Sign The National Petition
Persuade All Staff To Sign The NEU School Statement
Boris Johnson has signalled the reopening of schools. The NEU has said this must only happen when these five tests have been meet. See further below.
Please will you;
1. Download this School Statement
2. Ask all colleagues to agree to have their name added to it.
3. Email it to your headteacher, Julian Bell, your schools’ MP and Stefan Simms Ealing NEU. Or just email it to stefan.simms@neu.org.uk and I will send it on your behalf.
4. Sign the National Petition
The NEU’s Five Tests To Ensure Its Is Safe For Staff and Pupils
Test 1: Much lower numbers of Covid-19 cases
The new case count must be much lower than it is now, with a sustained downward trend, with confidence that new cases are known and counted promptly. And the Government must have extensive arrangements for testing and contact tracing to keep it that way.
Test 2: A national plan for social distancing
The Government must have a national plan including parameters for both appropriate physical distancing and levels of social mixing in schools, as well as for appropriate PPE, which will be locally negotiated at school-by-school and local authority level.
Test 3: Testing, testing, testing!
Comprehensive access to regular testing for children and staff to ensure our schools and colleges don’t become hot spots for Covid-19.
Test 4: Whole school strategy
Protocols to be put in place to test a whole school or college when a case occurs and for isolation to be strictly followed.
Test 5: Protection for the vulnerable
Vulnerable staff, and staff who live with vulnerable people, must work from home, fulfilling their professional duties to the extent that is possible. Plans must specifically address the protection of vulnerable parents, grandparents and carers.
“If you are falling from the sky and your parachute is safely slowing your descent, you do not cut the parachute strings until you have landed!” Kevin Courtney NEU Joint General Secretary
“Given that an early return to full school populations will mean an increased risk to our members and the children in their care, we are writing to ask the Prime Minister to share modelling, evidence and plans.” NEU
Its Impossible To Social Distance In Any School, This Link Shows Why.
You Have The Legal Right To Leave School If You Think You Are At Risk.
Simon Hester was an Inspector for the Health & Safety Executive for 18 years. He explains why in this Link.
Kevin Courtney Joint NEU General Secretary Says
If the Government makes an announcement setting a date for schools to open more widely then we will:
1 Call an emergency national executive meeting,
2 A branch officers zoom call,
3 A workplace reps zoom call,
4 All members telephone town hall,
5 Produce a video aimed at parents and carers,
6 Write to all heads, MAT chief execs and Local Authorities.
On the calls we will:
– Analyse the Govt announcement
– Discuss how Govt has responded to our demands for authoritative peer reviewed science.
– Discuss how the law protects people from working in unsafe environments –
– Including Section 44 of the Employment Rights Act (Health & Safety at work) 1996.
If you want to join in these calls then please contact stefan.simms@neu.org.uk
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This is a matter of life and death. We will not die so the profits of a few super rich can flow again. People before Profit!
I fully support the NEU in the return to schools to be done in a safe way and not too soon and undo all the good work of the public.
Only open school when safe to do so
How can you have social distance in any school and especially in a special need school where pupils need assistance with different aspects of their day to day lives.
Schools should only open when it is safe for all students and staff. Community well being and safety should be priority.
The Government has been changing the safety guidelines more accordingly to what was available than to what is really needed.
Head teachers have been put in difficult positions with trying to follow these absurd safety guidelines and ensure the well being of staff and pupils.
You can’t really give any solid advice on safety on special needs schools because you don’t know how the real situation is in a special need school, therefore I would not get things back to normal in schools until this Covid 19 has been properly sorted or it could lead to dreadful results
Simone
We are concerned about the safety and well being of our school community – we are a special school where social distancing is not possible even among the few children who are in school at the present time. There are many in our community who have vulnerabilities and also many of us live with family members who have vulnerabilities. Schools should only be opened when it is safe to do so.
Let’s work in school when it is totally safe for everyone.
All those who work in schools should be put first. Their safety is important. Rushing to open up schools will have dire consequences. Schools should not open until it is safe to do so.