Union chiefs have told teachers to demand detailed answers to at least 169 questions from their bosses on issues such as bin lids and employing extra staff to clean paint brushes, scissors and glue sticks before agreeing to return to school, it was revealed today. The National Education Union has also told its 450,000 members … Read more
The wartime President of the United States, Franklin D Roosevelt, once proclaimed that the only thing we have to fear is fear itself. And at this critical moment, nothing could be more true – not least when it comes to the inflammatory debate about whether or not some primary-aged children should return to the classroom … Read more
Jesper Larsen, a headteacher in Copenhagen, Denmark, said Danish schools were able to go back to class a month ago because the country’s society respects government guidelines While British schools will not begin to reopen after lockdown until the beginning of June at the earliest, at my school here in Denmark virtually all the children … Read more
The body claims not to affiliate with any political party in a bid to maintain ‘independence’, but members of the NEU executive have repeatedly backed the policies of Jeremy Corbyn.
BMA says teachers’ unions are ‘absolutely right’ to claim it is unsafe for schools to open on June 1 while Children’s Commissioner leads calls to get pupils back as soon as possible Anne Longfield called on union leaders to work with ministers to get pupils back Former Labour education secretary has also criticised trade union … Read more
The row between teachers and unions over when and how to reopen our schools exploded last night. In an extraordinary intervention, former education secretary David Blunkett accused the unions of ‘working against the interests of children’ by continuing to frustrate teachers who are desperate to get back into the classroom. And current Education Secretary Gavin … Read more
Lord Blunkett today accused teaching unions of acting against the best interests of pupils David Blunkett, the former education secretary, today accused teaching unions of ‘working against the interests of children’ after they told members not to engage with the Government on its plans to reopen schools in June. Lord Blunkett, who served in the … Read more
Ministers were today facing union warnings over walkouts if health and safety demands are not met when lockdown eases – as Keir Starmer jibed that PPE is not a ‘luxury item’. The government is facing a furious backlash at its draft ‘road map’ for starting to loosen the draconian curbs strangling the economy and plunging … Read more
Union bosses have set out a list of five conditions they claim must be observed to protect teachers if schools are to re-open amid the coronavirus pandemic. Dr Patrick Roach, general secretary of the National Association of Schoolmasters Union of Women Teachers (NASUWT) warned that staff concerns must be ‘fully addressed’ before teachers would be … Read more
Transport bosses are bracing for war with unions to get London Tubes and buses back up and running to full capacity when the coronavirus lockdown is finally lifted. Train drivers union Aslef and Unite have been called for assurances on driver safety after the death of 26 Tfl workers from Covid-19. But ‘frightened’ passengers are also demanding … Read more