Tag: NASUWT

Improving relationships and behaviour in schools

Guidance published to support pupils and teachers

New guidance to empower schools to take action on mobile phone use and next steps in ongoing work to improve relationships and behaviour in schools has been published.

The ‘Behaviour and Relationships in Schools’ action plan, and targeted guidance for teachers to manage mobile phone use in schools, set out steps to be deployed at the national, local and school level over the next three years in response to concerns about relationships and behaviour in schools, including:

  • supporting the effective recording and monitoring of inappropriate behaviour
  • encouraging schools to reinforce a positive ethos and culture
  • providing guidance and support to ensure schools can embed relationships and behaviour policies which set clear expectations of relationships and behaviour

The new guidance on mobile phone use makes clear that while it is for individual schools to determine what action to take, head teachers are empowered to take the steps they see fit, including a full ban on mobile phone use in school if that is their judgement.

Aside from impacting behaviour, a growing body of evidence shows mobile phone use also impacts on learning. The Programme of International Student Assessment (PISA) 2022 data showed that almost a third of 15-year-olds in Scotland and across all Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) countries reported being distracted using digital devices in most or every maths class – and around a quarter reported being distracted by others using digital devices.

During a visit to Stonelaw High School in Rutherglen, Education Secretary Jenny Gilruth said: “Since the last action plan on relationships and behaviour in Scotland’s schools was published in 2017, our children and young people have experienced periods of significant challenge, including a global pandemic and a cost-of-living crisis which is causing real difficulty for families across the country. There is no doubt this has had a major impact on their schooling and how they learn.

“Improving relationships, behaviour and attendance in schools is one of my top priorities as Education Secretary. We have been working jointly on this with key partners such as COSLA and SAGRABIS since I was appointed and this new action plan contains a series of steps to be taken which will ensure that both pupils and staff are safe and supported.

“It takes an evidence-based approach to responding to the relationships and behaviour challenges faced in our schools and has been informed by the Behaviour in Scottish Schools Research (BISSR), which heard from nearly 4,000 teachers and support staff, as well as discussions with a wide range of stakeholders including teaching unions at the three behaviour summits.

“While it is clear that the vast majority of pupils in our schools continue to behave well, there are undoubtedly growing behavioural issues associated with mobile phones.

“This new guidance empowers head teachers to take the steps they see fit for their school to limit the use of mobile phones, including a full ban on the school estate if they feel that is required and I would encourage teachers to take all the steps they feel necessary to combat these issues.”

COSLA Spokesperson for Children and Young People Tony Buchanan said: “Ensuring children and young people feel supported, safe and ready to learn is of vital importance to Local Government, and we need to make sure schools are safe and welcoming places for all.

“We have worked closely with the Scottish Government and our partners across education system to develop the action plan and guidance published today.

“We will continue to work in partnership to enable the provision of the best possible support, in and out of school, so that children and young people to get the most out of their learning.”

Acting Stonelaw High School Headteacher Vicki Rice said: “We were delighted to welcome the Cabinet Secretary for Education and Skills to our school. The Cabinet Secretary took part in discussion groups with our staff and pupils who were given a valuable opportunity to talk with her about these important issues as part of their work and study on personal and social education.

“We discussed our work earlier this year with our parents and pupils about excessive phone use and the impact that this can have on learning. This work helped inform our plans for this session to protect the learning environment by limiting phone use in certain areas of the school.

“We will continue to work with our pupils and their families to ensure that this remains supported.

“This fits with our wider efforts to create positive relationships and behaviour right across our school. We know that getting this right for our learners means that they feel safer, more included, respected and supported.

“This in turn helps create strong relationships between our learners and staff and helps improve everyone’s wellbeing.”

Commenting on the publication of the National Action Plan on Relationships and Behaviour in Schools and mobile phone guidance by the Scottish Government, Mike Corbett, National Official Scotland for NASUWT – The Teachers’ Union, said: “While NASUWT is frustrated with the length of time taken to produce this National Action Plan, we have nevertheless engaged in good faith with the Scottish Government, shared our members’ current experiences on managing pupil behaviour and advocated strongly around how they might be addressed.

“We are encouraged by the recognition that a range of approaches and consequences are required given that restorative approaches to poor behaviour do not work for all pupils and cannot be the only tool available to schools when responding to incidents of abuse and violence.

