With daily coronavirus infections arising as a result of a new virus variant, the British government faced increasing pressure from teacher unions on Saturday to keep schools closed in England for at least two more weeks.
The government, which oversees schools in England, has already decided to keep all schools closed in London next week to try to contain new infections. The unions want the policy to be extended across England, expressing fears about the health of teachers and children.
The UK on Saturday set a daily record for new coronavirus infections – 57,725 – and looked set to overtake Italy once again to become the hardest hit country in Europe, with almost 75,000 deaths from COVID-19. The fear is that, with the increase in infections, the number of deaths will also increase in the coming weeks.
HANNAH MCKAY / REUTERS
The UK recorded its top five daily numbers of new infections in the past five days – all over 50,000 and double the number just a few weeks ago.
After an emergency meeting on Saturday, the National Education Union, which represents more than 450,000 education workers, asked Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s conservative government to move online education for at least two weeks. He also told members that they have a legal right not to work in an “unsafe environment” of accelerated coronavirus cases, hospital admissions and deaths.
“We are doing our job as a union, informing our members that they have a legal right to refuse to work in unsafe conditions that are a danger to their health and the health of their school communities,” said Kevin Courtney, union representative general secretary.
Another union representing teachers, NASUWT, also called for an immediate shift across the country to remote education due to virus security issues. Its secretary general, Patrick Roach, said there is “genuine concern” that schools and colleges will not be able to reopen safely at this time.
“NASUWT will not hesitate to take appropriate measures to protect members whose safety is at risk as a result of employers’ or government’s failure to ensure safe working conditions in schools and colleges,” he said.
The government’s own Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies warned at a meeting on December 22 that schools needed to remain closed to reduce transmission rates of the virus.
The UK is battling a sharp increase in new cases as a result of a new variant of the virus that, according to authorities, could be up to 70% more infectious.