• Privacy policy
  • T&C’s
  • About Us
    • FAQ
    • Meet the Team
  • Contact us
TLE ONLINE SHOP!
  • TLE
  • News
  • Politics
  • Business
  • Sport
  • Opinion
  • Elevenses
  • Entertainment
    • All Entertainment
    • Film
    • Lifestyle
      • Horoscopes
    • Lottery Results
      • Lotto
      • Thunderball
      • Set For Life
      • EuroMillions
  • Food
    • All Food
    • Recipes
  • Property
  • Travel
  • Tech/Auto
No Result
View All Result
The London Economic
SUPPORT THE LONDON ECONOMIC
NEWSLETTER
  • TLE
  • News
  • Politics
  • Business
  • Sport
  • Opinion
  • Elevenses
  • Entertainment
    • All Entertainment
    • Film
    • Lifestyle
      • Horoscopes
    • Lottery Results
      • Lotto
      • Thunderball
      • Set For Life
      • EuroMillions
  • Food
    • All Food
    • Recipes
  • Property
  • Travel
  • Tech/Auto
No Result
View All Result
The London Economic
No Result
View All Result
Home News Education

Education unions set out key tests for reopening schools

The measures include extra money for deep cleaning and personal protective equipment.

Joe Mellor by Joe Mellor
2020-05-09 12:41
in Education, News
Credit;PA

Credit;PA

FacebookTwitterLinkedinEmailWhatsapp

Unions have sent a list of key measures to the Government which they say must be met before pupils in England can safely return to their desks.

It includes extra money for deep cleaning and personal protective equipment (PPE) and local powers to close schools if clusters of Covid-19 infections break out in a particular area.

Last week, an NHS chief warned the Government it should be wary about reopening schools too early as scientists do not fully understand the extent of coronavirus transmission between children.

The joint union statement was sent to Education Secretary Gavin Williamson on Friday by bodies including the NAHT school leaders’ union and the National Education Union (NEU).

Unions representing school workers have published today the tests that need to be met before schools can reopen safely for staff, pupils and the wider community https://t.co/XtmFtIbzvj

— TUC Press Office (@TUCnews) May 8, 2020

Published by the Trades Union Congress (TUC), it called for “clear scientific published evidence that trends in transmission of Covid-19 will not be adversely impacted by the reopening phase and that schools are also safe to reopen”.

The “essential” tests include:

– Safety and welfare of pupils and staff as the paramount principle
– No increase in pupil numbers until full rollout of a national test and trace scheme
– A national Covid-19 education taskforce with Government, unions and education stakeholders to agree statutory guidance for safe reopening
– Consideration of the specific needs of vulnerable students and families facing financial hardship
– Additional resources for enhanced school cleaning, PPE and risk assessments
– Local autonomy to close schools where testing indicates clusters of new Covid-19 cases

TUC general secretary Frances O’Grady said: “Parents and staff need full confidence that schools will be safe before any pupils return.

RelatedPosts

School food portions could shrink as best academy trusts would not go north

Peter Hitchens writes ‘why England should leave the UK’ leaving people bemused

Tory MP accuses female journalist of being ‘hysterical’ and this response is amazing

Dorries says C4 News ‘doesn’t do itself any favours’ then admits sharing Netflix account with other households

“The Government must work closely with unions to agree a plan that meets the tests we have set out.

“Those discussions must include unions representing all school workers, not just teachers. The best way to do this is through a national taskforce for safe schools, with Government, unions and education stakeholders.”

Frances O’Grady
Frances O’Grady (Andrew Matthews/PA)

Labour’s shadow education secretary Rebecca Long-Bailey called on the Government to “take heed of the tests set out today by trade unions and commit to not opening schools unless they have been met”.

She said: “The primary consideration before opening schools has to be the safety of pupils, their families and staff.

“Schools should not open until it is safe to do so and the Government must commit to work with trade unions and others to agree a set of principles and tests to put safety systems in place in advance of any planned reopening.”

Daily news conference

Last week at the Downing Street daily news conference, NHS England’s national medical director Professor Stephen Powis said the “science is still evolving” on how much children contribute towards virus spread.

Health Secretary Matt Hancock has vowed the Government will only allow pupils to return when it was safe to do so.

The statement was authored by the GMB, NAHT, NASUWT, NEU, Unison and Unite.

Related – Coronavirus lockdown: Why should the public have to pay the price?

Since you are here

Since you are here, we wanted to ask for your help.

Journalism in Britain is under threat. The government is becoming increasingly authoritarian and our media is run by a handful of billionaires, most of whom reside overseas and all of them have strong political allegiances and financial motivations.

Our mission is to hold the powerful to account. It is vital that free media is allowed to exist to expose hypocrisy, corruption, wrongdoing and abuse of power. But we can't do it without you.

If you can afford to contribute a small donation to the site it will help us to continue our work in the best interests of the public. We only ask you to donate what you can afford, with an option to cancel your subscription at any point.

To donate or subscribe to The London Economic, click here.

The TLE shop is also now open, with all profits going to supporting our work.

The shop can be found here.

You can also SUBSCRIBE TO OUR NEWSLETTER .

Subscribe to our Newsletter

View our  Privacy Policy and Terms & Conditions

Trending on TLE

  • All
  • trending
Abdollah

‘Rescue us’: Afghan teacher begs UK to help him escape Taliban

CHOMSKY: “If Corbyn had been elected, Britain would be pursuing a much more sane course”

What If We Got Rid Of Prisons?

More from TLE

How to get a smile like Meghan Markle’s

Women’s groups reject Tommy Robinson’s pledge to donate salary to grooming victims

Restaurant Review – Forge & Co.

Vladimir Putin ‘wants return to era when empires ruled the world’

Duck-billed platypus on brink of extinction due to climate change

Independent Group for Change agrees to ‘wind up’ as a political party

Zahroof Valves Revolutionises the Compressor Valve Industry

Brexit’s radical agenda should horrify conservatives

This bizarre Tory campaign video… well, just watch it

Watch: Brexiteer Claire Fox hails private sector as ‘invisible front line’ as she defends public sector pay freeze

About Us

TheLondonEconomic.com – Open, accessible and accountable news, sport, culture and lifestyle.

Read more

© 2019 thelondoneconomic.com - TLE, International House, 24 Holborn Viaduct, London EC1A 2BN. All Rights Reserved.




No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • News
  • Politics
  • Business
  • Sport
  • Entertainment
  • Lifestyle
  • Food
  • Travel
  • More…
    • Elevenses
    • Opinion
    • Property
    • Tech & Auto
  • About Us
    • Meet the Team
    • Privacy policy
  • Contact us

© 2019 thelondoneconomic.com - TLE, International House, 24 Holborn Viaduct, London EC1A 2BN. All Rights Reserved.