Primary pupils may not all return before September

NOT all primary schoolchildren are likely to be back at school before September, a minister has said.

Nick Gibb, the schools minister, admitted it was “difficult to say” if all children between four and 11 would be able to return to the classroom before the summer holidays. He said he did not know “for certain” that schools would open at all until the latest data on transmissions was published today.

Speaking to MPS at the education select committee, he said: “We don’t know until we see more evidence of the R effect continuing to reduce.”

Earlier in May, the Prime Minister said schools should prepare for pupils in Reception, Year 1 and Year 6 to return from June 1, with the “ambition” that the remainder would be back in the classroom by the end of the month.

The announcement was met with staunch opposition from teaching unions and dozens of local councils, claiming it was unsafe to reopen.

More than 50 councils said they were against starting on June 1 and would either allow heads to make their own arrangements or advise them not to open. The UK’S largest teaching union, the National Education Union, told its members not to engage with plans to reopen schools.

Robert Halfon MP, chairman of the education select committee, asked what the Government was doing about councils at “loggerheads” over reopening. He said: “I am confident the vast majority of local authorities are planning to open for Reception, Year 1 and Year 6 on June 1, and for young people in Year 10 and Year 12 to come back for part of the time for face-to-face teaching.

Last night the Prime Minister said while he “would like to” reopen schools before the summer holidays, the decision was dependent upon the R rate.