By Sheila Mckenzie-
The National Education Union has also called on the government to employ more teachers “to allow education to continue in a Covid secure manner if infections rise”.
The Union want the plans to “include employment of student teachers who have finished their courses and not yet found jobs, as well as mobilisation of supply staff,” the union said.
The concerns have been expressed in the wake of Uk prime minister, Boris Johnson’s call for all pupils to be back to school in September, in light of fears that some families will keep pupils at home because of fears for their safety.
Boris Johnson who initially called for the re-opening of schools in June, today warned that nothing will have a greater effect on the life chances of our children than returning to school”.
The chief medical officers and deputy chief medical officers of England, Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales have also issued a statement insisting they are “confident in the extensive evidence that there is an exceptionally small risk of children of primary or secondary school age dying from Covid-19”.
However, concern that pupils may be vulnerable to the spread of Covid-19, despite the remote chances of this has led to calls for more consideration to be given to concerns about staff safety.
Kevin Courtney, joint general secretary of the National Education Union, said it was “crucially important all schools have very clear Covid-secure measures, and those should apply rigorously to adults within the school”.
“We have supported schools in ensuring that all staff have the confidence to return to a working environment which is as safe as practically possible.”
Courtney said staff members and students should be allowed to wear face masks “if they wish to do so”.
“Many staff, parents and students will be anxious, and face masks will help to alleviate that anxiety. It will go some way towards ensuring there is confidence amongst parents that schools are safe places, so that in-person learning can recommence for all students, which is what we all want to see.”
Vulnerable People
He added that clinically extremely vulnerable people should be allowed to work from home, given the extra risks they face”, and called on the government to respond to advice from the World Health Organisation, which states that the over-60s and other vulnerable people should wear medical-grade masks where social distancing cannot be achieved.
The calls follow a Public Health England study found that school staff were more likely to be affected by Covid-19 than pupils. Of the 198 confirmed cases in June, the month that schools began to reopen more widely, 128 were in staff and just 70 were in children.
A special school in Dundee Scotland closed last Friday after 17 teachers, two pupils and two community contacts had contracted Covid-19. There are very few cases of pupils contracting Covid-19 despite a number of teachers in the Uk who have contracted the virus, and many observers believe this presents minimum reason for valid concern the virus could spread to children.
Prime Minister, Boris Johnson said : “As the chief medical officer has said, the risk of contracting Covid-19 in school is very small and it is far more damaging for a child’s development and their health and well-being to be away from school any longer.”