School leaders have slammed ‘frankly ludicrous’ government plans to roll-out rapid mass Covid testing across the country’s 32,000 schools in just days. The Association of School and College Leaders (ASCL) said government guidance on rapid tests ‘doesn’t take us much further forward because it ignores the fact that this plan and timescale are totally unrealistic’. Meanwhile … Read more
Boris Johnson is under mounting pressure from his split cabinet, teachers and unions to shut schools through January despite parents’ desperate pleas not to ‘cruelly’ rob their children of a classroom education after a year of immense disruption, it was revealed today. The Prime Minister is considering consigning millions of children to more ‘inadequate’ online … Read more
Keep schools open by getting Army medics to train teachers how to give pupils Covid tests, urges former Defence Secretary Tobias Ellwood Tobias Elwood believes the military could be used to help keep schools open The government wants teachers to test pupils for Covid-19 to keep schools open Teaching unions claim their members are not … Read more
Now parents, governors and retired teachers could be roped in to test pupils for Covid-19 despite massive revolt over Ministers’ eleventh-hour plans Volunteers may be used instead of teachers to carry out rapid testing next year Major education unions have threatened to scupper the New Year programme Unions announced schools will have their backing if … Read more
Nicola Mason, head of school at Chase Terrace Academy in Staffordshire said that her staff were ‘literally broken’ by the plans A headteacher was left close to tears on BBC radio today after slamming plans for schools to roll out Covid-19 testing of children and staff in the New Year. Nicola Mason, head of school … Read more
Schools will be allowed to take an inset day on the last Friday of term so teachers can have a ‘proper break’ from identifying potential coronavirus cases ahead of Christmas, a minister said today. Schools Standards Minister Nick Gibb said the Government wants there to be a ‘clear six days’ ahead of Christmas Eve so … Read more
Teachers, bus drivers and police officers could be prioritised for a coronavirus vaccine once the highest risk groups have been jabbed, according to official guidance. The Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) published its vaccine priority list today, with care homes and the NHS the first in line. Elderly people and patients underlying health … Read more
Parents were left outraged after a secondary school allegedly told its female students to refrain from wearing tight-fitting clothes because it’s ‘distracting’ for male teachers. Female pupils at Presentation College in Carlow, Ireland aged between 12 and 18 were reportedly called out of class on Friday last week and spoken to by their heads of … Read more
Boris Johnson‘s election pledge to pay newly qualified teachers £30,000 is in doubt despite unions threatening industrial action and warning of an ‘exodus’ from the profession. Rishi Sunak is preparing a ‘pay restraint’ across the public sector, despite the £6,000 pay rise being a key policy in the 2019 Tory manifesto. Johnson had pledged to … Read more
Boris Johnson‘s election pledge to pay newly qualified teachers £30,000 is in doubt despite unions threatening industrial action and warning of an ‘exodus’ from the profession. Rishi Sunak is preparing a ‘pay restraint’ across the public sector, despite the £6,000 pay rise being a key policy in the 2019 Tory manifesto. Johnson had pledged to … Read more