Commenting on new survey data released by the government today on applications for air cleaning units, Paul Whiteman, general secretary of school leaders’ union NAHT, said:

“Adequate ventilation is crucial in the fight against the spread of Covid in classrooms and keeping children in school. The government owes all children a safe and comfortable environment in which to learn, with minimum disruption to education. Where air purifiers can help with that they must be made available.

“Schools are currently managing a very difficult situation when it comes to ventilation, not least balancing the need for good ventilation against keeping classrooms sufficiently warm for pupils and staff to be able to learn and work in. Clearly this is a dynamic situation and as schools get used to using the CO2 monitors, we could see more identifying issues that need addressing. It is vital that the government ensures that schools are able to escalate these concerns for the foreseeable future and that they are able to continue to apply for air cleaning devices if they are needed.”