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Covid in Scotland: Fewer than a third of teachers feel safe Covid in Scotland: 'Clear support' for industrial action in schools
(about 20 hours later)
Fewer than a third of teachers feel safe from Covid in schools, according to a survey carried out by Scotland's largest teaching union, the EIS. Pupils in secondary schools have to cover their faces in corridors
It would like to see a move to blended learning in level four areas. Scotland's largest teaching union has said there is "clear support" among its members for industrial action over Covid safety concerns in some schools.
It asked its members how concerned they were about schools remaining open, and asked teachers about a possible ballot on industrial action. The EIS has been calling for schools in level four areas to either close or move to a blended learning model.
But the Scottish government has said extensive guidance is in place to reduce the risk of Covid in schools But the Scottish government insists that the evidence clearly supports schools remaining open.
The union has been asking members whether they would potentially take industrial action over the issues.
It has now published the results of the online survey, with half of the 18,733 respondents backing schools in level four areas closing to pupils, while about a third supported a move to a part-time blended model.
About two thirds (65.7%) of the respondents said they would be willing to take industrial action, including potentially strike action, if those options were rejected by councils or Public Health Scotland.
Keeping level 4 schools open 'is vital for pupils'Keeping level 4 schools open 'is vital for pupils'
Teachers asked if they would strike over Covid What lessons can be learned about Covid from Scotland's schools?
It comes as schools returned for the first time since more than two million people across Scotland were placed in level four Covid restrictions. What's happening with next year's exams?
How safe do teachers feel? The EIS said many teachers who responded to the survey had indicated they do not currently feel safe at work despite the social distancing and additional hygiene measures that have been put in place.
The EIS asked teachers across Scotland about how safe they felt at work with the measures that were currently in place. Their survey found that: And it argued that keeping schools fully open "cannot come at the expense of teacher and pupil wellbeing".
Fewer than a third indicated that they felt safe (26%) or very safe (5%). The union's general secretary, Larry Flanagan, said the survey showed that teachers held a range of opinions on the best means of keeping people safe in schools.
And while nearly two thirds said they either supported or fully supported the Scottish government's decision to prioritise keeping schools open, half of teachers surveyed (51%) said they thought remote learning should be introduced in level four areas on safety grounds. But he said there was "clear support for moving to industrial action in higher risk areas to protest where teachers feel that the measures required to keep schools safe have not been delivered."
Just over a third (34%) said they supported a move to blended learning in level four areas - where pupils are in school part of the week and learn from home part of the week - and just over a tenth (11%) said they wanted to maintain the current arrangements but with additional safety measures in place. Mr Flanagan added: "For level four restrictions to be as effective as we would wish them to be, short term closure or part closure of schools need to be considered."
At level three, 86% of teachers said they wanted schools to stay open. However, just under half (48%) said they thought they should remain open under a blended learning model to allow for social distancing.
Two thirds (66%) of teachers would support industrial action as a protest at not moving to blended or remote learning in level four areas.
A third of those who responded indicated that they were vulnerable (9%) or were living with or caring for someone who was (24%).
But the Scottish government said the evidence to date was clearly in favour of children attending schools in person where safe to do so.
'No evidence' transmission in schools drives up infection
Last week, the Scottish government said the latest evidence pointed to "no current direct evidence" that transmission within schools plays a significant role in driving increased rates of infection among children - but neither is there evidence to suggest otherwise.
It said it was difficult to separate the risk from infection as a result of behaviour outside school and from in-school contacts.
The paper also said that positivity rate among teachers was between 3% and 7%, the same as other worker groups.
The Scottish government's education secretary, John Swinney, has said the priority was keeping children in schoolThe Scottish government's education secretary, John Swinney, has said the priority was keeping children in school
Education Secretary John Swinney said: "I am concerned that some of those teachers responding to the survey say they do not feel safe in school - we need to do more to ensure everybody feels safe. The survey results showed that only 4.6% of respondents felt very safe in schools, while 25.9% felt safe.
"On testing, we have already put in place arrangements to allow members of school staff who are concerned to get a test whether or not they have symptoms. A further 26.3% said they felt neither safe or unsafe, with 32.5% saying they felt unsafe and 9.5% very unsafe.