“We need to see better recording and monitoring of behaviour incidents in schools as an essential part of ensuring consistency and measuring progress and improvements over time.

“We very much welcome that the principle of serious consequences for serious misbehaviour, up to and including exclusion, where necessary, has been accepted.

“The Scottish Government must make it clear that serious misbehaviour will carry serious consequences if any plan is to secure a safe and orderly environment for teachers and students.

“Given the recent riots in other parts of the UK, the acknowledgement that more work is needed to support schools in addressing racism and racist incidents, along with other forms of discrimination such as misogyny, is welcome.

“We know that mobile phones can be used as a tool to bully and harass fellow pupils and teachers, as well as distracting pupils from their learning. We therefore welcome the guidance from the Scottish Government that school leaders can take steps to limit or ban the use of phones in their schools if they see fit. However, to be effective, addressing the use of mobile phones should form part of joined up whole-school strategies on managing pupil behaviour.

“While we are pleased to see that the Action Plan intends that schools will be offered support to adopt the recommendations within it, including suggested approaches and exemplars, it is disappointing that the Scottish Government has not as yet committed any additional funding, time or resources to schools to support this work.

“Teachers and school leaders are already dealing with excessive workloads and constrained budgets. Implementing the recommendations of this action plan is too important a task to be simply added to schools’ already lengthy to do lists. Ring-fenced time and funding is needed.” 

Relationships and Behaviour in schools action plan

Doctors encourage Scottish Government to take forward schools air quality monitor pilot

A proposal for air quality monitors to be trialled in Aberdeen, Dundee, Edinburgh, Glasgow and Perth

  • Doctors encourage Scottish Government to take forward schools air quality monitor pilot
  • A proposal for air quality monitors to be trialled in Aberdeen, Dundee, Edinburgh, Glasgow and Perth

The Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh (“the College”) is urging the Scottish Government to take forward its proposal to monitor air quality around urban schools in Scotland.

The College’s costed pilot proposal would see air quality monitors placed for a year in up to three schools, within 50m of those schools, in each of five Scottish cities: Aberdeen, Dundee, Edinburgh, Glasgow and Perth. The pilot would therefore see up to 15 schools across Scottish cities taking part.

Last year, the College called for air quality monitors to be placed at all city primary schools in Scotland for a period of at least a year, in its submission of evidence to the Scottish Parliament’s Net Zero, Energy and Transport Committee.

The pilot idea was developed by the College’s Working Group on Air Pollution and Health. It has now been submitted to the Scottish Government following positive discussions with government officials last year. Members of the Working Group highlighted the lack of data on air quality around schools despite the knowledge that air pollution can pose serious health risks to children.

As part of the working group’s preparation of the pilot proposal, clinicians plotted the distances between primary and secondary schools in these five city areas and existing air quality monitors.

The group found that from the 337 primary and 94 secondary schools examined, only one primary school was within 50m of a PM (particulate matter) monitor and only 2 primary schools were within 100m of a NO2 (nitrogen dioxide) monitor.

There were no secondary schools within 100m of either type of monitor.

Professor Jill Belch, Co-lead of the College’s Working Group on Air Pollution and Health, and Professor of Vascular Medicine at the University of Dundee, said: “Science has provided robust evidence that children are significantly harmed by air pollution, with sometimes tragic results.

“Whilst lung disease in children is widely recognised as a result of breathing polluted air, less well known to the public, but equally important, are the effects of this pollution on the developing organs within a child.

“For example, exposure to polluted air in childhood has been shown to reduce brain cognitive function in a number of key ways. Further, and of concern, is that children appear to become unwell at lower levels of pollutants than do adults.

“ At present the early work conducted by the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh suggests that few school have air quality monitors nearby, so we do not actually know how well or otherwise, our children are protected. It is therefore imperative that we ensure air quality around schools is within regulatory levels, and the College’s proposal to the Scottish Government can start this process.”

Professor Andrew Elder, President of the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh and the other Co-Lead of the Working Group on Air Pollution and Health, said: “ There is overwhelming evidence that air pollution can have a wide range of detrimental health impacts on our children including problems with the lung, heart, brain and immune and hormonal systems.

“We also know that there is a correlation between areas of high deprivation and poor air quality and this can exacerbate pre-existing health inequalities in children and young people.

