Governors call on ministers to drop plans to bring back all primary school children before summer holidays
School governors have called on the government to drop its plans for all primary school children to return to school before the summer holidays, a day before some pupils are due to return.
At the moment, the government’s intention is that all primary school age students will return for the final four weeks of term before the summer holidays.
However, the National Governance Association (NGA) has written to education secretary Gavin Williamson urging the authorities not to go ahead with the plans.
The body said that reviewing the plans would “provide certainty to school leaders, governing boards and parents, and relieve pressure on those having to make the very difficult decisions about how to keep pupils and staff safe”.
Under the government’s plans, pupils in reception and years 1 and 6 are due to return tomorrow, with no more than 15 children per class.
If these rules remain in place, most primary schools simply won’t have enough space to safely accommodate all pupils.
Speaking to the BBC, NGA chief executive Emma Knights said that unless “something dramatic changes” in the government’s medical guidance, it would “simply not be possible” for all pupils to return for a month of education before the summer begins.
“It is adding to uncertainty for parents, but also extra pressure on school leaders and governing boards who think that they need to try and do this when actually it wouldn’t be safe”, she added.
According to the NGA, around three out of four primary school governors believe it will not be possible to bring all pupils back before the holidays.
Williamson is yet to respond to the letter, it is reported.
Many schools have been open through the lockdown period to support the children of essential workers, but plans to bring more pupils back have met with staunch opposition from teaching unions.
Speaking to Sky News this morning, Mary Boursted, general-secretary of the NEU, said that since introducing its plan to reopen schools earlier this month, the government has changed it 41 times.
She accused the government as “making it up as it goes along”.
Conservative party vice-chair Caroline Johnson hit back at the claims, saying that the NEU was “chasing headlines”:
“Throughout this pandemic the Government has engaged closely with the unions, schools and local authorities and that engagement continues.
“Having reviewed the scientific and medical advice from SAGE, all of us want to ensure children can get the education they need whilst ensuring the risk of transmission is very low”, she added.
However, most primary schools are due to reopen tomorrow despite the unions’ position, the Times reported.