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Pressure builds over inconsistent school safety measures and Covid-19 testing problems

​Some schools are failing to implement consistent Covid-19 safety measures, including social distancing and enhanced cleaning, while on-going delays to track and trace are putting school leaders in an “impossible situation”.


The Department for Education (DfE) has come under pressure to act following differing concerns raised by teaching and leadership unions.

On Monday (September 14), the NASUWT teaching union wrote to education secretary Gavin Williamson to raise concerns after receiving reports from its members about schools cutting corners on Covid-19 safety measures.

It warns Mr Williamson that the lack of additional funding for schools is leading to critical decisions over cleaning and PPE being made on the basis of cost.

And then on Tuesday (September 15), in a letter to the prime minister, school leaders expressed their alarm at the difficulties they are facing in obtaining Covid tests and accessing “timely advice” from local health protection teams when responding to positive cases.

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