Teaching unions ‘sabotage’ attempt to open schools in Brighton with safety checklist

PARENTS in Brighton have told of their exasperation as they accuse unions of using their “checklist” to prevent schools reopening, while at the same time blocking children’s access to home learning.

Schools across the country were due to reopen yesterday to pupils in Reception, Year 1 and Year 6, but parents in some parts of England were left feeling frustrated and let down.

“Our head teacher has managed to get Year 6 in for a few days from next week,” one parent told The Daily Telegraph. “He had pushed for Reception and Year 1 to be back too, but it is unlikely he will be able to get more years back until September, mostly due to teacher opposition and the requirements of their union.”

The UK’S largest teacher union, the National Education Union (NEU), has drawn up a “checklist” that runs to more than 100 items which they say their members should seek assurance from their school on before they agree to return to work.

The list includes asking schools whether they intend to sanitise library books and whether they have a system in place to monitor children’s face touching before they reopen.

It also stipulates that arts and crafts materials used for painting, sticking and cutting should also be washed before and after use by children.

Separate NEU guidance for teachers about home learning stipulate that they should not conduct any online lessons that made them feel “uncomfortable”.

The union told its members that on- line lessons should be kept to “a minimum” and that they “cannot be expected to carry out routine marking or grading” of pupils’ work while schools are closed

The advice document adds that teachers should not live-stream lessons from home or make video calls except in “exceptional circumstances”.

NEU membership is high in Brighton, the parent said, meaning that even if head teachers want to reopen schools their hands are tied.

“I think it’s just ridiculous,” the parent added. “The unions are saying we can’t open the schools and we can’t do anything online. Some teachers are doing Zoom lessons – but that’s because they are not members of the union. By the time September comes, my child will have been out of school for six months.”

‘It’s just ridiculous … The unions are saying we can’t open the schools and we can’t do anything online’