Why my kids have gone back to school

Afew weeks back I wrote in this column about why I wasn’t sending my five-year-old son back to school. This week he went back to his reception class and his eight-year-old sister went back too.

So why the change of heart?

Well home schooling has certainly taught me and Mrs T a lesson... and that’s we’re not teachers.

But that’s not the reason, and neither is it because the Government is telling us it’s safe to do so.

After their shambolic and inept handling of the pandemic crisis, I wouldn’t trust this Government to run a bath let alone the country.

We might have one of the worse coronavirus death rates in the world but at least our Prime Minister can do a few press-ups.

As parents we have tried to read up and analyse as much scientific and expert advice and opinion as we can. We have tried to balance the threat the virus poses to our family’s health against the mental health and emotional well being of our children.

And at this point we believe the benefits of a return to school outweigh the risks.

Surprisingly, perhaps, the actual education they will receive/miss out on was not a major factor in reaching our decision.

Although, I must say, we have also been impressed by the leadership and care shown by our children’s school which has increased our confidence of the new normal classroom.

It’s these factors that have convinced us - not the glib proclamations of politicians, some of whom should be ashamed of themselves for their attempts to pressurise parents into a return to school for their children.

It’s fine for the politicians to say they believe it is safe to go back to the classroom , it is despicable of them to say it is safe.

They simply do not know that is the case.

And if it is safe for the kids, the staff and the wider community, why have the schools in Leicester just been shut down again?