‘Mixed’ picture over children’s return to schools across region
A TENTATIVE reopening of schools has seen some children returning to the classroom but in fewer numbers than initially suggested and with a “mixed” picture across the nation.
Settings had been told to open yesterday to pupils in Reception, Year 1 and Year 6 in England, but the guidance was met with wide concerns over safety from teaching unions. The majority of education authorities across Yorkshire had agreed to back headteachers’ discretion, with some since advising against following Government guidance.
Now, in the wake of the backlash, there are suggestions that many parents are still cautiously keeping children at home even as most settings widen their intake in some form.
“Parents who’ve sent their children back to school today are expressing a fair amount of trepidation,” said Justine Roberts, founder of parenting site Mumsnet. “There seem to have been plenty of tears – from children and from parents – at school gates this morning, and many of our users
Justine Roberts, Mumsnet founder. are saying they’re prepared to withdraw their children again if they judge it necessary.
“We’re also seeing plenty who say they won’t send their children back at all until they are more confident that it’s safe.”
Schools, since closing to the majority of pupils in March, have remained open to the children of key workers and vulnerable children throughout.
Dozens of England’s authorities, primarily in the North, have advised against reopening until Test and Trace programmes are ‘robust’, with Sheffield City Council among those signalling a fortnight’s delay and Calderdale Council warning it is “too early”. Surveys suggest heads are this week expecting around half of families to keep pupils at home.
Geoff Barton, general secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders (ASCL), said the expected level of pupil attendance was “highly variable”, with heads reporting between 40 and 70 per cent of places to be used.
“Caution is the watchword, and everybody is approaching this task with the safety of pupils and staff as their absolute priority,” he said.
In Leeds, one primary school headteacher warned that parent confidence “is not there”.
Chris Dyson, headteacher of Parklands Primary School, had planned on phased opening over the course of a month but in Year 1 yesterday, out of 60 parents, none had wanted to send their children back to school. And, having hoped to open to Year 6 yesterday, he said he had been forced to push back a week due to delays in getting personal protective equipment (PPE) for staff.
“Parents across the country are using their common sense, they are voting by keeping them at home,” Mr Dyson said. “The confidence is not there.”
The headteacher has sourced some PPE for his team, but has told vulnerable members of staff to stay at home until September.
“I couldn’t have it on my conscience if it got passed around,” he added.
Parents are expressing a fair amount of trepidation.