TEACHERS should have priority access to fuel amid the ongoing shortage or children’s education will be further disrupted, a teaching union warned today.

NASUWT general secretary Dr Patrick Roach called on ministers to take action to ensure that teachers and support staff are able to get into work to ensure schools and colleges can remain open.

He warned that fuel shortages are expected to cause “serious difficulties” for education provision.

Dr Roach said: “For many teachers, the use of public transport is simply not an option, with many schools in areas not easily accessible other than by using private vehicles.

“The government must urgently consider making teachers a priority group for access to locally available petrol and diesel fuel supplies.”

The government has faced calls to prioritise access to fuel for healthcare staff and other essential workers.

But head teachers’ union NAHT warned that prioritising essential workers for fuel could cause “more chaos” on the forecourt as it would be “impossible to enforce.”

General secretary Paul Whiteman said: “The only real answer is for the government to do everything in its power to get fuel to pumps and bring this situation to an end.”

He warned that if shortages continue, it is possible that children and teachers will be unable to get to school.

Head teachers are hoping that they will not be forced to revert back to online lessons as a result of shortages, school leaders’ union ASCL said on Monday.

General secretary Geoff Barton said: “There is the option for remote education, which schools and colleges have shown themselves to be very adept at providing through the pandemic, but this is very much a last resort and they will be hoping it doesn’t come to that.”