Education unions backed by Northern leaders have warned that keeping schools and universities open in England is an insufficient “half-measure” that will sow the seeds for another lockdown next year and prolong Covid’s misery.
The National Education Union (NEU), the UK’s largest educational union with nearly half a million members, says schools are “an engine of virus infection” and they want to go back to everyone except “weak” students and key students. Working parents, drive down the drive.
Schools should be open to all students, and adults should work from home if possible, as the government, England’s children’s commissioner, Ann Longgild, and labor leader Kay Starrmer have ordered essential shops and places to be closed for four weeks from Thursday.
Kevin Courtney, joint general secretary of NEU, said: “We fear this will lead to another lockdown later. We don’t think it will be effective if schools are not included. “
The union has recommended that a rota system be introduced in secondary schools to reduce the number of students in classrooms and corridors. It is already working successfully on a few sixth forms.
With # ClassSchoolSon too Trending on Twitter, leaders in northern cities – where Kovid infection is most prevalent and school attendance is at its lowest – called on the NEU to close schools in their region.
Graver Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham spoke at a news conference with Liverpool Mayor Steve Rotherham: “This is my view, and shared by Steve, we need to get these cases now if we see our schools closed, and if we Avoid where large parts of the northwest [of England] Coming out of these is back in just 3 tiers. “
Scientists warned that keeping schools open could mean that the rate of infection could last longer.
Sir Jeremy Farrer, a member of the government’s Scientific Advisory Group on Emergency (SEJ), said: “Personally, I think it’s a lockout now, but if the infection continues to grow, especially in secondary schools, it may need to be reconsidered in the next four weeks.” [the rate of reproduction] Under one and the epidemic is shrinking. “
The University and College Union (UCU), which represents 120,000 university employees, has called for renewal of all education to go online, with more than 35,000 positive Cowid cases currently registered on UK campuses.
UCU General Secretary Joe Grady said: “The rest of the country is going to be locked up, but university and college students and staff (most of whom are adults) should continue as normal, it will sow the seeds of a half-measure and more lockdown in 2021.”
The headteachers ‘unions, the School and College Leaders’ Association and the headmaster of the National Association of Schools and Colleges agreed that it was okay to prioritize keeping students in the classroom but urged ministers to be transparent about the risks to children, families and school staff.
They called on the government to fully fund the Covid expenditure, remove fines for keeping their children out of school and reconsider next year’s exams, even after a three-week delay to allow the government to give more education time.
Julius White, headmaster of Tanbridge House Secondary School in Hersham, West Sussex and leader of Worth Com? The school funding campaign added: “If the government continues to insist on keeping schools open, headmasters urgently need guidance and assistance on urgent staff testing, emergency financial assistance, and more information on how to keep at-risk children and staff safe.”
“Headmasters also know that summer exams in their current form cannot go ahead and we need to have meaningful guidance about that as well. We acknowledge how dependent our school is on our children’s education and mental well-being but we cannot work effectively in the field of wing and prayer. “