New advice on face-coverings in classrooms
The government has recommended that students in year seven and above should wear face-coverings in classrooms, as well as in corridors and communal areas to try and reduce the transmission of COVID-19.
It has said that these restrictions will be in place until Wednesday 26 January 2022 (at the earliest), when the Plan B regulations are currently scheduled to expire.
Omicron surge: leaders told to combine classes to keep schools and colleges open
The government has told headteachers and principals to start preparing for COVID staff shortages by merging classes into larger groups and considering ways to implement a flexible approach to learning if face-to-face teaching becomes impossible.
Advice from the DfE is that where education has to be moved offline, schools and colleges should adopt ‘live streaming’ wherever possible and provide regular feedback to students.
Government predicts that over-a-quarter of public sector workers could be absent due to Omicron
As the number of people who test positive continues to increase, the government has asked ministers to develop contingency plans to reduce possible disruption to public services and supply chains.
Women and Equalities Committee publishes report on Gender Recognition Reform
In 2016 the Women and Equalities Committee recommended that the government update the laws on gender recognition in line with the principles of self-declaration. The government then launched a consultation on the issue and, in 2020, it set out the steps it would take to reform the Gender Recognition process, which included reducing the fee payable to obtain a Gender Recognition Certificate and putting the application process online.
The Women and Equalities Committee launched a further enquiry and has now published its findings which criticises the government for not going far enough.
It recommends that the law is changed:
1. To allow trans people to self-declare their gender without the need to obtain medical evidence
2. To remove the requirement for trans people to demonstrate that they’ve lived in the acquired gender for two years
3. To remove the need for trans people to obtain agreement from their spouse before they can apply for a Gender Recognition Certificate.
Changes to right to work checks
The Home Office has updated its employer right to work checks guidance. It confirms that from Wednesday 6 April 2022, employers must carry out an online right to work check for anyone who holds a biometric card and can’t do a manual check.
Employers don’t have to undertake retrospective checks on anyone it employed before Wednesday 6 April 2022, but if they do and find out they don’t have the right to work in the UK they must take ‘appropriate action’.
New consultation on disability and workplace practices
The government has published a consultation on the workforce reporting on disability for large employers. The survey will look at employers with 250 employees or above and will address both mandatory and voluntary reporting.
The consultation closes at 11:45 pm on Friday 25 March 2022.
Read more – January 2022
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