The UK government said teachers were not at greater risk of catching coronavirus than the rest of the population, as it faced defiance from schools in England that chose to remain closed.
Some schools opted not to reopen on Monday following the Christmas break after unions raised safety concerns.
The disagreement came a day after Prime Minister Boris Johnson sent mixed messages on school closures. He said there was "no doubt in my mind that schools are safe", but he also said the faster-spreading coronavirus variant meant tougher measures were required.
The government did not impose a blanket ban on schools reopening, delaying the return of England’s secondary schools until later in January while keeping primary schools open.
But former health secretary Jeremy Hunt said schools must close "right away" as the pressure faced by hospitals was "off-the-scale worse" than previous winter crises.
Education unions said schools returning made no sense when the infection rate remained at record levels. On the day the Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine was distributed to UK sites there were also calls for teachers to be among the first immunised.
On Sunday, 54,990 positive tests and 454 deaths were recorded in the UK.
According to the latest data, one in four people tested for Covid-19 in London were infected with the virus. A positive test rate of 26.8 per cent was recorded on December 29, the latest available data, up from 15.7 per cent on December 22.
“Bringing all pupils back into classrooms while the rate of infection is so high is exposing education sector workers to serious risk of ill-health and could fuel the pandemic," unions said.
They called for a pause in the reopening of schools for anyone other than vulnerable children and children of key workers, and a move to remote learning for all while Covid-secure working arrangements are reviewed.
"All school staff continuing to work in schools should be given priority access to Covid-19 vaccinations.”
Health Secretary Matt Hancock said that teachers did not face a higher risk than other key workers.
"The proportion of teachers who catch coronavirus is no higher than the rest of the population, so there is clear public health advice behind the position that we take and that is what people should follow because, of course, education is very important as well, especially for people's long-term health," he told BBC Radio 4's Today programme.
Mr Hancock’s comments and the scientific basis behind the government’s strategy were called into question.
The latest scientific advice on infection rates in schools was presented on December 17 but the paper acknowledges the data was collected before the more infectious Covid-19 strain was identified.
Dr Michael Tildesley, a modelling expert who advises the government’s Sage advisory group, said new measures would need to be brought in but he warned: “Even if you closed schools, that might not be enough to bring the R number below 1.”
Paul Whiteman, general secretary of school leaders' union NAHT, said mixed messages from politicians and scientists meant it was "very hard to tell" how many schools would be open for the start of the term.
"Some schools in Tier 4 areas will be open for vulnerable pupils and key-worker families and will be providing remote learning for others, yet in other areas also in Tier 4, all pupils will be admitted," he said.
"That's a confusing picture for school leaders and families alike."
Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer said it was "inevitable" more schools would have to close to curtail the spread of coronavirus.
Mr Johnson is also facing pressure within his own ranks.
Jeremy Hunt tweeted: “To those arguing winter is always like this in the NHS: you are wrong. I faced four serious winter crises as health sec and the situation now is off-the-scale worse than any of those.”
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Our legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants
More from Neighbourhood Watch:
The specs
Common to all models unless otherwise stated
Engine: 4-cylinder 2-litre T-GDi
0-100kph: 5.3 seconds (Elantra); 5.5 seconds (Kona); 6.1 seconds (Veloster)
Power: 276hp
Torque: 392Nm
Transmission: 6-Speed Manual/ 8-Speed Dual Clutch FWD
Price: TBC
GAC GS8 Specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo
Power: 248hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 400Nm at 1,750-4,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 9.1L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh149,900
SPEC%20SHEET%3A%20SAMSUNG%20GALAXY%20Z%20FOLD%204
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo
Power: 261hp at 5,500rpm
Torque: 405Nm at 1,750-3,500rpm
Transmission: 9-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 6.9L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh117,059
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
How to protect yourself when air quality drops
Install an air filter in your home.
Close your windows and turn on the AC.
Shower or bath after being outside.
Wear a face mask.
Stay indoors when conditions are particularly poor.
If driving, turn your engine off when stationary.
