Earlier this week Nick Gibb, Minister of State for Schools gave an address to the Commons Education Select Committee.
He said that although he wanted schools to remain open until the end of term, TES report that the department also wants there to be a ‘clear six days’, so that by Christmas Eve school staff can have a ‘proper break’ without the need to take part in Track and Trace.
Lack of understanding for local situations
Peter Shreeve, Assistant District Secretary of the National Education Union, said,
“At face value the Minister made sense, but on the other, illustrated that national Government does not always fully understand local situations.
“The Minister said:
- “we want there to be a clear six days [free from being present in school buildings] so that by the time we reach sort of Christmas Eve, staff can have a proper break without having to engage in the track and trace issues.”
- “we are about to announce that Inset days can be used on Friday 18 December”.”
Shreeve: A frustrating eleventh-hour decision by Government
He went on to add,
“Yet again, a frustrating eleventh-hour decision by Government, which is incapable of working on the Island, because the Government do not realise that not all schools break for Christmas on Friday 18th. There is a confused mixed picture.
“Good news for those able to use 18th December who break up early or who have planned to use 21st-22nd December as training days.
“Not so good news for those who planned to finish on Tuesday, 22nd December on the Isle of Wight.”
Self-isolation over Christmas
Mr Shreeve went on to say,
“Therefore, some Island schools may only have a clear two days to Christmas Eve and is presently unable to reduce the risk of pupils and staff having to self-isolate over Christmas or to minimise the need for schools to carry out contact tracing in the Christmas holidays.
“Education unions have repeatedly called for the government to act immediately, and they have responded with a hasty unworkable plan, which could have been avoided if government had engaged sooner on this issue and been more proactive.”
Image: Volodymyr Hryshchenko under CC BY 2.0
