Black teachers feel like an 'afterthought' without risk assessment tool as schools due to reopen

A black teacher has told ITV News that BAME staff are being treated as an "afterthought" after it was revealed the Welsh Government is yet to provide an education-specific risk assessment tool for them.

With schools across Wales due to reopen in just four days, Daniel Wilson, who has been a teacher for ten years, says he's "disappointed" the Government have yet to provide the tool, describing it as "imperative", saying many of his black colleagues feel the same. The tool helps local authorities and head teachers work with all staff to understand any risks they may face.

Daniel has been a teacher for 10 years.

Daniel's Uncle died after contracting Covid-19. Earlier this month figures from the Office for National Statistics found the rate of death involving coronavirus:

  • 3.3 times higher for Black males, than White males

  • 2.4 times higher for Black females, than White females

  • People of Bangladeshi or Pakistani ethnic background had more than twice the rate of death involving COVID-19 than those of White ethnic background

  • People of Indian, mixed and other ethnic backgrounds also had statistically significantly raised rates of death compared with those of White ethnic background.

  • For the Chinese ethnic group, the ONS found a raised risk among males but not females.

The Welsh Government have said they're urgently working on an education risk assessment tool, but that at the moment the risk assessment tool for health and social care can help inform decisions.

Credit: ITV Cymru Wales

Finance Minister, Rebecca Evans, said: "It was launched initially in the NHS and social care settings, but we're very clear that it does need to become a more mainstream tool across education but also across the wider business community and wider economy as well."

Those in the education sector are concerned that the tool doesn't address school specific scenarios such as working with young children who might not understand social distancing.

On Monday the National Education Union wrote to the Education Minister asking the Government to work with them to update advice for those undertaking risk assessments to minimise the risks to the wellbeing and safety of black workers. On that same day the First Minister said that 'there is more to do" to address racial inequalities in Wales, following a report into why BAME people are being so affected by Covid-19.

Daniel says he appreciates that the risk assessment might not be in place by Monday, but hopes it'll be ready for September.