Teaching union warns of legal action over safety
The Government has been warned it faces the possibility of legal action if it fails to protect teachers working in schools which have fully reopened during the pandemic.
A teaching union says staff are "deeply concerned" about an increased risk of COVID-19 transmission in schools and a lack of safety measures.
In a letter to Education
Secretary Gavin Williamson, NASUWT general secretary Patrick Roach, has demanded that stronger protections are put in place in schools which opened their doors to all pupils full-time this month.
He told Mr Williamson the union was "expressly reserving our members' legal rights" in the case of a claim for breach of duty of care or personal injury due to foreseeable risks from reopening schools.
Dr Roach said in his letter: "With rising numbers of confirmed COVID-19 cases in the wider community, our members are deeply concerned that, in the absence of effective control measures, there is increased risk of COVID-19 transmission within schools.
"The NASUWT is putting the Government on notice by expressly reserving our members' legal rights in the context of a tortious claim for breach of duty of care and personal injury due to foreseeable risk, and any other legal recourse available."
A DfE spokesperson said: "Schools have implemented a range of protective measures, ba sed on the Pub lic Health England endorsed 'system of controls', which create an inherently safer system to minimise the risks of transmission. This includes reducing mixing and distancing where possible, including by staggering break and lunch times, as well as increasing the frequency of cleaning and handwashing.”