Safety measures in schools need to be reviewed in light of the new Covid variant from South Africa, headteachers have warned.
Testing for the new variant has this week been ramped up in five areas of England where mobile testing units are being deployed and where every person over 16 is being “strongly encouraged” to take a Covid test.
But the government should also “keep under review” whether any new strain of the virus affects the arrangements for schools opening, says the Association of Schools and College Leaders (ASCL).
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General secretary Geoff Barton said: “It is clearly the case that there are going to be variant forms of the coronavirus occurring periodically, and the South African variant is the most recent example.
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“It is our view that the existing guidance to schools over safety measures should be reviewed by the government in the light of new, more infectious strains. In particular, the advice over the size of bubbles, and the use of face coverings, should be considered”.
The five areas of England where the new South African variant has been identified and where “surge testing” is taking place are: East of England (in the EN10 postcode), London (W7, N17, CR4), the North West (PR9), the South East (ME15, GU21) and West Midlands (WS2)
NEU teaching union rep Stefan Simms, who represents school staff in Ealing (one of the surge testing areas), said it was “a very good question” as to why pupils were not being offered extra testing in any of these five areas.
“They are vectors of transmission and therefore maybe they should be part of the [testing] plan,” he said.
When asked whether teachers, staff and pupils who are still going into school during lockdown should stay at home in light of the new variant, a spokesperson for the Department for Education said there was no change to the government’s position on education attendance as outlined in its guidance issued last week.
The guidance states: “Children of critical workers and vulnerable children and young people will still be able to attend schools and colleges, including special schools and alternative provision. Early years settings also remain open. All other pupils will continue to receive high-quality remote education at home.
“The prime minister made clear that while schools and colleges remain safe, keeping them partially closed will continue to help minimise the spread of the virus in communities and protect public health and save lives.”
Last week the NEU teaching union unveiled its strategy for schools to reopen more safely, which included a recommendation that pupils should wear masks in lessons as opposed to just wearing them in communal areas, as the DfE guidance states.
