A teachers’ union has renewed its calls for tighter Covid measures in the island’s schools.

The NASUWT has written to the Minister for Education, Sport and Culture, Julie Edge, saying that ’although Omicron has not yet been detected in the Isle of Man, it is highly likely to be only a matter of time before the wave washes up on Manx shores’.

In the letter, the general secretary of the union, Dr Patrick Roach, said: ’In light of the evidence emerging daily regarding the impact of the Omicron variant, the latest modelling which suggests that case numbers, hospitalisations and deaths will continue to increase throughout January, and the raising of the Covid threat level to Level 4 in the United Kingdom, I must urge you now to consider the immediate introduction of additional education measures to help slow the spread of Covid-19 and to minimise further disruption to education.

’In addition to wider community-level measures, we believe that additional measures will be required within schools and University College Mann (UCM) now and as they return after the Christmas break.’

The union previously wrote to Ms Edge on December 1 ’to request the strengthening of control measures within schools and UCM’.

The NASUWT is urging the government to ’act immediately and to not delay critical decisions until the commencement of the school and UCM holiday period’.

They suggested several additional measures, including:

-Staggering the return of pupils to all schools and UCM at the start of January 2022

-Providing onsite testing facilities and resources for pupils throughout the period between January and the February half-term 2022

-Committing to investment in additional mitigations such as improved ventilation systems and CO2 monitors in every classroom

-Publishing further guidance advising schools and UCM to update risk assessments in light of Omicron, in consultation with staff and trade unions, ready for wider reopening in January

-Publishing further guidance advising schools and UCM to cancel or postpone non-essential activities or events, to move to online staff and parental meetings, and to mandate staff working from home where appropriate, during this period.

Dr Roach said: ’The NASUWT believes that these measures, together with wider government measures including on vaccinations, are proportionate and responsible, and will contribute to our shared aim of minimising further disruption to children’s education.’

A policy currently in place is that masks are ’expected’ in school settings.

Earlier this week in Tynwald Ms Edge was asked about mask wearing at schools by MHK for Rushen, Juan Watterson.

Ms Edge said that the number of students wearing face coverings varied from school to school, but on average between 20% and 50% of students were doing so.

The Department of Education, Sport and Culture says that making educational settings as safe as possible is its ’top priority’ and that it is continuing to monitor and review all measures in place.