Last modified on Sun 3 Jan 2021 23.37 EST
Parents face more disruption and uncertainty as local authorities across the country scramble to delay schools reopening in the face of rising coronavirus infection rates and the UK prime minister, Boris Johnson, admitted that more could be shut in the coming weeks.
On the day before millions of children were set to return to their classrooms, Essex council said it would unilaterally close schools to most pupils until at least Wednesday and Kent county council joined England’s largest education authority in Birmingham in asking the education secretary to allow primaries to stay closed. They said the argument for reopening amid high infection rates “does not stack up”.
School openings could be reviewed in days reveals Folkestone and Hythe MP Damian Collins
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Updated: 20:47, 03 January 2021
A Kent MP has revealed school openings could be reviewed in just days amind ongoing uncertainty.
The prime minister this morning said parents should absolutely send their kids to schools that are open despite opposing advice from local politicians, teaching unions and the government s own Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (SAGE).
Damian Collins
Tonight Folkestone and Hythe MP Damian Collins tweeted that a decision could be made in days into which schools should remain open and his support for this will be depend on the infection rates locally.
The Government is facing increasing pressure from teaching unions to delay the reopening of all schools in England amid fears over the spread of the new strain of Covid-19.
The National Education Union (NEU) said all primary and secondary schools should remain closed for two weeks following the Christmas break, while the NASUWT has written to the Education Secretary calling for an “immediate nationwide move to remote education” for all pupils.
On Friday, Gavin Williamson confirmed that all London primary schools will remain shut next week – rather than just those in certain boroughs as set out earlier in the week.
HUNDREDS of thousands of teachers could refuse to work this week on health and safety grounds unless schools are closed to all but vulnerable children and children of key workers.
The National Education Union (NEU) will inform its members that it is not safe to enter schools before mid-January given the government’s loss of control over the rising tide of Covid-19 infections.
It will advise them to refuse to enter their workplaces under Section 44 of the Health and Safety Act, on the grounds that the government has not taken steps to ensure schools are safe environments for pupils or staff.
More pressure to close Kent primary schools as Brighton and Hove City Council tells teachers to delay reopening
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Updated: 21:02, 02 January 2021
Primary schools in Brighton are set to stay closed next week despite not being on the government danger list - sparking calls for the same approach to be taken in Kent.
Council bosses in the East Sussex city have advised teachers to delay reopening and work remotely until January 18 due to increased rates of Covid-19.
Brighton and Hove councillors say while they want all schools to fully reopen, they need to keep children as safe as possible
In Kent, the government will force schools in Thanet, Dover, Folkestone and Hythe and Canterbury districts to reopen despite schools in every other part of the county remaining closed for the first week of the new term.