Skip to main content
The sickness is the system
The Covid crisis has been brought about by the bumbling of an inept Prime Minister but a rush back to the classrooms is not the answer, writes NEU rep ROBERT POOLE
School parent

I WROTE last month that the National Education Union had won a major victory in once again pushing the government into following the advice of its own advisers and moving schools onto remote learning.

Although no teacher wants to be away from the classroom; no teacher wants to spend their days talking to a computer screen rather than a class of lively and inquisitive children; no teacher wants vulnerable pupils to fall through the cracks and miss out on valuable weeks of education.

Despite all this I still stand by my union’s decision to push for in-person teaching to be suspended for the majority of pupils. 

Support the Morning Star
You have reached the free limit.
Subscribe to continue reading.
More from this author
TEACHERS STAND TALL: Members of the NEU make a clear show of
Features / 14 April 2025
14 April 2025
The NEU’s annual conference promises heated debate, with motions on international politics, curriculum reform and union amalgamation likely to provoke strong reactions and challenge the status quo, writes Education for Tomorrow editor ROBERT POOLE
ELITE ENDORSEMENT: Keir Starmer hosts Adolescence writer Jac
Features / 9 April 2025
9 April 2025
The series unveils uncomfortable truths about youth alienation and online radicalisation — but the real crisis lies in austerity and the absence of class consciousness in addressing young people’s disillusionment, says teacher ROBERT POOLE
CRUCIAL HISTORY: (Clockwise from left) A silent crowd follow
Features / 17 March 2025
17 March 2025
From colonialism to the Troubles, the story of England’s first colony is one of exploitation, resistance, and solidarity — and one we should fight to ensure is told, writes teacher ROBERT POOLE
CONSERVATIVE POSTER CHILD: School head Katharine Birbalsingh
Features / 10 March 2025
10 March 2025
As the government moves to rein in academy freedoms, former darling of conservative education reform Katharine Birbalsingh cries ‘Marxism.’ Education columnist ROBERT POOLE examines how academisation has failed our children while enriching executives and empowering ideologues at the expense of democratic accountability
Similar stories
CONSERVATIVE POSTER CHILD: School head Katharine Birbalsingh
Features / 10 March 2025
10 March 2025
As the government moves to rein in academy freedoms, former darling of conservative education reform Katharine Birbalsingh cries ‘Marxism.’ Education columnist ROBERT POOLE examines how academisation has failed our children while enriching executives and empowering ideologues at the expense of democratic accountability
protest
Opinion / 3 July 2024
3 July 2024
ROBERT POOLE dissects Labour’s plans around education
RP
Features / 1 May 2024
1 May 2024
NEU leader DANIEL KEBEDE warns that educators are at breaking point under the cruel regime of Ofsted