No penalties for parentswho don’t send their children back to school

EXCLUSIVE

PARENTS WILL not be penalised if they choose to not send their children back to school next month, said the leader of the borough council.

Cllr John Halsall told

Wokingham.Today that the approach to primary school children returning in June would be flexible to each school.

He said: “They don’t have to open by Monday, June 1, they can open from then.

“We have a huge number of schools full of super teachers and boards of governors who are capable of making their decisions and we will support them in that.

“Whatever they decide to do, parents can decide if they want their children there.

“Wewill not be penalising any parents for not sending their child to school.

“And it’s too early to tell whomay open and howthey may open.”

Cllr Halsall explained he expects extended periods of homeschooling to affect education levels in children come September.

“We trust that this is in headteachers’ and governors’ minds,” he said.

“Over the past months, there has been a huge programme of home learning and support. It is inevitable that the mishmash of arrangements will be different from in class. And there will be differences come September.

“But it’s not for me to make a judgment on how that will be done.”

At the moment, there is no clear suggestion of how secondary schools will open later this year.

“Until we have a universally applied vaccine, we will have these concerns to deal with on a constant basis,” said Cllr Halsall. “There may not be a vaccine ever, in which case we will adopt different processes.

“Cambridge has abandoned traditional methods of learning for a year, and in a large number of schools, a permanent regime of social distancing may be required.

“The hope is that there will be a vaccine.

“But if autumn comes and we are still questioning arrangements, we may have to make them semipermanent or permanent.

“There are a huge number of fundamental questions if this situation is permanent.

“I think we will overcome it, we are very lucky. People are sensible, adaptable and self-sufficient. And they have an ability to use creativity for problemsolving.

“Think about Zoom, we’re doing things that would have been unthinkable three months ago — inconceivable.

“We will come out of this better and more resilient.”