Teaching union welcomes Covid review's findings

NAHT says report backs up concerns raised by headteachers during the pandemic

A teaching union is welcoming the report into government's handling of the Covid-19 pandemic, praising it for highlighting similar concerns raised by headteachers during the outbreak.

The National Association of Headteachers' response comes after review chair Kate Brunner KC published her findings in a 3,600-page report earlier this week.

Rob Kelsall, the national secretary for the NAHT, said it's 'particularly good' to see the issues highlighted by the union during the pandemic backed up in her report.

He highlights areas such as lack of communication and risk assessments from government as having been raised by school leaders at the time.

He goes on to say, "school leaders did excellent work throughout Covid against a backdrop of a lack of support and planning from the then education department and the leadership in place at the time".

Ms Brunner's report found insufficient consideration of the impact of school closures, an absence of direction from government and the need for government to include the voice of children in the future.

Mr Kelsall's full statement said: "This is a welcome report into the Isle of Man’s response to Covid and it is particularly good to see many of the concerns NAHT and school leaders raised at the time backed up here from the government’s lack of communication to risk assessments.

"As this report says school leaders did excellent work throughout Covid against a backdrop of a lack of support and planning from the then education department and the leadership in place at that time. 

"It is important that this hard work and dedication continues to be recognised."