the government's plans to test millions
of school pupils in
england when they return in january is
undeliverable that's according to
teaching unions school governors the
church of england and colleges
ministers announced the plans yesterday
along with a staggered return to the
classroom but schools say
it will be impossible to recruit and
train the thousands of people needed
to carry out tests in the next two weeks
our education editor brahman jefferies
reports
to think about what's gone well first of
all this term the last lessons before
christmas but not all pupils will be
back at the start of term
well we made it can you believe
where we started back in september doing
his best to be cheerful in assembly but
the head expects to work through
christmas on testing
as i feel absolutely physically and
emotionally exhausted after what has
definitely been
the toughest term ever in 20 years in
teaching
when i when i heard this news um two
days ago
i actually felt rather broken because i
just thought how are we going to get all
of this done in the time frames that
we've been given
um and it just feels overwhelming
to set up school testing means finding a
large well-ventilated room
separate swapping and processing areas
staff to test
process record and clean these could be
volunteers or
agency staff online training before
testing starts
and getting consent from parents
it's a massive logistical exercise we're
testing as i said five and a half
million secondary school students this
is a very good news story
and it's all about making sure we can
keep the schools open
this afternoon the government was warned
it might not be possible
school governors teaching unions the
church of england
and colleges all saying this is rushed
and chaotic and telling schools that if
they can't manage it
they don't have to have testing in place
for the beginning of term
parents now face some teenagers being at
home
not in school when term starts it was
sprung on us yesterday
so it's it's child care in the new year
if both of them go back or if only one
of them goes back
we don't know yet chit chats
term is over but not for all teachers
government advice on testing is due to
arrive
just before christmas brownwin jeffries
bbc news