‘Religious staff’ on list of key workers during coronavirus outbreak

A specific reference to 'religious staff' has been included in a government list of key workers during the coronavirus outbreak.

Since last Friday all schools across the UK have been closed until further notice in an attempt to halt the spread of the Covid-19 virus. The government has made exceptions covering children of "key workers" and vulnerable children.

A list of "key workers", published on the gov.uk website last Thursday, outlines those whose work is considered "critical to the COVID-19 response" or who work in a "critical sector".

It says their children will be "prioritised for education provision" if they cannot keep their children safe at home. It includes a reference to "religious staff" among members of "key public services", without defining what those staff need to be doing to qualify.

The "key public services" also include "charities and workers delivering key frontline services" and "those responsible for the management of the deceased". Both of these could reasonably include religious staff performing specific, important roles.

The NSS has raised concerns with the government that the "religious staff" listing may be overly broad.

An NSS spokesperson said: "The government has made clear it's prepared to take very strong action to limit social contact as much as possible to protect public health in this extraordinary time. That includes reducing the number of children attending school to the bare minimum, to protect teachers, other children and those they live with.

"The current language in its key workers list may lead to more children than necessary attending school, undermining efforts to tackle the coronavirus."

Teaching unions' concerns about key workers list

• The National Education Union has expressed concern about the length of the list of 'key workers'. The NEU has said in some schools "the majority of pupils" could end up attending.
• The head of school leaders' union the NAHT has urged parents to keep their children at home unless "absolutely necessary" and to "leave the few spaces available for those that truly have no alternative".