“ We are concerned at the lack of data on air quality around urban schools in Scotland- with the vast majority of urban air quality monitors currently sited too far away from schools-  and believe we must collect as much accurate school level data as possible so we can have an evidence base for action.

“The College hopes that the Scottish Government will consider our proposal positively and we remain committed to working constructively with it and all other stakeholders so that we can better understand the levels of air pollution around our schools and subsequently support implementing mitigation measures where these are required.”

Mike Corbett, National Official (Scotland) for the NASUWT said: “Thousands of people die each year because of occupational diseases caused by air pollution at work. Pollution arising from work and travel to work are health issues for which employers currently take little responsibility.  

“Air pollution impacts workers and their families at all stages from before birth to old age and is particularly damaging to the growth and development of babies and children. 

“ Being able to quantify the scale of the problem around our schools is the first step to cleaning up the air we and our children breathe and moving towards a heathier and safer future.  NASUWT is therefore very pleased to endorse and support this proposal for pilot air quality monitoring around schools.”

Cost of living crisis – it’s time to take action, says teachers’ union

Rocketing fuel and energy bills, forecasts of double-digit inflation, and rising interest rates mean misery for many families. And unless there is urgent action from Government, the situation is only going to get worse (writes NASUWT’s Dr. PATRICK ROACH).

Teachers and schools leaders do not need to be reminded of the stark effects of this crisis on their pupils and in their own lives. 

They see it every day in their schools and in their classrooms. 

Children whose parents find themselves in insecure jobs and are struggling to make ends meet. Many relying on food banks and struggling to pay their bills. Hungry pupils can’t concentrate on their learning and the knock-on effects on behaviour are making a challenging job even more stressful. 

Schools are struggling as they find themselves taking on more to try and support children, work which was often supported by local authorities but is no longer provided due to austerity. 

Teaching has become even more challenging because of deep cuts to school budgets, the loss of vital support for children and families and a crisis of teacher and headteacher recruitment and retention. 

Despite ministers’ promises to protect education, in the last decade education spending has fallen by 10%. And the salaries of teachers has fallen too – across the board, teachers’ pay has been slashed by at least 19% since 2010. 

Many teachers are relying on credit cards, overdrafts and some are even using the same foodbanks their pupils’ families rely on as well. Around one in ten teachers work second jobs and many more are worried about their financial situation. 

And in addition to the cost of living crisis, there is a wellbeing crisis caused by extreme workload pressures. 

However, at the Department for Education, ministers are presiding over a system where teachers and headteachers are at breaking point. Unless action is taken now, a desperate situation is set to become even worse. 

Already, one in three student teachers choose not to enter the profession after they’ve qualified because of the stress of the job and 40% of new teachers leave within five years. 

The latest data from our own ‘Big Question’ survey found that two-thirds of teachers are seriously considering quitting the profession – citing workload, wellbeing and pay as key reasons. 

More headteachers are leaving and fewer and fewer teachers are wanting to take their place. 

Perhaps not surprisingly, nine in ten teachers we surveyed report that their job has adversely impacted their mental health in the last year and a disturbing 3% have self-harmed and are experiencing a severe mental health crisis because of the job. 

And on top of that we have the growing problem of Long Covid which is a ticking time-bomb in our schools. 

That’s why the NASUWT is calling for A Better Deal For Teachers on workload, wellbeing and pay. 

As part of our campaign, we’re calling on the Government to recognise that a world-class education system needs highly motivated teachers working in world-class schools and colleges. 

To that end, we want to see: 

  • a substantial real-terms pay rise for every teacher,  
  • an enforceable contractual working time limit for teachers,  
  • the right to switch off and disconnect from work at the end of the day and at weekends,  
  • the ending of fire and rehire practices, 
  • banning zero-hours contracts,  
  • equal rights for supply teachers  
  • scrapping the link between performance and teachers’ pay,  
  • and safer workplaces underpinned by safe and respectful working practices. 

We will be highlighting these demands at the national demonstration that takes place in London on 18th June, where teachers and workers from across the public and private sectors will be demanding action on the cost of living crisis, a decent pay rise for workers and a better deal for all working people. 

It’s time for the Government to understand that the situation needs to change. Teachers are demanding change and so are parents and the general public.  

