Plan to open schools in England confirmed

THE Prime Minister attempted to distract from the growing crisis relating to Dominic Cummings by reaffirming plans to reopen schools in England as part of his briefing.

In Wales, the education minister Kirsty Williams has unveiled the framework under which a decision about reopening schools will be made, but no date has yet been announced.

During this press briefing, Mr Johnson – who made no mention of the fact that his stated reopening date of June 1 only relates to England – said the phased reopening of schools was “crucial” for children.

He said: “The education of children is crucial for their welfare, for their long-term future and for social justice,” he said.

“In line with the approach being taken in many other countries, we want to start getting our children back into the classroom in a way that is as manageable and as safe as possible.

“We said we would begin with early years’ settings and reception, Year One, and Year Six in primary schools.”

He added: “Today, I can announce it is our intention to go ahead with that as planned on June 1, a week on Monday.

“We then intend from June 15 for secondary schools to provide some contact for Year 10 and Year 12 students to help them to prepare for exams next year, with up to a quarter of these students in at any point.

“By opening schools to more pupils in this limited way we are taking a deliberately cautious approach and this comes after a constructive period of consultation with school teachers and unions.”

He added: “The Department for Education will engage with teaching unions, local authorities and school leaders in the coming days giving them an opportunity to ask questions and probe the evidence behind our plans.

“The final decision will be taken as part of the formal review into lockdown measures which the law requires us to undertake by Thursday.”

“I think it is important for the Government to be clear now so that teachers and parents can plan in earnest for schools to reopen a week on Monday.”

Some schools in England have said they will not be able to open on June 1 because of the challenges involved in putting in place necessary social distancing measures.

Addressing that point, Mr Johnson said: “I acknowledge that the June 1 opening may not be possible for all schools but the Government will continue to support and work with the sector so that any schools experiencing difficulties are able to open more widely as soon as possible.”

Geoff Barton, general secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders, welcomed the Prime Minister’s recognition that it will not be possible for all primary schools in England to open to more pupils from June 1.

“The reality is that many schools will need to phase back eligible pupils over a period of time, and there will be a great deal of variability across the country according to context,” he said.

“We also welcome the decision to push back bringing in Year 10 and 12 students to June 15 and the clarification about the maximum number of students at any one time.”

He added: “However, we have to say that the Government has not done a good job in building confidence in its plans.

“It has not communicated the rationale for its chosen approach well, and it left primary schools with little time to plan and implement safety protocols.”