Schools must reopen for sake of children, says Williamson

SCHOOL is the safest place for children from difficult or unhappy homes, the Education Secretary said, as he urged teachers to return to the classroom.

Lockdown has meant many children have not played with or even spoken to another child of their own age for two months, Gavin Williamson added.

He said reopening schools was vital to ensure that the poorest and most disadvantaged pupils did not fall behind.

Teachers’ unions, backed by the

British Medical Association, have expressed concern about the phased reopening from June 1, which will begin with the return of children in Reception and Years 1 and 6.

Speaking at the Government’s daily briefing, Mr Williamson thanked teachers for working through lockdown to look after vulnerable children and those with key worker parents.

He said: “There are some who would like to delay the wider opening of schools. But there are consequences to this. The longer that schools are closed, the longer that children miss out. Teachers know this. Teachers know that there are children out there who have not spoken to or played with another child their own age for the past two months.

“They know there are children from very difficult or unhappy homes for whom school is the happiest moment in their week. And it’s also the safest place for them to be. The poorest children, the most disadvantaged children who do not always have the support they need at home, will be the ones that fall furthest behind if we keep school gates closed. They are the ones who will miss out on the opportunities and chances in life that we want all children to benefit from.”

The Royal College of Psychiatrists said a return to school was vital for children suffering from abuse at home.

Dr Bernadka Dubicka, the chairman of child and adolescent mental health for the college, told The Sunday Tele

graph: “There are some very vulnerable children and young people who are

living in difficult, and potentially unsafe, home circumstances where a return to school may be a lifeline.”

A second local council, Hartlepool, yesterday joined Liverpool in defying Government guidance by saying it would not reopen its schools on June 1.

Mr Williamson attempted to reassure parents worried about sending children back to school, saying there would be rigorous hygiene processes in place. The smaller class sizes of 15 would be a “protective bubble” he likened to “a family within a classroom”, reducing the risk of transmission.

Dr Jenny Harries, the deputy chief medical officer for England, said the current evidence was that children had the same level of infection as adults, but “they definitely don’t get as ill”, and “there may be some evidence that they are less likely to pass it on”. She added: “We’re trying to reduce the number of social interactions in a balanced way.”

Last night, Dr Alasdair Munro, a clinical research fellow in paediatric infectious diseases, contradicted a letter written by BMA chief Dr Chaand Nagpaul to the National Education Union supporting their stance against reopening schools.

He said Dr Nagpaul had made “clear errors of interpretation” when quoting a Berlin study which apparently suggested that children are just as likely to be as infected as adults, reported.