"We are making plans, informed by clinical advice, to build on that which will potentially include piloting and rolling out in-school rapid testing of staff." Mr Flanagan said the feeling of being at risk was heightened for teachers in secondary schools, for teachers in higher risk areas under level three or level four restrictions, and for teachers in vulnerable groups or who live with or provide care for vulnerable family members.
He added that extensive guidance was in place to reduce the risk of Covid in schools, and that enhanced risk mitigations were in place in level three and level four areas to protect clinically vulnerable staff and pupils. The Scottish government says the evidence shows that schools are "not a significant area of transmission".
But Education Secretary John Swinney said he was "concerned" that some teachers who responded to the survey had said they do not feel safe.
He added that extensive guidance was in place to reduce the risk of Covid transmission in schools, and that enhanced risk mitigations were in place in level three and level four areas to protect clinically vulnerable staff and pupils.
Rapid testing
Mr Swinney said school staff could already to get a coronavirus test even if they do not have symptoms, with plans being made to potentially pilot and roll out rapid testing in schools.
But Mr Swinney acknowledged: "We need to do more to ensure everybody feels safe".
The education secretary told BBC Scotland last week that the number of positive cases among pupils represented only 0.1% of all pupils.
He said the level for teachers varied between about 4% and 7%, which he said was "no different to any other workforce in that category".
Parents group Us For Them Scotland has called for the government to keep schools open - even in level four areas.Parents group Us For Them Scotland has called for the government to keep schools open - even in level four areas.
"We know there are influential groups who've wanted schools shut right from the start, and now strike action is being used as another tactic to force this through," organiser Jo Bisset said last week."We know there are influential groups who've wanted schools shut right from the start, and now strike action is being used as another tactic to force this through," organiser Jo Bisset said last week.
"All of this serves to damage the wellbeing and prospects of children.""All of this serves to damage the wellbeing and prospects of children."
'Do you think it's safe to be here?' - One teacher's worries'Do you think it's safe to be here?' - One teacher's worries
"I really don't know many teachers who want to close schools, but increasingly we're asking each other: 'Do you think it's safe to be here?'," one teacher - who asked to remain anonymous - told BBC Scotland."I really don't know many teachers who want to close schools, but increasingly we're asking each other: 'Do you think it's safe to be here?'," one teacher - who asked to remain anonymous - told BBC Scotland.
He said there had been "a lot of tears" from colleagues who were anxious to be at work.He said there had been "a lot of tears" from colleagues who were anxious to be at work.
In his school, which is in a level four area, several teachers have lost loved ones to Covid.In his school, which is in a level four area, several teachers have lost loved ones to Covid.
The teacher said now was the time to move to blended learning - "we worked so hard planning for it, now is the opportunity. Teachers are still in every day, it's not that we want to close the schools. We just want to be safe," he said.The teacher said now was the time to move to blended learning - "we worked so hard planning for it, now is the opportunity. Teachers are still in every day, it's not that we want to close the schools. We just want to be safe," he said.
He added that some children were now into their third period of isolating since the summer, yet teachers were hardly being told to isolate at all.He added that some children were now into their third period of isolating since the summer, yet teachers were hardly being told to isolate at all.
He said teachers were angered by claims that transmission rates were not increased in schools.He said teachers were angered by claims that transmission rates were not increased in schools.
These claims were "patronising" given how "blatant" it was that transmission was occurring, he added.These claims were "patronising" given how "blatant" it was that transmission was occurring, he added.
EIS General Secretary Larry Flanagan said a significant number of teachers did not feel safe under existing arrangements. LEVELS: What are the restrictions in your area?
"This feeling of being at risk is particularly heightened for teachers in secondary schools, for teachers in higher risk areas under level three or level four restrictions, and for teachers in vulnerable groups or who live with or provide care for vulnerable family members," he said. NUMBERS: Five key figures to watch out for
Mr Flanagan added that there was "clear support for moving to industrial action in higher risk areas". LOCKDOWN: Six months that changed our lives
What lessons can be learned about Covid from Scotland's schools? CASES: Where are the latest cases in Scotland?
What's happening with next year's exams?
The EIS union said one teacher said pupils were not wearing face coverings as recommended, and that social distancing between pupils was impossible, causing teachers unsustainable stress.
Another said that authorities were "secretive" about the prevalence of the virus.
Teachers should be prioritised when a Covid vaccine becomes available, according to a third teacher.