Unions were right! Schools are not safe

Jim Halfpenny, West Dunbartonshire EIS joint branch secretary (personal capacity)

As we move, once again, into a potential lockdown for the most populated areas of Scotland, the Scottish Government has introduced a five tier system of control designed to combat a Covid-19 infection rate that, in some areas, is spiralling out of control.

At this moment there have been over 23,000 pupil absences in Scotland’s schools and over 2000 staff absences…all related to the virus.

While no one is, as yet, identified in the most serious tier 4, those areas with the highest rate have been placed in tier 3 with the instruction that people cannot enter another household, face masks are mandatory on public transport and in shops and gatherings of more than five people from two households in pubs, restaurants, and no more than eight outdoors, are banned with penalties imposed for deliberate breaches.

Further, we are told that no one should travel out of the most infected areas with the threat that to do so may become a criminal offence.

However, step through the “looking glass” into the world of education and this pandemic seems to be considered little more than a mild irritation.

Thirty-plus households can gather in one classroom because, apparently, there is no evidence, we were told, that children are significant spreaders of the virus.

Mandatory mask wearing in corridors, dining halls and other areas where pupils gather has, in many cases, not been adhered to while two metre distancing has always been impossible both inside and outside the classroom. Frequent hand sanitising and effective cleaning of work areas has proved problematic.

Staff are in no doubt that schools are not safe and pose a direct threat to their health especially those living with underlying conditions.

scared and angry

A recent item on the BBC quoted one teacher who said she was “scared and angry” while in work because of a lack of protection against the virus on top of mounting workloads due to sending separate work home as pupil absence increased.

All classroom teachers and support staff will identify with her claim that,

“As the term has gone on, particularly since the October holidays, we are looking at an increasing level of stress and anxiety.” “There is a feeling amongst teachers that what we are doing right now isn’t really what we signed up to do.” “We are being called frontline workers but being given none of the protections other frontline workers have.”

Previously shielding teachers with underlying health conditions have been forced back into this unsafe school environment as more and more teachers are forced to self isolate or take time off to look after their children sent home from school.

The dangers to health within schools will clearly increase as we move further into the winter season. Effective ventilation through open windows is consistently promoted as an essential challenge to Covid-19 and the expected “Flu” virus. However, schools are struggling to maintain an acceptable classroom temperature under these conditions.

The complete failure by some councils to take the welfare of school staff into meaningful consideration is also highlighted by their lack of preparation in acquiring enough “Flu” vaccine. There are numerous reports that many schools are receiving a fraction of the vaccine required and staff are being forced to pick names from a hat.

In comparison with other areas of society, this blatant lack of concern for health and safety in education is founded in the political expediency of the Scottish Government.

Against all advice from the EIS and teachers in the classroom this SNP Government decided that schools preparation for “blended learning” was not in their political interests and pursued the foolish and callous idea of sending all pupils back at the same time.

In terms of health and safety, they knew that this would not work and have, since, set about deliberately disguising and ignoring the reality of this pandemic in schools.

We are constantly fed the idea that, without school, pupils mental health will suffer. Undoubtedly, this will be the case for some and all teachers recognise the importance of school as a safe and welcoming environment.

However, when Nicola Sturgeon and her government preside over a society where more than a quarter of its children live in poverty and, as a consequence, often experience hunger, domestic violence and other traumas then hypocrisy clearly comes easily to them.

An effective challenge to this virus can be assisted through the introduction of “blended learning” where only some pupils will be in school while others work from home. This will create smaller classes and facilitate greater social distancing.

The expansion of school estates into the community would also help accommodate smaller classes which in turn would require the employment of the many young teachers who are still looking for a permanent teaching position.

If the present situation in schools continues teachers will be balloted for industrial action. There is a clear and overwhelming feeling among teachers and support staff that during this pandemic we have been “hung out to dry”.

If any local authority area moves into tier 4, a move to blended or remote learning is essential. School staff unions, EIS, Unison, GMB etc should prepare industrial action ballots if this does not take place. Refusal to work under section 44 of the employment act can also be used by staff if they deem there workplace to be unsafe.