Government guidance for schools increases Covid risk and threatens learning, warns UNISON

Using support staff to cover for teachers isolating with Covid is the wrong approach to dealing with the school staffing crisis and ensuring pupils’ education continues, says UNISON today (Monday).
This week, the Department for Education (DfE) issued guidance encouraging schools to use support staff “more flexibly” as children return after the Christmas break.
UNISON recognises that the rapid spread of Omicron is causing high numbers of staff absences in schools and that learni