Britain’s largest teaching union has called for schools to be closed and for this year’s Sats to be abandoned.
The NEU teaching union also says the government now needs to come up with plans for the “inevitable widespread disruption to GCSE and A-level exams”.
It has criticised the government for not releasing full information on the possible effects of the coronavirus pandemic on vulnerable teachers, other staff and parents.
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In letter to the prime minister, joint-general secretaries Mary Bousted and Kevin Courtney, state: “Given your failure to release modelling comparing different scenarios of school closures, we are now forced to call on you to close schools, at least for some time and at least in some areas.”
They say school closures would allow teachers and school leaders who are not in high-risk categories to work on plans for “more limited opening of schools” to cater for children of NHS staff, food and distribution workers, police, prison and fire brigade staff and those who are produce medical equipment.
The letter states this would also ensure children on free school meals could eat nutritious meals.
It states: “Of course, this could not be a full opening [of schools] and it would mean substantial changes from the way schools are normally run - but we believe schools could be important community hubs.
“This in turn requires that SATs are abandoned and that you produce proposals on the inevitable widespread disruption to GCSE and A -level exams.
“Supply teachers would also be willing to help in such ways and in any event need your support during school closure or self-isolation.
We look forward to your engagement with these ideas and we remain, as before, ready to meet with you and the Secretary of State for Education.”
The letter also urges the prime minister to back school leaders in their decisions to close schools. It states: “Given the number of staff and pupils that will now be off school, teachers and leaders will simply have to exercise their professional discretion about whether schools and colleges open and what work is undertaken.”
The DfE has been contacted for comment.