Spread the word: be there on June 18th – join us, join in, and help win a better deal for teachers. 

More information about the national demonstration can be found here. 

NASUWT: Action needed to protect UK schools from Omicron

Teaching union the NASUWT is calling on governments across the UK to take urgent measures to protect schools from the Omicron variant of Covid-19.

In England the Union has released a joint statement with the five other trade unions representing the majority of education staff prior to the return of schools and colleges for the spring term. 

And in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland the NASUWT has called for urgent action from the Scottsh Government, the Welsh Government and the Northern Ireland Executive to protect schools now.



Dr Patrick Roach, NASUWT General Secretary said: “Teachers have been on the frontline throughout the pandemic to support pupils and students and provide them with the best education possible.

“However, the rising number of cases of the Omicron variant could cause significant disruption in the next academic term with many teachers being forced to self-isolate.

“We must see immediate action to ensure that schools can continue to operate safely and provide high quality education.”

The statement below is from NASUWT, ASCL, GMB, NAHT, NEU and UNISON:
 
“There has been much speculation about the possibility of more disruption to education over the next academic term as a result of the Omicron variant of Covid-19.  
   
“As trade unions representing the vast majority of education staff, we wish to emphasise that teachers, leaders and support staff desperately want to be able to conduct face-to-face teaching for all children and young people on a consistent basis and without further interruption caused by the pandemic.  
   
“Education staff have moved heaven and earth to support pupils and students throughout the course of the crisis and they remain committed to providing the best possible support for all children and young people.  
   
“They are acutely conscious that this is essential particularly in supporting disadvantaged and vulnerable children and young people who have often been most badly affected by the pandemic both educationally and in terms of their wellbeing.  
   
“But last term education staff were more likely than other workers to test positive and therefore to have to self-isolate, inevitably leading to disruption of education.  
   
“Schools and colleges cannot on their own reduce the threat posed by the virus and they need from the Westminster government more than rhetoric about the importance of education.   
 
“We need the minimum amount of educational disruption this term in order to avoid a third successive year where GCSEs, A-levels and other exams have to be cancelled, and thereby removing the uncertainty and additional workload for students and teachers.  
    
“It is essential therefore that the government takes immediate and urgent steps to mitigate the risk of Covid transmission and that it provides more support to minimise disruption in schools and colleges by such steps as:    

  • Providing government-funded air cleaning units to every school and college classroom that needs these devices. While we welcome the provision of a small number of these units to special educational needs and alternative provision settings, the government’s decision to signpost all other schools and colleges to purchase this equipment from an ‘online marketplace’ is simply not good enough. We also question why the Westminster government takes such a different line on face coverings in secondary schools to Scotland and Wales when they use the same evidence. 
  • Committing to providing schools with more resources in the event that on-site Covid testing is again required. Secondary schools have once again been left in the lurch at the beginning of the spring term by being asked to set up and staff testing stations with little support from the government.  
  • Providing improved financial support to schools and colleges for the costs of supply staff to cover for Covid-related absence. The current government scheme contains so many complex conditions that it is inaccessible in many circumstances.  
  • Making it clear that all schools or colleges due for an Ofsted inspection this term can request that the inspection is deferred, and that their request will be automatically granted. This will enable teachers and leaders to focus on the immediate and urgent task in hand – that of supporting their pupils and students – and remove the unnecessary pressure and distraction of unhelpful inspections at this time. 

“As a new year begins, we urge the government to work more collaboratively and constructively with education workforce representatives to keep schools and colleges open. By working side by side, we can remove unnecessary burdens and find solutions with government in the interests of all children and young people.” 

Teachers say Scottish Government is failing to support school safety

85% of teachers working in level 3 and 4 areas believe schools should move to a blended or remote learning model to protect the safety and welfare of pupils and staff, and over three-quarters (77%) believe their school remaining fully open is a political decision, rather than one based on safety.

76% of teachers across the whole of Scotland said they do not feel the Government is providing the necessary support for them and their school during the pandemic.

A survey of over 700 teachers across Scotland by NASUWT-The Teachers’ Union, found serious concerns over the adequacy of the health and safety measures in place in schools and the level of protection currently being afforded to pupils and staff.

67% reported that pupils in their school have displayed symptoms of Covid-19, with just over half (51%) saying that classes or year groups had been sent home because of suspected or confirmed cases of the virus.

