The government has failed to say whether teachers will be penalised for refusing to return to school amid the Covid-19 crisis.
Speaking at today’s coronavirus press briefing, Robert Jenrick, the secretary of state for housing, communities and local government, would not say if there will be consequences for school staff who do not wish to return to work next month.
Instead, he said the education secretary is working “very closely” with teaching unions “to ensure they are comfortable and have sufficient guidance to return to the workplace”.
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Mr Jenrick was asked: “The government has said that parents will not be penalised if they choose not to send their children back to school because they’re worried. Will the same apply to staff if they are concerned about what is happening in schools next month, or will they simply be expected to go back to work?”
He replied: “The education secretary is working very closely with the trade unions, with teaching professionals, to ensure that they are comfortable and have sufficient guidance to return to the workplace.
“Many teachers have been working, of course, in those schools that have remained open, ensuring that the children of key workers and vulnerable children are given schooling during the lockdown measures, and we’re very grateful to those teachers for doing that.
“But we are going to keep on working with the trade unions to provide as much comfort as we possibly can with a view to getting schools open as quickly as possible towards the timetable that the prime minister set out at the weekend.”
Mary Bousted, joint general secretary of the NEU teaching union, said: “Given the level of fear and given that the [Department for Education’s] own chief scientific adviser has said the government has no evidence about whether children transmit the virus or not, it would be entirely counterproductive for any school to take action against teachers and support staff who are fearful for their lives.”
