Thursday 21 May 2020
Reopening of schools – anti-racist campaigners express concern over impact on BAME communites
Anti-racist organisation Stand Up To Racism has issued a statement expressing grave concern over the effect of the Government’s push to reopen schools on families and workers from BAME communities. The statement, agreed in a meeting with officers and stakeholders today, is as follows:
We are concerned about government proposals to further ease the lockdown and the wider reopening of schools on 1 June 2020. The UK has one of the highest infection rates and death tolls in the entire world, and at the moment the daily increase in new infections and deaths is still too high to be confident of a safe wider reopening of schools on 1 June 2020. Black, Asian and minority ethnic (BAME) communities have been disproportionately affected by coronavirus and around 28 per cent of deaths were people from BAME communities.
We are particularly concerned about the possibility of the wider reopening of schools risking a second wave of infections, that disproportionately impacts on BAME communities. We note that 70 per cent of NEU black members feel unsafe about returning to work. We are concerned about the safety of all school staff, pupils and their families. We support the NEU, NASUWT, UNITE, UNISON, GMB and other unions organising staff in schools. We believe the NEU’s five tests must be met before the wider reopening of schools.
Notes to editors:
1) The statement follows an online rally on Tuesday 19th May addressing the impact of easing the lockdown on BAME communities, addressed by Diane Abbott, Gary Younge, Louise Regan and others, which can be viewed here.
2) Stand Up To Racism is a national anti-racist organisation supported by major trade unions, faith & community groupsm MPs and other representatives.
For further quotes and information please contact:
info@standuptoracism.org.uk