the current situation, it seems nothing short of reckless
to be removing access to free testing. Testing is one of the few
tools schools have left to try to break chains of transmission
and there is a real concern that we could see more cases and
outbreaks in schools as a result of this decision.
“School leaders, staff and families will quite rightly want to
understand the scientific evidence that justifies further
reducing the isolation period for those that test positive for
Covid. The immediate concern is that by letting people who could
still be contagious return to school too early, we could see an
increase in cases and therefore more, rather than less
disruption. If the medical advice has changed, then government
has a duty to explain that to schools.”
