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Covid-19 testing in schools must improve if they are to remain open, the National Education Union (NEU) has said.
Leaders of Britain’s largest education union wrote to Boris Johnson on Sunday to urge the government to take emergency action if schools and universities want to stay safe.
They warned the prime minister not to take support for schools for granted, adding that the testing regime must be increased and improved.
The letter, signed by Under-Secretary-Generals Dr. Mary Bousted and Kevin Courtney, said: “It is now clear that your government has failed to ensure that testing is sufficiently available to meet the predictable need when 12 million children and their staff went back to school in England. “
He outlined the problems caused by the current testing system, including the lack of information for schools to stop the viral spread, and the difficulties children and staff have in obtaining a test, which means they have to stay home. .
The letter continued: “The situation needs to be addressed urgently. Children and staff should be a high priority for the testing regimen.
“In fact, it must move towards asymptomatic testing of staff and older students as it has done in the NHS and nursing homes.
She added: “School leaders, teachers, and support staff have supported the broader openness for all students and have worked hard to make it as safe as possible, but this support cannot and should not be taken for granted. “
The NEU also outlined plans the government should take in the event of a second wave, including cutting class sizes, handing out broadband and laptops to kids who don’t have them, and clarity on next year’s exams. .
Dr Sebastian Funk, a member of a subgroup of the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (Sage), told Times Radio: “I am very concerned about this. I think, to be honest with you, we weren’t in a position to safely reopen schools.
“I think reopening schools should have been a top priority and we should have brought infection levels to lower levels before then. We are now at a stage where we can’t even test enough people.
“We are losing track of what is really happening in the country. At the same time, we see an increase in hospitalizations.
He added: “In fact, I would be very concerned about the effect of new openings … the return of the universities is, in effect, a reopening.”
