Don’t our children matter?

ANGER AT DIFFERENT RULES FOR SCHOOLS IN LONDON

PARENTS and teachers in Greater Manchester have spoken of their anger at the government’s decision to only close primary schools in London and the South East – despite soaring coronavirus cases.

Education secretary Gavin Williamson confirmed he was triggering the ‘contingency framework’ that will see all secondary schools have an extra week’s holiday.

Face-to-face teaching for exam year groups will resume from 11 January and all students will return on 18 January, although the decision will be reviewed over the coming weeks.

Mr Williamson also told the House of Commons the reopening of primary schools would be pushed back in ‘a small number’ of Tier 4 areas with the highest infection rates.

However, when the full list of closures was later published on the government’s website, it includes 50 areas covering around one million pupils.

All are in London or in surrounding counties.

Greater Manchester was among dozens of regions moved into Tier 4, the highest level of restrictions, but is not on the list of areas where primaries must stay closed.

The government’s advice for Tier 4 is to ‘stay at home’ and that no one should go outside without a ‘reasonable excuse.’

The infection rate for Greater Manchester stands at 200 coronavirus cases per 100,000 people.

That is well below the national average of 396 but rates are rising fast in some areas including Trafford, Stockport, Wigan and Tameside.

The infection rate for London was 814 cases per 100,00 people on Tuesday.

Mr Williamson said the majority of new cases in London and the South East have been identified as the new strain, but added: “Evidence shows the new strain of Covid-19 is increasing in the south west, midlands and parts of the north west.”

Many M.E.N. readers have questioned the government’s decision -making on schools.

When we asked on our Facebook page if it was the right decision for our primary schools to be reopening on January 4, Tabatha Coleman said: “Oh, absolutely the right decision as small children are fantastic with hygiene and social distancing!

“I despair of the government and their complete lack of knowledge where schools are concerned.”

Jo Worgan wrote: “Are you joking? We’re in Tier 4, a lot of people back on shielding and they think it’s right for kids to go back to school?

“I think its disgusting that these poor children are being put at risk, and with the new strain as well.

“What are the government even thinking of when people are being told to stay off work as well?”

And Stuart Barrington wrote: “Ridiculous – schools should only open when the tier drops, there’s less people in a pub than a school so why close pubs yet have a school open?

“They say ‘they’re in a bubble in school’ – yes, then school finishes and they all mix on the bus going home.” Rita Cox added: “Absolutely not with nearly 1,000 daily deaths.

“The doctors and nurses under so much strain, pleading for everyone to stay at home. Kids are super spreaders. Is my child less important?”

Elsewhere on social media, some accused the government of giving preferential treatment to schools in London and the south east.

In November, the Mayor Andy Burnham joined teaching unions in calling for schools to close in a bid to get Greater Manchester’s spiking infection rate under control.

Responding to rising covid cases across the country, the government brought in a national lockdown, but faced some criticism for allowing schools to remain open.

Lisa Jordan was among those to vent at the perceived change of tactic by the government.

“Close primary schools in London and yet primary schools in Manchester open as normal on January 4 even though we are in Tier 4 too? Is my child less important,” she wrote on Twitter.

Paul Breen added: “London, the south east and Manchester are all in Tier 4 yet it’s only Manchester primary schools still going back on January 4 – why are Manchester primary kids different from London’s?”

The government says current evidence suggests that transmission of coronavirus is ‘limited between young children’ and that the decision to close primary schools ‘will be based on higher thresholds than for secondary schools and colleges and will only be taken as a last resort.’

Evidence on whether children contribute to the spread of coronavirus remains inconclusive.

One study published by The Lancet last month suggested there were few cases or outbreaks of Covid-19 linked to UK schools when they reopened in the summer.

However, the authors were cautious about the data, pointing out that this study took place before much higher numbers of children returned in September, particularly in secondary education.

All political and school leaders have agreed that keeping children in school is important for their wellbeing.