The government's plan to provide 7,000 air purifiers to schools in England to combat the spread of the Omicron variant has been criticised as insufficient by teaching unions and the Labour Party. The Department for Education (DfE) announced the measure, stating it would improve ventilation and minimise disruption to face-to-face education.
Dr Mary Bousted, joint general secretary of the National Education Union, said the provision was 'completely inadequate' for the 300,000 classrooms in England. She described clean air as a 'basic human right' and accused the government of failing to provide an effective solution.
Paul Whiteman, general secretary of the National Association of Head Teachers, called the move a 'step in the right direction' but said there should be no barrier for schools needing purifiers. Geoff Barton of the Association of School and College Leaders said the announcement was 'better late than never'.
Labour's Wes Streeting noted that 7,000 units would cover only one in four schools, questioning whether it meant one per school or per classroom. Shadow Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson said the government's 'chaos' was failing children and called for urgent action on vaccinations and ventilation.
The DfE said allocation would be based on carbon dioxide monitor results, with most classrooms relying on opening windows. Schools must bid for the units, with decisions due in February.
