Why teachers feel ignored by Rishi Sunak – Yorkshire Post Letters

NAHT represents leaders in the majority of schools in the UK. The chances are that your nearest school is led by an NAHT member. Their aim this term has been to keep schools open (The Yorkshire Post, November 28).

At the start of September, we knew that this was going to be tough. The threat posed by the virus meant that keeping schools open was going to rely on a great deal of skill and a fair amount of luck. I’ve been staggered by the ingenuity, resolve and determination shown by school leaders and their teams since the pandemic began.

But, lately, I’ve been picking up new fears and concerns from NAHT members. One leader described themselves as “frayed and exhausted” this week.

A recent survey of NAHT leaders revealed that 47 per cent are now less likely to remain in school leadership for as long as initially planned. Once they have steered their schools through the crisis, they will think again about their career.

They tell me that if battling the virus was not enough, they have had to do it with one hand tied behind their back as they wait for support from the Government.

Last week, Chancellor Rishi Sunak had a golden opportunity to provide the support for schools and pupils that everyone knows is needed – but he turned his back on them and there was no extra funding other than what had already been allocated pre-Covid.

NAHT research shows that, in the first few weeks of term, schools had already spent on average £8,017 implementing safety measures required by government guidance.

We found that there had been a 17 percentage point increase in schools reporting that they were incurring additional staff costs for teaching assistant time; a 10 per cent increase in additional costs for cleaners or site staff; and a nine per cent increase in setting up additional staff bases such as staff rooms.

These costs are real. They are not optional. Not only will this potentially eat into any “catch-up” funds schools receive, but it could push many into a deficit position. School budgets were under huge pressure already and this could be enough to send many over the edge.

Winter is just beginning. Lockdown measures will be place until March. School safety costs are spiralling. And the Government’s answer is to make do and mend. It isn’t sustainable. Everyone can see that. So, we are calling on government to look at this again, and ensure that schools are given the resources they need to make them as safe as possible for pupils and staff.

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