Prioritise teachers and schools in case of fuel shortages, says union
Teachers should be considered essential workers and prioritised in order to keep schools open says NASUWT
Teachers must be prioritised in the event of national fuel shortages in order to keep schools open, a union has said.
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Delegates at the NASUWT teachers’ union conference in Birmingham passed an emergency motion on Saturday that called for teachers and education staff to be recognised as essential workers in the Government’s fuel emergency plans.
The motion said members of the union were concerned that there is no guarantee teachers would be prioritised if there were severe fuel shortages, meaning school closures if staff could not get to work.
It comes as the war, launched by the US and Israel on Iran at the end of February, has led to soaring fuel prices amid a blockade of the Strait of Hormuz oil and gas shipping lane.
NASUWT general secretary Matt Wrack said: “There are increasing concerns that within the next month we could see quite severe fuel shortages, particularly for diesel."
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He acknowledged that the Government is in a "difficult position" given the ongoing war in the Middle East, and said he hoped there wouldn't be any significant disruption.
“But, as we saw during the pandemic, teachers play a vital role in keeping schools open.
"If schools have to close because staff don’t have the fuel in their cars to get to work, children’s education could be disrupted severely and this could have knock-on effects for the wider economy.”
The motion also said teachers are already facing financial strain from the rising cost of fuel, with disabled staff disproportionately affected.
"The Government needs to make sure that in its contingency plans it ensures as much as possible that any fuel shortages will not shut classrooms, disrupt pupil learning and exams or push teachers into deeper financial hardship.
"We want the Government to act now to ensure teachers are protected and schools can stay open,” Mr Wrack added.
Lord Richard Walker, executive chairman of Iceland, said on Friday the Government should consider “extending” or “enlarging” the fuel duty cut due to expire in September because of the rise in pump prices.
Fuel duty is frozen until September, with the increase scheduled for then under review as a result of the high prices, and average household energy bills are predicted to rise when Ofgem’s current price cap expires at the end of June.