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Five conditions to be met before schools reopen due to coronavirus

 

Today’s (21 April) @EducationGovUK in the Media looks at reports of calls for five conditions to be met before schools reopen due to coronavirus.

Yesterday (20 April), Patrick Roach, general secretary of the National Association of Schoolmasters and Union of Women Teachers (NASUWT), sent a letter to the Secretary of State setting out five conditions to be met before schools reopen.

The letter includes conditions such as:

  1. Ensuring schools have enough cleaning equipment;
  2. Guidelines on social distancing in schools;
  3. Access to PPE;
  4. Employment protections for teachers; and
  5. Recognition of the ‘depleted’ teacher workforce.

Our position on closures is clear. Schools will remain closed until the scientific advice indicates it is safe to open them, along with meeting the five tests set out by the Government to beat the coronavirus.

A Department for Education spokesperson said:

Education Secretary Gavin Williamson has not set a date for schools reopening.

They will remain closed, except for children of critical workers and the most vulnerable children until the scientific advice changes, and we have met the five tests set out by Government to beat this virus.

We will work in close consultation with the sector to consider how best to reopen schools, nurseries and colleges when the time is right so that parents, teachers and children have sufficient notice to plan and prepare.


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