Boris Johnson visits school to show its safe as ministers slap down ‘demanding’ unions over coronavirus safety list

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BORIS Johnson is visiting a school today while teachers’ unions wage war with ministers over covid-19 safety demands.

The PM is meeting staff at St Josephs Catholic School in East London to see how staff are getting ready for re-opening classrooms next month.

Boris Johnson is visiting St Josephs Catholic School in East London today

The PM talks to staff about how the schools is become safe for reopening next month

Mr Johnson was met by head Bernadette Matthews who showed him the new steps implemented to ensure children and staff could return to school safely.

It comes as Downing Street is battling unions to get teachers back in classrooms ahead of the reopening on September 3.

When pushed on the clash Mr Johnson said during his visit today: “I think it’s very important everyone works together to ensure schools are safe.

“They are, they’re covid-secure, I’ve been very impressed with the work teachers have done.

“A lot of work has been done to ensure there is social distancing.

“But basically the plan is there to get everybody back in September – it’s the right thing for everybody in this country.”

He also added that closing schools was the “last thing” he wanted to do because “education is the priority for the country and that is simple social justice.”

UNIONS CLASH

Union bosses believe unfair pressure is being put on their members with more steps needed to ensure their safety.

The National Education Union has set out a checklist of covid-19 secure measures to its 500,000 members.

It advises they should “escalate” complaints if the directives – which includes reminding pupils to “catch their coughs and sneezes with a tissue or elbow” – are not being followed.

While another teaching union has revealed plans to teach pupils on a “week on-week off” basis if there’s a coronavirus spike.

Geoff Barton, general secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders, told the Daily Telegraph: “If you want to limit the number of children on site or travelling to and from school, a big part of that is using rotas and the obvious way to do it is ‘week on-week off’.

“The majority of leadership teams will be thinking about different scenarios and how they can get some children to school.

“In the absence of clear guidance from the Government, leaders are making their own contingency plans.”

Youngsters have been out of mainstream education for nearly five months throughout the pandemic.

And Education Secretary Gavin Williamson said it is now a “national priority” to get them back to their desks for the autumn term.

While Mr Johnson said it was a “moral duty” to ensure kids return next month.

LEAST RISK

Today Professor Russell Viner, a member of the Government’s SAGE scientific advisory group, said today “reopening schools is one of the least risky things we can do”.

Prof Viner, president of the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health, explained that while children can and do transmit this virus they are “very minor players in the transmission overall”.

He added: “We cannot be in a risk-free society and this is about the risk balance.

“What is the risk balance equation and I think that’s separate for children and young people themselves.

“It’s very clear for them the benefits and risks, the balance is for them to be back at school.

“For broader society, look, I think it’s also clear that reopening schools is one of the least risky things we can do.

“Anything we do that reopens society will add a small or a larger amount to the overall population reproductive number and for schools we believe that it’s a relatively minor player, it would add little to the overall population R.”

Boris Johnson uses hand sanitiser during the school visit today

Mr Johnson chats to St Joseph’s head, Bernadette Matthews

Mr Johnson discusses social distancing with Ms Matthews