Coronavirus: Stormont urged to get ‘more ambitious’ on reopening of NI schools after Blunkett slams English teaching unions

The TUV leader’s call came after England’s former education secretary Lord Blunkett said that English teaching unions were working against the interests of children in opposing plans to reopen schools next month.

The British and Irish Group of Teacher Unions (BIGTU) has written to Stormont Education Minister Peter Weir urging “significant caution” before schools open, arguing that a premature reopening is too great a risk.

“We are convinced by the experience of other systems that a critical tool in preventing a surge of infection is an established capacity to ‘test trace and isolate; and we would argue that reopening schools before such a regime is in place would be catastrophic to the rate of infection,” they said.

But Lord Blunkett has now come out against similar opposition in England, saying he was “deeply critical” of their approach towards attempts to open schools in England on June 1.

English unions have advised members to use health and safety legislation to refuse to return to school until the coronavirus infection rate is lower and a test-and-trace system is more sophisticated.

But Lord Blunkett said that disadvantaged children were suffering most. “If we’re not clear about this it’s the children and the future we will let down. In the end this is a matter of risk, “he said.

“It’s about ‘how can we work together to make it work as safely as possible’. Anyone who works against that, in my view, is working against the interests of children.”

Stormont’s Department of Education has been planning more towards September reopening, although other European countries have already reopened schools on a phased, part-time basis. And compared to England, Northern Ireland has so far been hit comparatively lightly by the virus.

Mr Allister said that he “found it hard to disagree with a lot of what Lord Blunkett was saying”.

He added: “It seems to me that while everything bears risk, the Executive is almost putting the schools to the back of the queue in terms of what we need to open. I would like to think we should be more optimistic about getting our schools open, because six months out of a child’s life in school is a very big proportion of missed opportunity.

“I am not convinced schools should be pushed to the back of the queue when it comes to the reopening process. If infection rates are low enough and a reasonable system can be established, it seems to me that children are among the least vulnerable to the virus.

“Of course you have to protect your teachers – but it does seem to me that we should be a bit more ambitious than saying ‘nothing before September and even then on a very scaled back basis’.”

Mr Allister said he did not think it was feasible to fully open schools before the end of June but it may be possible to “experiment with how you are going to do this usefully before the end of June”.

Potential approaches could be to use small classes and to have pupils attending on alternate days, he said, rather than starting from a standing start in September.

A spokesperson for the Department of Education responded: “Schools will reopen when it is safe to do so. This will be an Executive decision based on expert scientific and public health advice.

“The Department has started work to scope the many issues to be addressed before schools reopen and will also consider the experience of other countries where schools have reopened. Whilst no decision has been made on a date, it is likely schools will eventually reopen on a phased basis.

“The Department will consult and engage with all relevant parties, including school leaders and trade unions on behalf of staff as this work progresses.”

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