Responding to the Department for Education announcement today (Saturday) that carbon dioxide monitors will be provided to schools to check there is adequate ventilation to help reduce Covid spread, UNISON assistant general secretary Jon Richards said:
“Improved ventilation is vital to help limit school disruption in the new academic year.
“Monitoring the airflow is an important first step in combatting infection and devices should be rolled out as quickly as possible.
“This is a positive move by ministers who listened to concerns. But further safety measures will be needed to keep pupils in classrooms in the coming months. They include air filtration where necessary and the continued option to use face masks.”
Notes to editors:
– Education unions wrote to education secretary Gavin Williamson this week urging the government to take firm action to improve ventilation in schools to reduce further Covid disruption.
– UNISON is the UK’s largest union with more than 1.3 million members providing public services in education, local government, the NHS, police service and energy. They are employed in the public, voluntary and private sectors.
Media contacts:
Anthony Barnes M: 07834 864794 E: a.barnes@unison.co.uk
Siobhan Cooley M: 07432 549183 E: s.cooley@unison.co.uk