57% said staff in their school have displayed Covid symptoms.

Only a quarter (25%) of teachers feel the control measures introduced in their school are adequate with only just over a third (34%) saying they feel confident in the way their school is dealing with suspected or confirmed cases of Covid.

Just under half (49%) of teachers say they feel unsafe or very unsafe in their school, versus 16% who say they feel safe or very safe.

The survey also highlights the impact of the pandemic on teachers’ workloads, with nearly four in five (79%) saying their workload has increased or substantially increased compared to the same point last year. Remote learning preparation was cited as the biggest driver of increased workloads, with 74% saying they have been expected to develop and deliver remote learning provision in addition to their existing workload.

74% cited their current levels of stress and anxiety around work as high or very high.

Patrick Roach,NASUWT General Secretary,said:

“The NASUWT wants schools to remain open, but to remain open safely, with additional measures which prioritise the safety and welfare of pupils and staff.

“We believe that a move to blended learning with smaller class sizes in areas with the highest rates of Covid should be part of the strategy to managing and suppressing the virus, along with greater protections for clinically vulnerable staff and enhanced safety mitigations.

“We need better data on case numbers in schools, a system of inspection and enforcement of safety measures, rigorous protocols on self-isolation when cases do occur and more funding and resources for schools to ensure safety is not compromised on the grounds of cost.

“The challenges of developing and adopting blended and remote learning are clearly having an unsustainable impact on teachers’ workloads, which is why funding for additional supply teachers is needed so that schools can maintain consistent and high-quality learning provision for pupils learning in the classroom and at home.”

Jane Peckham, NASUWT National Official Scotland, said:

“Teachers do not feel the Government is doing enough to support their safety and that of the pupils they teach and feel ministers are failing to fully recognise the tremendous pressures they are facing in continuing to provide education to children and young people in these unprecedented circumstances.

“The failure to address these realities is risking the health and safety of pupils and school staff.

“Without action we will see more pupils being absent from school and more teachers being absent from work because of illness or because they need to self-isolate. We will also see more teachers succumbing to mental and physical burnout.

“We have already set out to minister the additional actions we believe need to be taken to protect the education of children and young people whilst ensuring that our schools can continue to operate safely.

“It is now incumbent on Government to fulfil its responsibilities to protect children, young people and all those who work in our schools.”

Government must act to address steep rise in Covid transmission among children, says union

Teachers’ Union the NASUWT is deeply concerned following the release of the COVID-19 Statistical Report by Public Health Scotland showing a significant increase in the percentage of secondary age children testing positive for Coronavirus in September.

The percentage of young people testing positive for coronavirus is of great concern to the NASUWT, particularly among the 12-17 age group, and could potentially increase the risk to teachers, education staff and the wider community unless further measures are introduced in schools to protect them.

Additionally, since the end of September there is evidence of increased percentage of patients testing positive among the primary school age group.

NASUWT General Secretary Dr Patrick Roach has called on Deputy First Minister John Swinney to urgently review the situation and identify what further measures can be taken to mitigate the risks posed by the increases seen in the data.

Dr Roach said: “Schools should remain open as long as they remain safe. But it is clear the spike in the Covid-19 transmission rate in certain secondary school children age groups, and also primary school age groups, coupled with the rise in transmission in the community, could potentially increase the risk to teachers and other education staff unless further measures are introduced in schools to protect them.

“At a time of significantly increased risk of virus transmission within the wider population, the data on the number of cases and testing among children strongly indicates a deeply concerning trend within the secondary school age population.

“The sharp upward trend in the data is a major concern for our members and secondary schools increasingly appear to be high-risk environments for coronavirus.

“This situation urgently requires attention by the Government and further mitigating measures need to be identified and implemented.”

Teacher concerns on eve of schools re-opening

TWO surveys by Scotland’s biggest teaching unions have highlighted teachers’ concerns as children return to school this week:

A major study conducted by the EIS, Scotland’s largest teaching union, has confirmed that the majority of teachers retain serious concerns about COVID-19 safety measures ahead of the return of pupils to schools from today.

A total of 29,867 teachers took part in the survey. The clear message from the results is that, while teachers support the decision to reopen schools, they remain unconvinced that sufficient measures have been put in place to ensure the safety of pupils, staff and the wider school community.

