Gavin Williamson launches attack on teaching union as he says they are putting pupils' progress in jeopardy

The Education Secretary accuses the National Education Union of failing to put the interests of children first

New guidance  says all secondary school pupils should wear masks in communal areas such as corridors
New guidance  says all secondary school pupils should wear masks in communal areas such as corridors

Gavin Williamson has launched an attack on the UK's largest teaching union, as he says they are putting the progress of pupils in jeopardy with their calls to close schools.

He accused the National Education Union (NEU) of failing to put the interests of children first by demanding that schools should shut during lockdown.

Writing in The  Telegraph, the Education Secretary said the teaching union's leaders "appear content to put the progress of those pupils in particular on hold, by calling for us to close schools."

He added: "When the risks are being managed, when the benefits of being in school are so clear, this seems to be an isolated position that doesn’t put the best interests of pupils first."

Mr Williamson's remarks come as official guidance, published on Wednesday night on the eve of the national lockdown, stated that before and after school clubs can only continue if they are "reasonably necessary" for childcare purposes.

Schools should only run extra-curricular activities outside of school hours where they are "supporting parents to work, search for work, undertake training or education, or where the provision is being used for the purposes of respite care."

The guidance also says all secondary school pupils should wear masks in communal areas such as corridors.

Previously this was "discretionary" for schools which were not in areas of local restrictions. Pupils aged 11 and older should also wear face masks when travelling to and from school on a dedicated school bus as well as on public transport. 

Primary school children are not required to wear face masks, but it will continue to be optional for teachers to do so in communal areas, according to the guidance.  

Nurseries, childminders and nannies should continue to operate during lockdown and parents are allowed to form a "childcare bubble" with another household for looking after children under the age of 13.

Headteachers said it was "frustrating" that the guidance was only published the night before lockdown and voiced concern that children's physical activity will suffer as a result of sports clubs stopping.

"We understand the public health basis for this decision, but we are concerned about the extent to which activities such as sports clubs are again being curtailed by the impact of the pandemic," said Geoff Barton, general secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders.

He welcomed the extension of face masks, saying this is a "sensible response", but added that ministers need to consider the impact of restrictions on children's health and wellbeing.

The NEU's calls for schools to close during lockdown have been echoed by the mayors of Liverpool and Greater Manchester.

Andy Burnham said that schools should close so that the 'full benefits' of a national lockdown can be felt. “If we’re going to do this, let’s do it properly and get cases right down before January - traditionally the most difficult month in the NHS," he said earlier this week.

However, Downing Street has insisted that children will continue to be taught in the classroom, and is hoping to roll out a programme of rapid testing in schools so that pupils can access results within an hour.

Ministers hope that this will solve the issue of hundreds of students being sent home to self-isolate for two weeks every time one of their peers tests positive.

Kevin Courtney, joint general secretary of the NEU, said: “We will take no lectures from Gavin Williamson on the wellbeing of disadvantaged pupils. He and his colleagues in Government seem only concerned about them when it is politically convenient to be so."

He said that ministers' "gross mishandling" of the pandemic has led to a second lockdown, adding that "stubbornness and blind optimism" is "no strategy at all". 

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