Government must row back from reckless ditching of Covid rules, say education unions  

Chaos will reign in schools and millions of hours of learning will be lost unless the government rows back from the reckless decision to scrap all remaining Covid safety rules in England, three education unions are warning today (Monday). UNISON, Unite and GMB, which represent school support staff, are urging the Prime Minister to think again and keep in place free testing and the requirement to self-isolate, as an absolute minimum. The three unions say the government’s failure to provide clear, detailed guidance risks a super spreader free-for-all in schools and other workplaces. Throughout the pandemic, the government always said it would be led by the science. Ministers must now publish the evidence in full to prove to the public that a bonfire of all the remaining Covid regulations is safe, say the unions. If the remaining safety rules are axed, schools will be left in an impossible situation, the unions add. Parents will be unsure about whether to send their children into school, transmission rates could soar, and new, more potent variants could emerge. The health of vulnerable pupils and school staff must not be left to individual choice when so much is at stake, say the unions. Schools could soon face the nightmare scenario where staff and pupils who have been exposed to ​Covid, or have it themselves,​ are free to come into school without the mandatory need for isolation. The government should also hold off on any plans to scrap free tests, the ...
Source: UNISON Health care news - Category: UK Health Authors: Tags: News Press release coronavirus schools Source Type: news