SOAP WATCH

EMMERDALE ITV, 7pm

Giddy with excitement over the wedding, Mandy asks Lydia to be her bridesmaid. But Lydia feels uneasy about it, admitting that she worries that none of the problems Mandy had with Paul, inset below, have gone away. Meanwhile,

Paul is busy out grabbing some bubbly to celebrate, but also looks like he has things on his mind.

Elsewhere, Cain is unimpressed to run into Faith, fresh from her night’s stay in the hearse.

And Al is lording it over everyone because of his business award.

THE announcement of the lockdown road map is welcome.

It has been stressed that we must still be cautious in the mixing of households.

There is one major flaw and that is with the schools’ return.

Rather than it being a gradual return, all children will be back on March 8. Before the lockdown schools had the highest rates of virus transmission. Public

Health reports that 24% of Covid-linked cases were within education settings.

The vaccination programme has been going well. Surely, however, we should have expected school staff to have been amongst the first being vaccinated? Many have worked throughout the pandemic teaching children of key workers.

Teachers, often putting in up to 60 hours a week are now expected to do so much more – running testing centres in schools, extra teaching during holidays plus lengthened days all with no extra staffing or building space.

Extra funding will be allocated on how many tests are conducted. Recovery premium is on offer to support disadvantaged pupils. How staff are meant to manage this return is still a mystery to me. I think it’s another case of the government grandstanding without substance or detail.

Cllr Cath Davis, Preston Ward,

North Tyneside Council