London school testing plan sparks anger
GOVERNMENT SAYS MASS COVID TESTING OF HIGH SCHOOL PUPILS IN LONDON, KENT AND ESSEX WILL BEGIN THIS WEEK
PLANS for mass Covid testing of pupils in London have sparked anger among leaders in Manchester, where schools have been disrupted for months.
Health Secretary Matt Hancock said secondary pupils in areas of London, Kent and Essex with growing coronavirus rates would have access to testing over the next few days.
But with schools in our region having suffered disruption since pupils returned in September, headteachers are frustrated that pupils here have not been offered the same.
Julian Grant, headteacher of Shevington High School in Wigan, said he was ‘absolutely appalled by the announcement’.
“We have had significantly high cases in the north west and as a result many schools have unfortunately had to isolate year group bubbles on numerous occasions,” said Mr Grant, whose school has had 36 positive Covid cases since pupils returned in September.
“I think it is so unfair that when our cases were so high - and much higher than London, Kent and Essex - it was never considered appropriate to roll out testing in schools for the north west and other highly affected areas across the country.”
Teaching union NASUWT has also added its voice to those attacking the plan. Jac Casson, of Greater Manchester’s national executive members for the teachers’ union NASUWT, said: “Matt Hancock has acknowledged that ‘we need to do everything to stop the spread in school-age children now’. Of course the NASUWT welcomes this response from the government. As representatives of teachers and school leaders how could we not welcome such decisions?
“However, it does beg the question as to why it is, two weeks into December, after Greater Manchester schools, their students and staff, have been suffering terrible detriment for the past four months, that it has taken the DfE and the government so long to respond?”
It’s understood there have been plans in place for rapid testing in Manchester for quite some time, but the government has only just approved the move - with schools there and in Oldham hoping to start testing in January.
Manchester’s Co-op Academy schools have been among those affected by Covid cases and with the Co-op Academies Trust also having schools in Stoke, Merseyside and West Yorkshire - all places with high rates of the virus - it’s perhaps the most affected trust in the country.
CEO Chris Tomlinson said it’s ‘disappointing’ that places like Manchester haven’t been given more priority.
He said: “I really welcome mass testing as a possible new strategy for schools, anything that will help us ensure young people are in school everyday learning is a good thing and will have my full support.
“It’s regrettable though that the pilot announced yesterday won’t be rolled out in long-standing Tier 3 areas like Manchester. It’s disappointing that there’s no explanation either why three Tier 2 areas were selected first.”
It’s disappointing that there’s no explanation why three Tier 2 areas were selected first Chris Tomlinson, CEO Co-op Academy schools