Almost Half Of UK Teachers Had Covid Last Term, Survey Suggests

A recent survey has highlighted that almost half of all UK teachers, many who have received three COVID-19 vaccine shots, have tested positive for the virus during the last term. According to the findings shared by the National Association of Schoolmasters Union of Women Teachers (NASUWT), 48% of the teachers who participated in the survey revealed that they had not only contracted the virus but also had to deal with its after-effects during the spring term. Furthermore, nearly 30% of them revealed that their school had, as a result of a COVID-19 outbreak, been forced to shut down or send certain classes or groups home. NASUWT has expressed worry over the high infection rates among teachers and called for more protection and support for them, citing the fact that many of them have contracted COVID-19 more than once. According to the survey results, a quarter of the participants had to work despite having COVID-19 symptoms, while almost a third struggled to access free testing facilities. Speaking about the findings revealed in the survey, Dr Patrick Roach, the general secretary of NASUWT, stated that the COVID-19 pandemic is still an ongoing issue and is disrupting children’s education, despite the government’s claim of everything being back to usual. Almost 29% of the surveyed teachers reported that there was a COVID-19 outbreak at their school or college in the last term, but only half of all respondents confirmed that their school had an outbreak management strategy in place. Over 7% of the teachers surveyed had to return to teaching within six days of a positive COVID-19 diagnosis. Approximately 59% felt pressured to return to teaching despite their illness, while 28% reported that they did not believe that the school had taken adequate precautions to protect their health and safety. Dr Roach has requested that the government must take immediate and adequate action to ensure that schools continue to operate safely and that teachers receive proper support and protection amidst the ongoing pandemic.