(Salford and Eccles)
(Lab):...He must understand that faith that children and staff are
safe will be necessary to parents having the confidence to send
their children to school, but nearly 1 million pupils in English
schools are in classes of 31 or more—an increase of 28% since
2010—so there is understandable concern that social distancing will
be difficult in schools. Everyone wants a return to vital education
to support pupils and to stop the ever-widening attainment gap, but
does the Secretary of State agree that first we need a national
plan for social distancing and personal protective equipment,
evidence of a sustained downward trend in cases, comprehensive
access to testing for staff and pupils, a whole-school strategy for
when cases emerge, and protection for the vulnerable? In the words
of the National Education Union:
“Anything else will be a dereliction of duty from government”.
The Secretary of State for Education (): I think the hon. Lady would very much appreciate
the fact that I take my responsibilities for the safety and the
health of children who attend school as the absolute principal
motivation for everything I do, as is the case for those who work
in schools. I always welcome constructive dialogue with her,
which is why we have made every effort to do so, about how best
we can support children to be in schools. Let us not forget that
the overwhelming majority of schools—over three quarters of
them—are currently operating in a safe, considered and proper
way, supporting the children of critical workers as well as those
children who are most vulnerable in society. Every step we take
is about making sure that we look after those who are the most
important part of our society, and that is our children, but also
about supporting those who work in educational settings.
