News

'Reckless in the extreme' – school leaders issue free testing plea

Government policy Whole-school issues Pupil wellbeing Attendance Coronavirus Covid recovery
“We continue to hear a sense of deep frustration from school leaders as they struggle to deal with the significant and on-going disruption caused by Covid – while the government removes every measure they have for controlling it.”

School leaders are pleading with the government to reverse the decision to withdraw free Covid testing for pupils and staff.

A joint letter from the Association of School and College Leaders (ASCL) and the National Association of Head Teachers (NAHT) says that Covid disruption during the past few weeks has been greater than at any point since the pandemic began.

The two organisations represent the vast majority of England’s school leaders, and they warn that it is “increasingly difficult for leaders to keep their schools open”.

The letter states: “In the face of this extensive and on-going disruption, the government’s decision to remove free access to symptomatic and asymptomatic testing for almost all pupils and staff feels reckless in the extreme.”

Register now, read forever

Thank you for visiting SecEd and reading some of our content for professionals in secondary education. Register now for free to get unlimited access to all content.

What's included:

  • Unlimited access to news, best practice articles and podcast

  • New content and e-bulletins delivered straight to your inbox every Monday and Thursday

Register

Already have an account? Sign in here