Key data from the final survey results includes:

  • A total of 29,867 teachers completed the survey from its launch on Tuesday 4 August to the morning of Monday 10 August – the largest survey return we have ever had – with 60% expressing support for the decision to reopen schools but a similar figure, 66%, expressing anxiety and a lack of confidence that sufficient mitigations would be in place.
  • Only 1 in 5 expressed confidence that schools are currently safe – indicating that much more needs to be done to reassure staff that schools are safe to work in.
  • 53% expressed a lack of confidence that an established capacity to test, trace and isolate is in place to support a safe return, with only 28% of teachers being ‘confident or very confident’ of this.
  • 72% of teachers indicated support for the testing for asymptomatic members of staff to help supress the spread of COVID.
  • 63% expressed support for the mandatory wearing of face coverings by senior pupils in classrooms.
  • 65% indicated that enhanced cleaning regimes would make them feel safer in schools.

Commenting on the findings, EIS General Secretary Larry Flanagan said yesterday: “These findings issue a stark warning to local authorities and the Scottish Government ahead of pupils returning to schools from tomorrow.”

“Our survey findings confirm that, even as they return to schools across the country today, Scotland’s teachers are extremely concerned about the risks associated with potential COVID-19 infection in schools.

“This worry will be particularly acute for the significant percentage of teachers identified as being in an ‘at risk’ category (16% of respondents), as well as those living with a family member who is in a high-risk group.

“There is significant concern amongst all teachers on issues such as the large number of pupils in each class, inability to maintain social distancing, and the need for the wearing of face coverings to ensure safety in some circumstances. These concerns grow more acute based on the age of pupils being taught, with secondary teachers expressing a particularly high level of concern over the potential risks of teaching young adults for long periods of time in an enclosed classroom environment.”

Mr Flanagan continued: “The EIS has consistently said that we support the principle of re-opening schools so that teachers can, once again, offer their full support in a classroom setting for pupils. But we have also been consistent in the demand that schools can only re-open to pupils if this is managed in a way that can assure the safety of those pupils, staff and the wider community.

“The very clear message from these findings is that teachers are far from convinced that all necessary steps have been put in place by the Scottish Government and local authorities to make schools safe. This must be addressed now, with pupils returning this week.”

Mr Flanagan concluded, “The EIS will be sharing the results of our survey with local authorities and the Scottish Government, and continuing talks at national and local level to seek resolutions to the concerns raised by our members.

“It is in everyone’s interests for solutions to be found, to ensure that our schools can operate safely as pupils return to the classroom this week.”

Click here to access a copy of the EIS Survey Report.

TEACHERS NOT TOLD OF CORONAVIRUS SAFETY MEASURES

A majority of teachers are returning to schools this week without knowing what safety measures their schools are taking to deal with Coronavirus, an NASUWT survey of Scottish teachers has found.

Teachers have been given little or no time to prepare for the return of their pupils and have in many cases not been given basic information about what measures will be in place to ensure the health and safety of staff and pupils.

The majority (67%) of teachers responding to the NASUWT survey do not feel prepared to return to their school/college and the vast majority (87%) feel anxious about returning to their school when it is reopened to all pupils.

The NASUWT survey found teachers in Scotland have not been given assurances on social distancing or the provision of PPE. The survey also highlighted major concerns around the lack of consultation with teachers, especially staff who are at greatest risk from contracting Coronavirus.

A majority of teachers (57%) had not been informed of new arrangements for their school for Monday/Tuesday and the majority (60%) were not consulted on any arrangements for opening and also a majority (65%) were not consulted on risk assessments. 

For those who were in extremely vulnerable groups or had characteristics for whom coronavirus would have a disproportionate effect, (69%) had not had any contact from their employer regarding their individual risk assessment.

NASUWT General Secretary Dr Patrick Roach said: “Teachers need to be given the same level of protection as employees in any other workplaces.

“Our survey has highlighted that teachers have not been given assurances that even basic hygiene measures to help supress the virus, such as paper towels and soap and hot water, will be made available to them. This is deeply concerning and must be addressed immediately.

“We have also heard from many cases teachers who have not been told about the safety measures that will be  in place to help prevent virus spread.

“The Scottish Government and school employers have a duty to listen to and address teachers safety concerns and take urgent action to ensure  that schools reopen safely this term.” 

