PARENTS TO GIVE THEIR CHILDREN COVID TESTS
PARENTS will be encouraged to test their children for Covid at home in a bid to speed up the reopening of schools.
Education secretary Gavin Williamson said the government is looking at a system for tests to be administered by parents rather than primary school staff.
He also promised that mass testing for primary school teachers and support staff will be rolled out by next week.
Questioned by MPs, Mr Williamson was unable to say whether schools were likely to properly reopen after the February half-term holiday.
But he did suggest GCSE and A-level students in England could be asked to sit ‘mini exams’ – externally-set papers to help teachers with their assessments after full exams were cancelled.
Mr Williamson insisted it was ‘not appropriate or right’ to ask staff to administer tests on pupils.
He told the Commons education committee: ‘What we have been looking at is having a system where the tests are carried out by the parents on their child and that would have to take place in the home.
‘Testing is a really important part of bringing people back into school. It’s an important part of fighting Covid right across the community.’
The Department for Education will pilot the approach before rolling it out more widely, MPs were told.
Mass testing for primary school workers will begin on Monday, Mr Williamson said. He promised a £78million support package to help schools and staff to carry out the tests at home.
Meanwhile, Mr Williamson insisted he had ‘no intention’ of closing nurseries, despite schools only being open to the children of key workers and those unable to study at home. But he admitted there were ‘contingency’ plans to keep schools closed beyond mid-February.