NEU in South Yorkshire 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 Sheffield, Barnsley, Rotherham, and Doncaster 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.
Nicola Fitzpatrick is from the NEU in the South Yorkshire.
She says a lot needs to be considered:
"Measures such as face coverings, isolation, ventilation of buildings and classrooms, staggered break-times and strategies like one-way routes around the school and its site.
"However, any plan has got to contain clear guidance on gatherings and access to vaccines for staff.
"The Prime Minister can't rely on the upcoming school holidays to halt this rise.
"Staff in schools are rightly concerned for their own safety, but they're also concerned for the safety of those they teach, the safety of the community in which they live and work, as well as the safety of their own families too.
"Boris Johnson must use the Christmas break to bring forward a strong 'Plan B' for education; a plan which will control case counts, keep schools and colleges safe, and keep education going from January onwards."