Commenting on news that schools in England will be allowed to close a day early for Christmas to allow staff a break from identifying potential COVID-19 cases, Deborah Lawson, Community Assistant General Secretary for the Voice education section, said:
“We welcome this small concession from the Government – which should relieve staff of track and trace responsibilities and enable them to have a complete break over the festive season.
“Many of the education workforce have worked solidly since the beginning of the pandemic and are great need of a proper break.
“We would like to see the Government do more to recognise the key role played by school staff in the track and trace system, and the extra burden this has placed upon them, workload and school budgets.
“We are supportive of the need for schools to be able to make their own decisions on term flexibility based on the needs of their own learners and staff. Schools must be able to take such action as is necessary to keep the workplace safe for all.”
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