‘Shut schools earlier to save Christmas’
ONLINE SURVEY REVEALS PARENTS WANT CHOICE
HULL parents want to see the city’s schools close early for Christmas, according to a Hull Live survey.
More than 2,600 people took part in the survey to share their views on how coronavirus can be controlled in the region’s schools.
Asked what should happen in schools during the Covid surge, 76 per cent of parents said they would like schools close early and have an extended Christmas break, with just 15 per cent saying the schools should be left open as they are.
A further nine per cent said they wanted schools to implement a rota system instead, similar to what has already been introduced at Wolfreton School and Sixth Form College.
Despite education remaining a priority for Government, some schools are already considering closing early.
The headteacher at Headlands School in Bridlington has asked parents to vote on closing for the year on Thursday, December 10.
She explained a bubble closure after Thursday, December 10 would see pupils and staff having to self isolate on Christmas Day - while restrictions to see family are lifted.
To date, more than 165 schools across Hull and the East Riding have reported at least one coronavirus case, with fears the city’s education system “will collapse” increasing day by day.
There are currently around one in four pupils absent in Hull due to a rapid rise in cases, with school attendance down to just 65 per cent.
The virus has already entirely closed eight primary schools in our region.
These include Adelaide Primary School in Walker Street, west Hull, Ganton School in east Hull, Stepney Primary School in north Hull, Frances Askew Primary School, Beverley St Nicholas Primary School, Hornsea Burton Primary School, Riverside Primary School in Goole and Mount Pleasant Primary School in Market Weighton - as well as two east Hull secondary schools - The Aspire Academy and The Marvel College.
In the same survey, parents voted for the right to be able to decide whether they send their children to school or not during the pandemic, without facing fines and court action. In total, 86 per cent of parents voted for the right to choose, while being exempt from fines, while 14 per cent said attendance should not be optional, with parents fined for non-attendance.
It comes after parents who took their children out of school over coronavirus fears told Hull Live they have been threatened with fines and court action.
Jennie Oneill was threatened with court action after removing her 12-year-old daughter from
Kingswood Academy and Laura Ogbuehi said she was made to feel like a bad parent for taking her daughter out of school over coronavirus worries.
In the survey, parents also said they are most concerned about their child catching coronavirus in school and bringing it home.
In total, 56 per cent of parents said this was a real worry, while 26 per cent said they worried about their child catching it, while 18 per cent of parents said they have no concerns.