THE Chicago Teachers Union in the United States has voted to defy orders to return to the classroom because of inadequate Covid safety measures.

Chicago Public Schools (CPS), the third-biggest school district in the US after New York and Los Angeles, wanted 10,000 teachers from nursery-age children to eighth grade (equivalent to year 9 in England and Wales or S2 in Scotland) to return to school today to prepare for the return of some students for part-time in-school classes from February 1.

The teachers’ union says the district safety plan is inadequate and wants tougher commitments on regular Covid tests for all staff and students in “hotspots,” priority vaccination for school workers and flexible schedules to minimise in-person work.