TEACHING unions reacted with fury at the last-minute “Plan B” guidance for schools in lockdown areas.
A rota system that limits the number of kids attending secondary school could be imposed in areas with a surge in Covid-19 cases.
But Geoff Barton, general secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders, said there was a “weary, resigned sense of inevitability” at its timing on Friday night — just before the Bank Holiday weekend.
Paul Whiteman, general secretary of school leaders’ union NAHT, claimed the timing of the new guidance was “reprehensible”.
He said: “It was obvious weeks ago that lockdown advice was necessary.”
Shadow education secretary Kate Green said the new rules were “long overdue” and “unfair” on school leaders.
She said: “Heads are going to feel under a lot of pressure now over this weekend to start looking at these, thinking about how they will implement them in their schools, and whether or not they will have to make any changes to arrangements they’ve already put in place.”
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