College foot-and-mouth precautions

Carcasses are burnt in Northumberland

Schools and universities across the UK are taking special measures to try to help prevent the further spread of foot and mouth disease.

Three schools in Northumberland and a school in Devon have been closed - as teachers and pupils who live on farms in or near restricted areas are being told to stay at home.

And a teachers' union is demanding more detailed guidance from the Department for Education about how schools should respond if the disruption seems likely to last for several more weeks.

Agricultural colleges are having to introduce precautions to prevent the spread of the disease.

At Pencoed College in Bridgend the farm and the equine centre are under quarantine with access severely restricted.

We are taking the matter extremely seriously.

Royal Agricultural College, Cirencester

Students and teachers at Otley College in Suffolk who live on farms or in restricted zones have been told not to come in.

A spokesman said: "We are about an hour's drive away from the nearest restricted zone.

"We have set up a number of disinfectant dips and hay piles around the site for cars to drive over or for people to use, to prevent the further spread of the disease."

The college is restricting access to the cows, goats, sheep and calves kept on its farm.

The Royal Agricultural College at Cirencester in Gloucester is also on alert.

A spokeswoman said: "We are taking the matter extremely seriously.

"We're taking the same measures as farmers, because we have our own farm. Our students are banned from visiting our farm to avoid cross-contamination.

Schools closed

The three primary schools in Northumberland which have been closed are Belsay, Stamfordham and Whitfield First Schools.

The closures have been required because teachers at the school live on farms.

Pupils and teachers who live on farms or have come into contact with livestock near the affected areas have also been advised to stay away from school, said a spokesperson for Northumberland County Council.

School bus routes might also have to be altered to avoid the risk of spreading contamination.

These temporary measures are intended to reduce the risk of spreading the disease, after a case of the disease was identified last week in the county at Heddon-on-the-Wall.

Change of clothes

In Devon, children from farming families have been advised not to wear clothes to school which might have been in contact with livestock.

And the local authority says that "in no circumstances should schools proceed with farm visits" and that walks and any activities likely to bring children into contact with livestock "should not be undertaken".

There has also been advice that "vehicles used for home-to-school transport should not enter farms and keep to metalled roads, avoiding farm tracks".

In Essex, where a number of cases have been reported, schools have remained open, but the local authority has asked families with children living on farms to act responsibly in taking whatever precautions are necessary to reduce the risk of spreading the disease.

Unions

The Association of Teachers and Lecturers is calling for Department for Education to give more guidance to schools.

The union's general secretary, Peter Smith, has written to the schools' minister, Estelle Morris, saying the ministry should consider the implications for schools if the crisis continues for several weeks.

"The current crisis is growing daily and is now affecting large parts of rural Britain," he said.

"Schools and local education authorities contacting DfEE for help are merely referred to the MAFF (Ministry of Agriculture) helpline for advice.

"This is issuing excellent information but this is chiefly about how to contain the disease. It does not specifically address the concerns of schools, teachers and pupils." 

In particular, the ATL says it wants head teachers to be guided in making a decision about whether or not to close their school. 

It also wants clarification of the arrangements for teachers unable to come to school because of the crisis.