School may teach most of its pupils in classes after key worker claims

A LEEDS school is being asked to stay open to teach more than twothirds of its pupils, as most parents claimed to be key workers.

The majority of parents have been told by the Government to keep their children at home.

Only pupils whose parents are classed as critical workers or vulnerable children are entitled to face- to- face learning in school under the new lockdown rules.

The Government says all other children should be educated remotely from home.

But local councillors have been told that teachers are being asked to take on far more children than they were catering for during the first lockdown last year, when the same rules applied.

A scrutiny meeting yesterday was told around 70 per cent of parents connected with one school had claimed to be key workers and requested their child be allowed to continue attending in person.

There are concerns that schools would struggle to juggle social distancing requirements accommodating that many pupils on the premises, as well as dealing with remote teaching.

Jonathan Pryor, Leeds City Council’s executive member for learning, suggested a lack of clarity from the Government was partly to blame.

He said: “During the first lockdown, the numbers ( of children going into school) were very small and staff could be worked on a rota basis.

“A huge number of workers were on furlough and therefore they kept their children at home.

“Now a lot of businesses are getting people back to work and they’re reluctant to furlough people again.

“Some of the messages coming from the Government about whether or not you should be going to work or not are open to interpretation, because it’s ‘ Work from home if you can’.

“A lot of businesses are making people still go to work which means a lot more children are being pushed into school.

Mr Pryor added: “So this isn’t the same situation that we had last March.”

Saleem Tariq, the council’s director for children and families, suggested lockdown fatigue could also be a factor behind the numbers.