I hope all primary schools can reopen says council chief

KIRKLEES Council’s leader has said he hopes all the borough’s primary schools open this week amid a growing national row about the safety of teachers.

The Government has been under pressure to order all primary schools to close for two weeks – with some unions claiming it is not safe for staff to return back to work as the new strain of Covid19 spreads rapidly.

On Friday, Education Secretary Gavin Williamson confirmed all of London’s primary schools would remain shut to most students, rather than just those in certain boroughs as set out earlier in the week.

Primary schools in the capital and some surrounding areas are not due to reopen until January 18, but elsewhere students were expected to return to classrooms today.

Plans to stagger the return of secondary schools across the country were revealed last month. But over the weekend a new push to get all schools closed has been made by the four major unions. They have threatened legal action and advised teachers they can refuse to work if they believe it is unsafe. Yesterday, the leader of Kirklees Council, Clr Shabir Pandor, said he hoped all primary age children would get the chance to get back in the classroom.

While some councils have advised schools to move to remote learning, Clr Pandor said it was not within their remit.

He said: “It’s not within our power as a local authority to issue directions to schools to stay open or close. However, our position remains as it always has been. We want schools to open to children and young people if possible as we believe it is the safest place for them and in the best interests of their learning. Our (Covid) figures are low, unlike some areas, and we need to ensure we keep it that way to enable as many schools to carry on, with a view to ensuring all the young citizens get the best education we can provide in the backdrop of this pandemic.

“This is my priority and it will be as we go into the new year.

“There will, no doubt, be reasons why some schools may have to partially or fully close due to staffing levels or other issues and have phased approach to reopening – and that’s been something we’ve faced throughout the pandemic.

“We will continue to work with our schools to make sure they are as Covid19-secure as possible and if there are any closures, children will be supported to learn remotely.

“Our priority is of course safety, and we are constantly reviewing our position in line with the Government guidance. In Kirklees we’re in a stronger position than many currently in terms of our Covid-19 rates but we know how quickly that can change so we must remain vigilant at all times.

“I’d like to thank all of our teachers and school staff for your support and for the incredible efforts that you are going to in such difficult times.”

Kirklees Council’s Green leader, Clr Andrew Cooper, called for all schools to remain closed. He said: “It is incredibly irresponsible to reopen schools when we are seeing a surge in hospitalisations linked to the new strand of coronavirus and many parts of the NHS are struggling to cope. Kirklees and West Yorkshire have only just got infections under control and the last thing we need to see is a new surge that will overwhelm our health service.

“The National Education Union is absolutely right by advising primary school staff it is unsafe to head to classrooms on Monday and the government needs to listen. We must also use this opportunity to ensure that all pupils are supported to get the equipment they need for effective digital learning.”

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