UNISON opposes government plans to remove school bubbles before the end of term.

Responding to education secretary Gavin Williamson’s comments  that he expects school bubbles to be removed in England if Covid restrictions are lifted on 19 July, UNISON head of education Jon Richards said:

“Removing school bubbles and halting self-isolation will lead to more disruption, not less.

“Coronavirus cases in schools are at their highest levels since February because the government has scaled back safety measures.

“Self-isolation is one of the proven ways to keep cases under control. It must be in place at least until the autumn half-term and then reviewed to minimise problems.

“Rather than rolling back effective precautions, the government must bring back face coverings immediately and place children in smaller bubbles to reduce the risk of disruption.

“Allowing larger scale exposure creates the perfect environment for new, more transmissible variants to develop.”