The NASUWT’s local negotiating secretary Marina Mauger said requirements for contact-traced individuals should be brought back until the end of the school term.
On Sunday, the government announced that those identified as direct contacts no longer needed to isolate – provided they were participating in the testing programme and did not have Covid-19 symptoms. The move meant thousands of people identified as direct contacts were freed from isolation, and entire year groups were encouraged to return to school.
The change was brought in after the Island’s testing systems struggled to manage backlogs over the weekend. The number of active cases in the Island has increased significantly over the past week or so and, by last night, there were 720 cases, with three people in hospital.
Ms Mauger said: ‘Teachers are really concerned. We’ve had children and teachers identified as direct contacts. Don’t forget that some young teachers have not had a second vaccination yet so it is a real concern. It seems ludicrous and I really don’t understand the logic behind it; it just seems like a knee-jerk reaction to the contact-tracing system breaking down.’
She added that the isolation requirements should be brought back until the end of the school term, and that teachers should be prioritised for vaccinations.
‘It’s very worrying and teachers are feeling incredibly undervalued. It was really hard-going keeping the schools open and this is a real slap in the face. The numbers [of Covid cases] are rising and it is quite frightening,’ she said.
Deputy Rob Ward, who is a former teacher, said Sunday’s announcement showed a ‘complete failure of leadership’.
He said: ‘The more we look at the details, the more gaps there are. The government system of test and trace failed and people were quite rightly frustrated, but the government response was not to isolate at all and I think that was the wrong response.’
He added: ‘There is concern that we are going to have many, many Covid cases among children. Younger people tend to get less ill because they can recover quickly but that does not mean there aren’t long-term risks. Learning to live with Covid is not about letting everyone get ill.’
National Education Union representative Will Gorman said it was a ‘complex situation’ – but that there were some ‘legitimate concerns’.
He said: ‘There are teachers in their 20s who may have had one or no vaccinations, and there is a lot of anxiety. Our priority is our students’ learning and our management has made it very clear that its doors are always open for anyone who has any concerns.’