Jane Peckham, NASUWT National Official Scotland, said: “The fact that almost half of teachers have told us they don’t feel their school will be a safe environment for pupils to return to should be a major cause for concern.

“The majority of teachers tell us they are anxious about returning but assurances about routine testing in schools and rigorous monitoring systems for Coronavirus will help provide reassurance that everything that can be done to keep schools safe is being done.

“School leaders and staff have been working phenomenally hard in very difficult and uncertain circumstances to ensure that they can safely reopen and many pupils and staff are looking forward to returning to school and college.

“But ministers and school employers must do more to reassure parents and the schools workforce that everything is being done to minimise transmission of the virus and that rigourous safety measures and procedures are in place should any outbreaks occur.”

COSLA PRAISES HEROIC EFFORT AS SCHOOLS PREPARE TO REOPEN

COSLA’s Children and Young People Spokesperson, Councillor Stephen McCabe, and Resources Spokesperson, Councillor Gail Macgregor, said: “As schools across Scotland prepare to welcome pupils back this week, we would like to pay tribute to our school staff teams – cleaners, janitors, catering staff, teachers, support staff and youth workers – their response during the COVID-19 pandemic has been nothing short of heroic.

“They have continued to work quickly and effectively in unprecedented circumstances to support and guide children through home learning, whilst striving to ensure pupils could return to their classrooms in safe and timely manner.

“This has been no easy task, and we thank them for their unwavering efforts and dedication during the most challenging of times over the past five months.

“We’d also like to take this opportunity to recognise the support and patience from parents and carers as we all navigated uncertain times following the closure of schools back in March.

“And lastly, to our children and young people – we have continued to be impressed by your resilience and we are sure your teachers are incredibly proud of your attitude and efforts through this pandemic.

“We hope you enjoy returning to your classrooms with your friends and settle back into the routine quickly.”

Edinburgh’s children begin the return to school tomorrow with a phased return to begin on Wednesday 12 August, with all pupils back full-time from Monday 17 August. There are in-service days on Monday 10th and Tuesday 11th (today).

Safety must be the priority as schools and colleges prepare to reopen, says teachers’ union

Robust safety measures, monitoring, testing and swift information sharing must all be in place in every school and college in Scotland in order to ensure that they can open their doors and keep them open whilst minimising the risk of a rise in COVID-19 transmission in the wider community, says teachers’ union NASUWT.

As schools and colleges prepare to reopen, the NASUWT-The Teachers’ Union is highlighting the need for robust systems of monitoring and enforcement to be in place in every local authority to ensure schools are taking all necessary steps to keep pupils and staff safe.

Teachers who are preparing for the full reopening of schools remain anxious that everything that can be done should be done to make sure that schools are Covid-safe.

The NASUWT is also calling for effective systems of information sharing from employers about local infection rates and clear protocols about the arrangements to be adopted by schools and colleges in the case of any local outbreaks or lockdowns.

While the Scottish Government says its test and protect system will be sufficient to protect school staff and pupils, the NASUWT is urging the introduction of regular, routine testing of all school staff and pupils in order to ensure cases are not missed, particularly given that children and young people are more likely to be asymptomatic for COVID-19

Dr Patrick Roach, General Secretary of the NASUWT-The Teachers’ Union, said: “While the vast majority of schools and colleges are doing everything they can to minimise the risks to staff and pupils when they reopen, it will be important to ensure that where appropriate safety measures are not fully in place, plans to reopen any individual school are paused to enable the necessary safety measures to be put into place.

“Teachers and other staff working in schools want to be assured that when they return to the workplace they will be afforded the same level of protection as staff in other occupations and workplaces.

“The Government and employers need to demonstrate that schools are ready to reopen safely and must not leave the safety of children, teachers and the general public to chance.

“Regular inspections of schools and colleges and public health communications to all staff, parents and in the wider community will be vital to guard against the risk over time that fatigue or complacency over safety could result in new outbreaks of the virus.

“It is important to remember that we remain in a public health emergency and the Scottish Government and employers must do everything they can to ensure that reopening schools does not lead to an increase in cases of COVID-19.

“This is why routine, widespread, testing systems, coupled with effective information sharing measures are so important, along with the mitigation and safety measures schools and colleges are being asked to take.

