Not just the kids needing lessons

■ CAN we trust bungling Boris Johnson and his terrible Tory government to get the reopening of schools right?

Every decision they have taken on the Covid-19 pandemic has been disastrous, taking us into lockdown way too late and leaving the borders open, as well as the PPE crisis, and the care home scandal which led to the deaths of more than 20,000 elderly residents.

And let’s not forget Dominic Cummings’ lockdown trip to Durham, and the exams fiasco which has led to some students not getting the university places they had worked hard for while Gavin Williamson waited a week to make his U-turn.

Staggering. Johnson, Hancock and Williamson are all incompetent and arrogant – a lethal cocktail which has been devastating for Britain.

It doesn’t inspire confidence that they are charged with getting the schools open again.

David Bodimeade, Rayleigh, Essex

■ Isn’t it rather ironic that Boris Johnson chose to take a family holiday just as the proverbial was about to hit the fan over the exam grades’ fiasco, but is readily available to try to coerce parents into sending their children back to school just as the infection rate starts to rise in some places in England? The chance of children falling seriously ill from Covid-19 may be small, but with the virus mutating rapidly this might change. Children can also take the virus home and pass it on to potentially vulnerable family members.

This is a risky time and the Government needs to get it right. A Smith, March, Cambs

■ It is time to get our children back to classes as they are at risk of falling behind in their studies and damaging their future life chances.

This is especially true of children from poorer backgrounds.

That said, the Government must provide schools with all the necessary guidelines, including contingency plans, particularly in those parts that have high infection rates.

Parents need to feel confident that every possible measure is in place to keep their children safe. Andrew Thompson, Derby

■ The behaviour of this government is characterised by callous incompetence, lack of foresight, inaccurate information and clichéridden statements about “following the science”.

Now they are putting more lives at risk with their mixed messages.

Johnson has taken holidays during crises because apparently he doesn’t give a fig about anybody but himself.

Cummings broke lockdown rules, and now this talk of parents having to show “moral imperative” by sending their kids back to school. What hypocrisy.

R Kimble, Leeds

■ Are parents really that worried about their children returning to school in September? If so, why do I see groups of children playing together on our estate without social distancing?

What’s more, who is going to check that people returning from countries on the quarantine list self-isolate? Unless all necessary steps are taken, I’m sure we will have the predicted second wave. C Ash, Farnborough, Hants

■ The Government cares less about children’s education than it does about getting their parents back to work. As long as their children get a good education and go on to become the new captains of industry, little else matters.

Chris Unwin, Ulverston, Cumbria