Whistle blown on bid to open junior schools
PLANS for primary schools to reopen fully before the summer have been abandoned, Gavin Williamson confirmed yesterday.
The Education Secretary said only some pupils will be welcomed back if there is enough space to do so safely but hoped all would return by September.
The climbdown comes amid pressure from unions and headteachers’ leaders who warned the Government’s original plan was impractical – and concerns last night that schools might not be fully open until next year.
Mr Williamson stressed that the science shows it is safe for children to return and he expected more back in coming weeks.
Phased
But he said the Government has accepted that schools will not have the room for all pupils and will show “flexibility” to heads to act as they feel best.
He told MPs: “We continue to follow the best scientific advice and believe that this cautious, phased return is the most sensible course of action to take.
“While we are not able to welcome all primary children back for a full month before the summer we continue to work with the sector on the next steps where we would like to see schools who have the capacity to bring back more children in those smaller class sizes.”
He added: “I know students who are due to take exams in 2021 will have experienced considerable disruption to their education this year and we are committed to doing all we can to minimise the effects of this.”
Those in Reception, Year One and Year Six were allowed back on June 1 but only 52 per cent of primaries were open by June 4 and just 659,000 children back in the classroom – seven per cent of all who attend school.
The next step will see some Year 10 and 12 students allowed to meet with teachers from June 15 as they prepare for an exam year.
Anxious parents and teachers have warned a generation could be damaged by the delayed return to normal learning.
The Children’s Commissioner for England, Anne Longfield, stressed that “the education divide is broadening” and “almost a decade of catching up on that education gap may well be lost”.
Robert Halfon, chair of the education select committee, said: “I think we’re a strange country in which we turn a blind eye to mass demonstrations all over in every city, we campaign for pubs and cafes to open and yet we say to open schools before September is too risky.”
Amid head teachers’ warnings, a local government education source added: “Some councils are working on the basis that schools won’t have the classroom infrastructure in place for all pupils to come back in September or even in this calendar year.”