Peter Weir rejects union’s fears of a Covid-19 ‘care home scenario’ in NI schools

Responding to claims from a trade union official – that the start of the new term could spark a crisis similar to that experienced in the care home sector – the Education Minister said that “very few, if any, children will come to harm”On Friday morning, Justin McCamphill of the NASUWT said the full return to the classroom by the end of the month is high risk, as many school principals have not been properly trained to carry out risk assessments.

The first pupils – from P7, Year 12 and Year 14 – are due back in school from Monday, along with vulnerable children from all age groups. All other pupils will return to classroom on a full-time basis from August 31.

Mr McCamphill said: “Pupils are going to be in school on Monday and this is an absolutely shocking state of affairs. In fact, I predict that this will be the next care home crisis. I can see the same mistakes being made again and again.”

Covid-19 has been factor in more than 400 care home deaths in Northern Ireland to date.

“They [principals] haven’t had any training and they haven’t had any advice on how to do a risk assessment for the whole setting,” the union official told the BBC’s Nolan Show.

The NASUWT union represents around 11,000 teachers in Northern Ireland.

Earlier this month, Mr McCamphill said he had “no confidence” in the education minister’s plan for a full return to school in September.

At the time, DUP MP Sammy Wilson said the NASUWT should encouraging its member back into the classroom rather than “whinging” and threatening legal action over the coronavirus risk.

Schools have been closed since March due to the pandemic and a number of other teachers’ unions have voiced concerns that the recommended social distancing measures will not be possible in many existing school buildings.

At a meeting of Stormont’s education committee yesterday, Mr McCamphill was one of six trade union representatives who expressed concern.

Another, Jacquie White of the Ulster Teachers’ Union, said everyone wanted to see children back at school, but stressed it is “imperative that that’s done in as safe a way as possible”.

Ms White said there was also concern around funding, with one primary school with just under 300 pupils having costed the additional safety measures for the school year at £100,000.

On Friday evening Education Minister Peter Weir said that the recently published ‘New School Day’ guidance is “comprehensive and is designed to assist school leaders manage the return to school as safely as possible”.

Mr Weir said: “I fully recognise the stresses felt by teachers, parents and pupils due to the ongoing disruption and uncertainty regarding the future.

“The New School Day guidance, which was published recently and co-designed with school leaders and key partners, is comprehensive and is designed to assist school leaders manage the return to school as safely as possible.

“It is essential that everyone in our society continues to play their part in addressing the challenges posed by Covid-19. We all have a role in keeping our schools and community safe.

“This includes important measures such as ensuring that anyone with symptoms must not attend school – the risk is too large to be complacent on this – if you have Covid-19 or Covid-19-like symptoms you must not come to school – stay at home and get a test.”

The minister added: “The guidance contains a wide range of mitigations that schools can draw on to increase safety, some are non-negotiable such as regular cleaning and hand hygiene and respiratory hygiene, social distancing between adults and where possible between adults and children.

“Schools are not unsafe places for children and they are not unsafe places for teachers either. Very, very few, if any, children will come to harm as a result of attending school, but there is evidence of the long-term harm to children’s education, life opportunities, mental health and wellbeing from not attending school.

“There is clear unequivocal evidence that children are less likely to catch Covid-19, where they do most of them will have mild to moderate symptoms and in most cases they will make a very full recovery. There is a very, very low – indeed an incredibly low incidence – of serious disease within children and they are also less likely to transmit the virus.”

Mr Weir went on to say that he wanted to assure school leaders that the “guidance will remain agile” and will continue to reflect public health advice.

“We will continue to keep all medical and scientific developments under review and this will continue to be reflected in guidance going forward,” he said.

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