The Department for Education (DfE) emailed schools on Friday urging them order a sufficient number of lateral flow tests by Tuesday to ensure that they can test pupils on site after they come back in January.
Secondary schools should test pupils for coronavirus on their return from the Christmas holidays, the government has said.
The move is necessary to “reduce transmission after a period of social mixing”, the email said, also asking school leaders to order additional tests so that pupils can continue to test at home.
But the demand has prompted accusations that ministers are treating headteachers like “an ad hoc branch of the NHS” as opposed to educators.
It is not reasonable for the government to impose such a “considerable public health task on schools with minimal support”, the Association of School and College Leaders (ASCL) warned in response.
The email – which came as the UK added six southern African countries to its travel red list following the emergence of the new, potentially vaccine-evading omicron variant – stated: “We would like all secondary schools to prepare to test their pupils once on site on return in January.
“We understand that this is a significant additional ask, but testing continues to play a vital role in keeping Covid-19 out of schools.”
It added: “Testing all pupils in school boosts testing participation and will help reduce transmission after a period of social mixing over the school holidays. Tests, PPE and funding to support your workforce will be provided as before.
“After this test on return, pupils should continue to test in line with government guidelines.”
Previously, at the start of the autumn term, all secondary school and college pupils in England were asked to take two lateral flow tests upon returning to school.
They were then asked to continue to take two tests per week at home. This testing “remains voluntary but is strongly encouraged”, the government’s website says, adding that schools should retain an on-site asymptomatic testing facility “until further notice so they can offer testing to pupils who are unable to test themselves at home”.
But the director of policy at the ASCL, Julie McCulloch, warned that “the last thing” that schools need is “another huge responsibility which does not even fall within the remit of education”.
