Staff working with additional support needs (ASN) pupils have painted a bleak picture of their return to school, saying they are being forced to put themselves at greater risk of contracting Covid-19 because current government guidance is “totally inadequate” and personal protective equipment (PPE) is not being provided.
Current guidance says that teachers should socially distance from pupils and where this is not possible “face coverings should be worn or, in certain limited circumstances, PPE”.
However, ASN teachers say the pupils they work with need close support but often cannot cope with safety measures like face coverings or hand gel; that “the level of PPE required is just not there for ASN teachers”; and that they are having to carry out any enhanced cleaning during the day themselves.
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At an online meeting of EIS teaching union’s ASN network today, one teacher said: “ASN provision just can’t function while using the Covid guidance. The pupils we are working with need close contact and close support, which is totally incompatible with Covid guidance.”
Another teacher said: “We are unable to wear face masks to stay safe when in close contact with pupils, as pupils need to see your lips move and your face to understand what is being said.”
This week, Kingspark School in Dundee for children with additional support needs reopened after 40 cases of coronavirus were linked to the school, including 23 members of staff, three pupils and 14 community contacts.
After the meeting, EIS general secretary Larry Flanagan said that there was a “desperate need” for more detailed guidance and enhanced staffing in special schools and units.
He said: “Teachers working with pupils with additional support needs always want the best for these young people, and are doing all they can to continue to meet their needs while working within current Covid guidance. It is, however, extremely clear that the current Covid guidance is totally inadequate for teachers working with young people with more complex additional support needs.
“ASN teachers are currently going the extra mile - and potentially putting themselves at greater risk of being exposed to Covid - to attempt to meet the needs of their pupils. Pupils and teachers must have the support that they need from local authorities and the Scottish government.”
