Paul Whiteman, general secretary of school leaders’ union NAHT,
said: “The Prime Minister has stated today that the earliest the
government believes it will be safe for the country to admit more
pupils back to school will be 8th March.
“As the PM says, it has been a challenge for families to juggle
employment and home-learning. School leaders want to see pupils
back in class as soon as it is safe to do so.
“What is clear from the Prime Minister’s statement is that there
are too many unknowns, such as the effectiveness of the vaccine
and the pace at which infections are falling, to put the 8th
March date firmly in the diary yet.
“The government now needs to collaborate with school leaders and
their teams to make sure that there is a workable plan for
lifting the lockdown. This includes reviewing all of the safety
measures that schools have been using up to now, to make sure
they are still effective.
“The government will also have to put effort into reassuring
families that it is safe to send their children back to school –
there is a confidence test the government must pass to make the
return a success.
“It is also important that the teaching workforce is prioritised
for vaccinations. This would give confidence as well as providing
a better chance that once lockdown measures are lifted,
children’s education is less likely to continue to be disrupted
by staff absence and illness.”
