Ômicron: teachers warn of "chaos" in schools in England
Representatives of schools and teachers unions in England describe a scenario of chaos in teaching units as the Ômicron variant spreads across the country. Absence levels are rising, and Boris Johnson's government is urged to take additional measures to protect school communities.
Among the measures that school principals and teacher unions are demanding, reports this Tuesday (14) the online edition of the British newspaper The Guardian , are the use of masks in classrooms, stricter isolation rules and better ventilation of the internal spaces.
The effects of covid-19 propagation, especially of the Ômicron variant, are felt among school populations. In the worst-affected regions, classes are being sent home, with online classes, due to the number of sick or isolated teachers.
According to the NASUWT union, in some of the English schools, up to half of the teachers are absent due to illness or isolation. The union structure defends the postponement of the beginning of the second period and the assembly of testing facilities for covid-19 in schools, next January.
The paper quotes a letter from NASUWT General Secretary Patrick Roach to the Secretary of Education: “We ask that you avoid a repeat of the confusion and chaos that, in the past year, has affected parental and public confidence and undermined the hard work of teachers and school principals in their preparations in early 2021”.
"An immediate announcement by the government of additional measures for schools is, we think, essential before most schools and colleges close for Christmas break," Roach added in the letter sent out on Monday.
British Education Secretary Nadhim Zahawi called for greater adherence by school personnel to booster doses of the covid-19 vaccine, saying that, for now, he sees no reason to decree the generalized closure of schools. The optimism of the head of Education, Health Secretary Sajid Javid, acknowledged that the government is not in a position to guarantee that schools will remain open. The head of the National Association of School Principals, Paul Whiteman, also put the accent on “realism”.
“There is already chaos in some schools with the impact of the Ômicron wave. Delaying action until the vaccination takes effect can actually keep children out of school in the long run. Government must act to find ventilation solutions, sensible and effective isolation protocols, and lift unnecessary inspection pressure and other bureaucratic burdens. That way we can focus on keeping the kids where they belong,” he warned.
Also quoted by The Guardian , a Department of Education spokesperson reminded that the government is already taking steps "that will help address the Ômicron variant, including asking older students and school staff to wear masks in common areas. and to secondary schools, to provide tests at the beginning of the next term”.
Ômicron tsunami
On Sunday night (12), the British prime minister went to the country to ask the population, aged 18 and over, to take the booster doses of the vaccine against covid-19, given what he described as the prospect of “a tsunami of Ômicron”.
Prior to Boris Johnson's statement, UK health authorities raised the pandemic alert to four, given the spread of the new strain.
“I fear we are facing an emergency in our battle with the new variant. It is now clear that two doses of the vaccine are simply not enough to provide the level of protection we all need. But the good news is that our scientists believe that, with a third dose, a booster dose, we can raise our level of protection again”, said the government official.
“At this point, our scientists cannot say whether the Ômicron is any less severe. And even if this is true, we already know that it is so transmissible that a wave of Ômicron in a population that has not been reinforced would carry the risk of a level of hospitalization that could overwhelm the National Health Service and unfortunately lead to many deaths.” , added Johnson.
Text translated using artificial intelligence.