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Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
UPI facts
More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023
More than 3.5 million Indians reside in UAE
Indian tourists can make purchases in UAE using rupee accounts in India through QR-code-based UPI real-time payment systems
Indian residents in UAE can use their non-resident NRO and NRE accounts held in Indian banks linked to a UAE mobile number for UPI transactions
The Bio
Favourite holiday destination: Either Kazakhstan or Montenegro. I’ve been involved in events in both countries and they are just stunning.
Favourite book: I am a huge of Robin Cook’s medical thrillers, which I suppose is quite apt right now. My mother introduced me to them back home in New Zealand.
Favourite film or television programme: Forrest Gump is my favourite film, that’s never been up for debate. I love watching repeats of Mash as well.
Inspiration: My late father moulded me into the man I am today. I would also say disappointment and sadness are great motivators. There are times when events have brought me to my knees but it has also made me determined not to let them get the better of me.
GIANT REVIEW
Starring: Amir El-Masry, Pierce Brosnan
Director: Athale
Rating: 4/5
Globalization and its Discontents Revisited
Joseph E. Stiglitz
W. W. Norton & Company
ONCE UPON A TIME IN GAZA
Starring: Nader Abd Alhay, Majd Eid, Ramzi Maqdisi
Directors: Tarzan and Arab Nasser
Rating: 4.5/5
Paatal Lok season two
Directors: Avinash Arun, Prosit Roy
Stars: Jaideep Ahlawat, Ishwak Singh, Lc Sekhose, Merenla Imsong
Rating: 4.5/5
Zayed Sustainability Prize
Nayanthara: Beyond The Fairy Tale
Starring: Nayanthara, Vignesh Shivan, Radhika Sarathkumar, Nagarjuna Akkineni
Director: Amith Krishnan
Rating: 3.5/5
JOKE'S%20ON%20YOU
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Groom and Two Brides
Director: Elie Semaan
Starring: Abdullah Boushehri, Laila Abdallah, Lulwa Almulla
Rating: 3/5
How Filipinos in the UAE invest
A recent survey of 10,000 Filipino expatriates in the UAE found that 82 per cent have plans to invest, primarily in property. This is significantly higher than the 2014 poll showing only two out of 10 Filipinos planned to invest.
Fifty-five percent said they plan to invest in property, according to the poll conducted by the New Perspective Media Group, organiser of the Philippine Property and Investment Exhibition. Acquiring a franchised business or starting up a small business was preferred by 25 per cent and 15 per cent said they will invest in mutual funds. The rest said they are keen to invest in insurance (3 per cent) and gold (2 per cent).
Of the 5,500 respondents who preferred property as their primary investment, 54 per cent said they plan to make the purchase within the next year. Manila was the top location, preferred by 53 per cent.
Specs
Engine: Duel electric motors
Power: 659hp
Torque: 1075Nm
On sale: Available for pre-order now
Price: On request
Specs
Engine: 51.5kW electric motor
Range: 400km
Power: 134bhp
Torque: 175Nm
Price: From Dh98,800
Available: Now
'Of Love & War'
Lynsey Addario, Penguin Press
Know your cyber adversaries
Cryptojacking: Compromises a device or network to mine cryptocurrencies without an organisation's knowledge.
Distributed denial-of-service: Floods systems, servers or networks with information, effectively blocking them.
Man-in-the-middle attack: Intercepts two-way communication to obtain information, spy on participants or alter the outcome.
Malware: Installs itself in a network when a user clicks on a compromised link or email attachment.
Phishing: Aims to secure personal information, such as passwords and credit card numbers.
Ransomware: Encrypts user data, denying access and demands a payment to decrypt it.
Spyware: Collects information without the user's knowledge, which is then passed on to bad actors.
Trojans: Create a backdoor into systems, which becomes a point of entry for an attack.
Viruses: Infect applications in a system and replicate themselves as they go, just like their biological counterparts.
Worms: Send copies of themselves to other users or contacts. They don't attack the system, but they overload it.
Zero-day exploit: Exploits a vulnerability in software before a fix is found.
