Colleges should not have to pay for protective equipment and enhanced cleaning required to keep students and staff safe, unions have urged.

Their comments come after guidance on the reopening of colleges from the Department for Education, published last night, said that as colleges prepare to open for more students, institutions will be asked to implement “a range of protective measures including increased cleaning, reducing ‘pinch points’ (such as at the start and end of day) and utilising outdoor space”.

The guidance states: “Any additional costs arising from wider opening, such as personal protective equipment (PPE) will be funded from existing college budgets.”

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College financial health

A survey on the impact of the coronavirus on the college sector showed last week that four in 10 college leaders predict a deterioration in their college’s financial health as a result of the coronavirus, while a third predict cashflow issues and 13 per cent believe there could be “a significant threat to solvency”.

Unison national education officer Leigh Powell said: “Colleges can’t reopen until it’s safe to do so, and that requires rigorous risk assessments. Nothing less will do. While the government has acknowledged that protective equipment and enhanced cleaning regimes are key, it beggars belief that cash-strapped colleges are going to be expected to foot the bill.

“Ministers can’t have their cake and eat it. They can’t rush frightened staff and nervous learners back to colleges, and then ask them to pay for the essential measures needed to help keep them safe.” 

University and College Union head of further education Andrew Harden said that the health of staff, students and their families had to remain “the number one priority and colleges should not reopen until it is safe to do so”.

“We now know that age and background are risk factors for Covid-19. The further education workforce is older and the student cohort more diverse, so we need to see sector-specific guidance on measures to keep all students, staff and their families safe in all settings. The government cannot expect colleges to pick up unknown bills for serious essentials such as hygiene measures and supplies of PPE. These are not optional extras and must be properly funded.”

Yesterday’s guidance states that, from the week commencing 1 June “at the earliest, FE providers should offer some face-to-face contact for 16 to 19 learners on the first year of two-year programmes (eg, a two-year vocational course, equivalent to Year 12 in schools), alongside the provision they are offering to priority groups”.

It stresses there is no expectation that all students will go back to college this term or that students will go back full-time. The government acknowledges that there may need to be some flexibility in place given the diversity of the learners and the courses offered in FE settings.

It adds: “We want to get all FE learners back into education as soon as the scientific advice allows because it is the best place for them to learn, and because we know how important it is for their mental wellbeing to have social interactions with their peers and teachers.”

David Hughes, chief executive of the Association of Colleges (AoC), said: “All decisions about reopening should be made with the safety of students and staff at their core, and unions play an important part in helping to achieve that. There are a range of complex issues each college will be navigating, and we are confident that college leaders will not rush into this. They will be making decisions based on national scientific advice, their own contexts and risk assessments to do what is best for their students and staff. 

“The AoC’s reopening groups, which includes representatives from colleges across England, government officials and unions will continue to meet and work through many of the issues. One of the big issues is about the costs of modifications and extra resources which colleges will incur and we are very happy to work with the unions on ensuring that the government addresses that challenge quickly and fully.”

A Department for Education spokesperson said: “We are giving providers the flexibility to offer a combination of face-to-face and online delivery from 1 June to more of their students and apprentices. This will enable them to provide additional face-to-face support to those students who will benefit from it the most, alongside the online and remote education that is already being carried out so effectively.

“Our guidance makes clear that as part of their planning, all providers should conduct a risk assessment.  The assessment should directly address risks associated with coronavirus, so that sensible measures can be put in place to control those risks for learners and for staff. All employers have a duty to consult employees on health and safety, and they are best placed to understand the risks in individual settings.

“We have been guided by scientific advice at every stage and will only take further steps when the time is right.”