“There is a fine balance involved in fully reopening schools and easing other lockdown measures whilst trying to keep the virus under control. Ministers and employers must ensure that health and safety remain the paramount priority and that schools proceed with caution to safeguard the health and safety of pupils and their staff.”

Jane Peckham, NASUWT National Official Scotland, said: “School leaders and staff have been working phenomenally hard in very difficult and uncertain circumstances to ensure that they can safely reopen and many pupils and staff are looking forward to returning to school and college.

“However, many also remain anxious about their health and welfare and the provision of routine COVID-19 testing in schools, along with monitoring systems to ensure the safety of staff and pupils, would go a long way to providing extra reassurance that all steps which can be taken to keep schools safe environment are in place.

“Staff and parents also need to be clear about what safety provisions are in place in the event of any school-based or local outbreaks of COVID-19.”

Teacher fears over August return

Only just over a quarter of teachers in Scotland think it will be safe for their pupils to return to their school or college in August, a survey by teachers’ union NASUWT has found.

Nearly half of teachers who responded to the survey said they do not feel prepared to return to their school or college in August and just 22% said they feel safe or very safe as a result of the provisions their employer is putting in place to mitigate the risks of COVID-19.

The survey, which examined the experiences of over 350 teachers in Scotland during the lockdown and in preparing for wider reopening from the start of the new academic year in August, found concerns about a lack of PPE and adequate safety measures to protect staff and pupils in schools and colleges.

The survey found:

  • Nearly half (49%) of teachers do not feel prepared to return to their school or college in August;
  • Only just over a quarter (28%) think it will be safe for their pupils to return to their school or college in August;
  • Over a third (34%) of teachers who said they were in one of the government’s vulnerable groups said they had nevertheless been asked to attend work during the lockdown period;
  • Just 22% said they felt safe or very safe as a result of the provisions their employer is putting in place to mitigate their risks of COVID-19. Over a third (36%) said they either felt unsafe or very unsafe;
  • Only 19% have been told there are plans to deploy additional cleaning staff in their school or college. Over a quarter (27%) said teachers and/or pupils are being asked to undertake cleaning;
  • Only a minority of teachers said their school or college has sufficient stocks of PPE, including masks (10%), gloves (15%) and hand sanitiser (35%). Only 38% were confident their school or college has sufficient availability of soap and hot water to enable regular hand washing by staff and pupils.

82% of teachers said they were asked to return to school in June to prepare for reopening in the new academic year. Of the tasks teachers were asked to return to school to undertake, 30% said this work could have been completed from home.

Teachers were asked about the impact of the pandemic on exams, with 83% saying they believe changes are needed to the exam diet for 2021 as a result of the lockdown, with 53% in favour of a delay to exams.

Dr Patrick Roach, General Secretary of the NASUWT, said: “Given the abrupt eleventh hour changes announced by the Scottish Government just as schools and colleges were preparing for the summer break, it is little wonder that so many teachers do not feel that schools and colleges are prepared for the full return of pupils in August.

“Teachers have been left in a state of uncertainty by the announcement, which has made it particularly challenging for schools and colleges to plan and prepare appropriately for reopening on a full-time basis from 11 August.

“Schools and colleges must be given dedicated time to finalise their plans for full reopening before the return of pupils.

“It is also concerning that teachers are reporting that their school or college does not have adequate safety provisions in place, such as PPE and enhanced cleaning routines and that a significant number of vulnerable teachers have been pressurised to attend work by their employer.

“The Government needs to address the concerns raised by teachers and ensure that all schools and colleges take appropriate action to ensure that teachers and other staff are safe at work.”

Jane Peckham, NASUWT National Official Scotland, said: “The survey underlines the fact that ministers still have much work to do to win the confidence of teachers in their plans for the wider reopening of schools and colleges.

“This will not have been helped by the timing of the decision on full reopening, particularly as many teachers had spent considerable time and effort developing a model of blended learning for pupils.

“The Government must now ensure that the next steps on school and college reopening do not put at risk public health and that there are robust mechanisms in place to ensure that all employers are taking effective measures to minimise and mitigate the risks of COVID-19 in every school and college.

“They must start listening to and acting on the concerns of the profession so that we can achieve the shared aim of an orderly return to full teaching and learning in a way which supports the safety and welfare of every pupil and member of the education workforce.”