ESC President: Union's covid claims are "deliberately inflammatory"

Saturday 27 November 2021

Deputy Andrea Dudley-Owen is defending her Committee's approach to covid-19 in schools following calls for more safety measures from one of the island's largest teachers' unions.

Late on Friday, the NASUWT union published an open letter claiming that the safety and welfare of children and staff were at risk unless more was done to stop the spread of covid in schools.

The union made three specific requests, including that masks should be made mandatory in all areas of schools.  

Pictured: Deputy Andrea Dudley-Owen quickly responded to each of the three specific requests made by the NASUWT union. 

In a detailed statement responding to teachers' demands, the President of the Committee for Education, Sport & Culture accused the union of being "deliberately inflammatory" by making claims which were "fundamentally inaccurate". She said she was "concerned by the lack of understanding of our local situation" in the union's open letter. 

Deputy Dudley-Owen's statement is reproduced in full below.

Pictured: The President of the Committee for Education, Sport & Culture said the NASUWT union did not check its facts about covid in Guernsey before publishing its open letter requesting additional safety measures in schools.