Nursery World - Calls for better ventilation in schools as a quarter of teachers work in classrooms without opening windows

New research suggests the Government’s open window policy to increase ventilation in schools is ‘unworkable’ as 27 per cent of teaching staff work in classrooms without windows that open.

The research suggests that hundred of thousands of teachers could be working in classrooms without opening windows - thought to be key by the Government in increasing ventilation to reduce the spread of Covid PHOTO Adobe Stock

The findings, taken from a survey of 500 education staff including headteachers, teachers and teaching assistants, are published in a white paper by hygiene specialists the Phs group.

When scaling up the figure to all full-time teachers in the UK, the Phs group believes 162,000 teachers could be working in classrooms with no ventilation.

The survey also reveals that three in four (74 per cent) education staff are disappointed in central and local government for ‘failing’ to find a better solution for air purification in schools.

Government policy dictates that schools should open windows in classrooms to ventilate the air and potentially remove Covid-19 virus particles. Schools have also been provided with CO2 monitors to identify areas of poor ventilation.

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