The majority of school staff are against the government’s plan for the full reopening of schools next week, a survey by Britain’s largest teaching union suggests.
The NEU survey, responded to by around 44,000 teachers, school leaders and support staff, was sent out following the announcement by Boris Johnson last Monday that all pupils would return to school on 8 March.
The union leadership has since ruled out steps towards a national teacher strike on the grounds a national ballot would not be “achievable” or “appropriate”.
But it has called for a phased reopening of schools as is happening in other UK nations.
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NEU joint general secretary Kevin Courtney told a live-streamed meeting for members last night: “We know among our members there are a wide range of opinions on school reopenings. We know this because last Monday when Boris Johnson made the announcement we surveyed our members.
“We asked what your feelings were about school return, what safety measures you thought were in place in your schools, what measures you thought should be in place, what you thought about the big-bang return.
“Forty-four thousand of you took part in that survey…Three-quarters of the respondents were classroom teachers, the rest were school leaders and support staff members of our union.”
There was “strong agreement” that social distancing between pupils is not possible in a meaningful way in schools, he said.
And “a clear majority of respondents” in both primary and secondary schools supported mask wearing for pupils, the survey showed.
He added: “And a clear majority, surprising to us, said their classrooms were well ventilated, [but] there was a significant minority who said their classes were not well ventilated.”
Mr Courtney said 9 per cent of respondents “strongly supported” the government’s plan for opening on 8 March, while 22 per cent said they “tended to support”, and 9 per cent said they neither supported nor opposed it.
However, he said 30 per cent said they “tend to oppose” and 29 per cent “strongly opposed”.
But there were significant differences between primary and secondary staff responding to the survey, with the former more likely to support the reopening plans.
Mr Courtney said: “If you break those figures down by sector you get divergent results.
“Among our members in primary schools there was more or less an even split between people supporting and opposing the government with about 10 per cent with no opinion either way, whereas in secondary schools 71 per cent of members opposed the government’s reopening plans either strongly or less strongly but 71 per cent opposed.
“That maybe reflects the fact that there is some evidence of greater potential for transmission among older pupils than among younger or perhaps the greater difficulty in engaging primary children in online lessons.”
Education secretary Gavin Williamson said on the government’s website last week: “The testing of staff and students ahead of their return to secondary schools and colleges, alongside strengthened safety measures, should reassure families and education staff that extra measures are in place alongside the existing bubble system, enhanced hygiene and Covid secure precautions.
“We are all well aware that being back in school or college brings huge benefits to young people’s education, development and wellbeing. The classroom is the very best place for education and the return of face-to-face teaching for all pupils will be a welcome move for pupils and parents across the country.”
