NEU in Derbyshire call for more safety measures to be introduced in local schools
It's following the recent rise of the Omicron Covid-19 variant
There's a call for more safety measures to be introduced at schools across Derbyshire in response to the rise of the Omicron coronavirus variant in the UK.
National Education Union members are eager to make sure there's no repeat of what happened in January this year, when schools had to shift back to remote learning due to an escalation of Covid-19 cases.
Dave Pike is from the NEU in the East Midlands.
He says a lot needs to be considered:
"Ventilation continues to be a massive concern. Government action around this area is still not the best. We need this to be taken more seriously, whilst one-way systems need to be reinstated.
"Face coverings have to be brought in; not just for communal areas in secondary schools, but in classrooms-not just corridors.
"We also need to see the use of higher-grade masks, not just the standard face coverings."
Mr. Pike went on to say that any safety mitigations must be introduced before 2022:
"Staff members are very worried, not only for their own wellbeing, but that of their students and the impact that this could potentially have on them.
"I think unless the Government acts now, January will see a lot of disruption in schools and colleges.
"Ultimately, what we're all fighting for is for kids to stay in the classroom, and for there to be minimal disruption to their education in the New Year.