Schools are being urged “not to engage with planning” for a return on 1 June, and instead await further advice from education unions.
The NEU - the UK’s largest teachers’ union - and Unison, which represents support staff, have said their members should “await further union advice” on school reopenings before engaging with the planning process.
Jon Richards, head of education and local government at Unison, said today that he would be working with other education unions to “agree a joint position on returning to schools”, in response to additional guidance released by the Department for Education last night.
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In a tweet posted last night, Mr Richards said that, until the unions settle on a joint position, Unison members should not engage with planning for a return on 1 June. He added that a statement will be published today.
Kevin Courtney, joint general secretary of the NEU, retweeted the message this morning, adding: “Education unions intend to work together. Don’t engage with planning a June 1st return to wider opening - await further union advice.”
The NASUWT teachers’ union has also stressed that 1 June is “neither a fixed nor hard and fast date by which all schools must open”.
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Patrick Roach, NASUWT general secretary, said today: “We are reminding members there is no obligation on any schools to extend their opening arrangements.
“The 1 June 2020 is the date from when schools may be able to extend their opening arrangements. It is neither a fixed nor hard and fast date by which all schools must open and there is no requirement or obligation currently on any school to reopen to more pupils from that date.
“Nothing that has been said by the government or the Department for Education has changed the NASUWT’s position that no teacher should be expected to go into a school that is not safe and until it can be demonstrated that it is safe to do so, and we will be continuing to support and advise members on that basis.”
And the National Governance Association (NGA) has today issued new guidance on the subject of reopening schools, stating that “there is no need to rush into any decisions immediately”.
The message to governors and trustees, from NGA chief executive Emma Knights, states: “The final decision on whether to invite pupils back will rest with schools and academy trusts.
“Schools should only invite those pupils back when and if their assessment of the risk is that it is safe for both children and staff to do so.
“While school leaders will be beginning to assess options, there is no need to rush into any decisions immediately.”
In a document published yesterday afternoon, the government shared its plan “for all primary school children to return to school before the summer for a month”.
It said it also “expects children to be able to return to early years settings, and for Reception, Year 1 and Year 6 to be back in school in smaller sizes” from 1 June.
