Carbon dioxide monitors will be provided to all state schools from September in a drive to help them combat Covid spread in classrooms, the Department for Education announced today.
The DfE says the monitors will enable teachers to identify where ventilation needs improvement and to “act quickly” where it is found to be poor.
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The DfE says that the majority of 300,000 monitor devices, backed by £25 million government investment, will be made available over the autumn term.
It says it will launch its bid to find a supplier for the monitors on Monday 23 August.
Special schools and alternative provision schools will be prioritised to receive their full allocation of monitors in September because of their higher proportions of vulnerable pupils, the DfE added.
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The DfE also said that the number of monitors allocated will be dictated by the size of the school site but will be “in the region of one device per two classrooms and staffrooms”.
The announcement follows the news that the DfE and the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) have also launched a trial of air purifiers in 30 schools in Bradford to look at how they could be used in schools and if they could reduce coronavirus transmission rates.
The move also comes after an expert government adviser warned that there could be a “considerable surge” in Covid cases when schools return and as we head into the winter.
Education secretary Gavin Williamson said: “Providing all schools with CO2 monitors will help them make sure they have the right balance of measures in place, minimising any potential disruption to education and allowing them to focus on world-class lessons and catch-up for the children who need it.
“By keeping up simple measures such as ventilation and testing, young people can now enjoy more freedom at school and college.”
Health and social care secretary Sajid Javid said: “We are all enjoying the return to a more normal way of life and getting our children back into school is a really important part of that process.
“We want to ensure schools are both safe and comfortable for students and staff - and have been clear that good ventilation is crucial.
“As well as offering vaccines to 16- and 17-year-olds and regular testing, we continue to work with the Department for Education to manage Covid-19 in schools and colleges.
“This includes the pilot we are running to test different air cleaning methods in school settings.”
But teachers’ leaders have said the likely uptick in Covid cases when the new school term starts means that ventilation cannot be the only measure in place.
Kevin Courtney, joint general secretary of the NEU teachers’ union, said: “This is a really welcome first step in accepting our argument that funding is needed for good ventilation.
“It is vital, though, that government must also commit to supporting schools to address any ventilation problems identified by these monitors.
“The new school and college terms will almost certainly prompt an uptick in case counts nationally.
“Current levels already match where we were in December 2020. To counter a significant rise and the R heading back over 1, school and college leaders will be looking to see what they can do to ensure on-site learning is safe and sustainable throughout the autumn term.
“Ventilation is essential, but it cannot be the only measure in place, especially if children are not vaccinated.
“Government should support leaders in secondary schools and colleges in weighing up the case for continuing to require staff and students to wear face coverings around the premises - including potentially in classrooms - and on dedicated school transport, particularly in areas with high case rates.
“We will keep a close watch on government’s delivery of their promise.
“Too often we have seen pledges and announcements which fail to fully deliver. This cannot be a repeat of the failures of the laptop roll-out.”
And heads have said the monitor announcement was “better late than never” and a “step in the right direction”.
Geoff Barton, general secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders, said: “We have repeatedly called for government investment in ventilation systems for schools and colleges to help tackle the risk of coronavirus transmission.
“And we are therefore pleased that there is finally a plan to do something practical about this issue by providing carbon-dioxide monitors.
“In truth, this equipment should have been in place ready for the start of the autumn term, and arguably a lot earlier in the crisis, but it is a case of better late than never.
“Government guidance to schools and colleges on reducing the risk of coronavirus transmission highlights the importance of keeping spaces well ventilated, but doesn’t go much further than recommending that windows should be opened to improve natural ventilation.
“This is challenging in the depths of a British winter and does not make for an environment which is conducive to learning.
“Our understanding is that carbon-dioxide monitors will indicate when spaces need ventilating, thereby reducing the need to keep windows open all the time.
“This is an important and reassuring step in the right direction. Now we reiterate our call for the government to ensure that high-quality ventilation equipment is made available to schools and colleges where it is needed as soon as possible.”
Paul Whiteman, general secretary of school leaders’ union the NAHT, said the investment is welcome, but that “identifying the problem is not the same as solving it.”
“NAHT has been calling on the government to take action on ventilation in schools for some time and so we welcome this response - it is a much-needed step in the right direction.
“It is essential that this now becomes part of a comprehensive national strategy to ensure that every school and classroom is properly ventilated.
“We need to remember that identifying problems with ventilation, whilst absolutely necessary, ia not the same as solving them.
“Where inadequate ventilation is identified, this needs to be addressed without delay, and the necessary resources provided. There is no escaping the fact that this is likely to require further investment from government.
“Time is clearly of the essence here. The majority of schools will be returning in a matter of weeks, some sooner.
“We need these monitors to get into schools without delay so that classrooms can be made as safe as possible for everyone.”
