Trade Unions give evidence to MPs on the impact of Covid
Representatives of the major trade unions gave evidence this week to the education select committee, on the impact of Covid on education. Chair of the committee Robert Halfon MP began by asking about the removal of restrictions in school settings.
Geoff Barton, General Secretary of ASCL, said that while bubbles were introduced for good reasons, they had become hugely counterproductive, and that masks make teaching more difficult. However, he added that most schools will be maintaining restrictions within the last week of term, and that the lifting of restrictions apply more to September. As the situation may have developed by then, he added that schools will put in whatever measures are necessary to keep schools safe, and that it would be helpful to have clearer reassurance on what may be required of schools.
Gateshead MP Ian Mearns also asked about measures taken to keep schools safe, asking for views on vaccinations for children and young people, especially considering the rise in cases in the North East. Kevin Courtney, Joint General Secretary at NEU, said that he supports the roll out of the vaccination programme to all teachers and support staff, and that to approach herd immunity it may be necessary to vaccinate children. However, he added that this was a decision for JCVI to make, and not for schools. This sentiment was agreed with by all those giving evidence.
As well as these issues of school safety, and ensuring that schools can be fully operational, the committee also asked about catch-up plans. Robert Halfon questioned the panel on their view on extending the school day. Darren Northcott, National Official for Education at NASUWT, said the key question was what the most effective interventions were, and that a crude extension of the school day wasn’t evidence-based. Leigh Powell, National Officer for Education and Children’s Services at UNISON, agreed, saying that staff are exhausted and that extensions to the school day won’t be enough to improve attainment.
Geoff Barton and Kevin Courtney took a slightly different position, arguing that what was at stake with an extension to the school day was what activities were done in the extra time, and who was delivering it. They said it was important to ensure this time was used for enrichment activities, and that we would have to consider the evidence for what the most effective strategies would be. Importantly, all this would have to be properly resourced, and Kevin Courtney expressed his support for the package that had been outlined by the former education recovery commissioner, Sir Kevan Collins.
Throughout the discussions, whether it be on Covid safety measures, ‘catch-up’, or awarding of exam grades, the witnesses all expressed concerns over the lack of consultation with the profession, and the lack of clear guidance. This has created additional workload and anxieties for school staff, and on exams schools want to see much greater certainty for those students going into exam years. At our regular virtual roundtable with school leaders this week, one school leader said that guidance had gone from being detailed (albeit constantly changing) to almost ‘complete deregulation’. The lack of coherency and short notice in guidance has been a constant issue throughout the pandemic, and Schools North East will continue to lobby for more effective communication from the DfE with the teaching profession.