Nine education organisations have joined together to issue a
statement on the wider opening of schools and colleges in
England. This statement is issued ahead of the Prime Minister’s
expected announcement on Monday. The signatories are the
Association of School and College Leaders (ASCL), GMB, National
Association of Head Teachers (NAHT), NASUWT, National Education
Union (NEU), National Governance Association (NGA), Sixth Form
Colleges Association (SFCA), Unison, and Unite.
STATEMENT
We are committed to bringing all children and young people back
into the classroom as soon as possible. However, it is
counterproductive if there is a danger of causing another surge
in the virus, and the potential for a further period of lockdown.
Wider opening must be safe and sustainable.
We therefore urge the Prime Minister to commit to 8 March only if
the scientific evidence is absolutely clear that this is safe,
and at that point go no further than a phased return of children
and young people with sufficient time to assess the impact before
moving to the next phase.
We are increasingly concerned that the government is minded to
order a full return of all pupils on Monday 8 March in England.
This would seem a reckless course of action. It could trigger
another spike in Covid infections, prolong the disruption of
education, and risk throwing away the hard-won progress made in
suppressing the virus over the course of the latest lockdown.
The science around the role that schools play in the overall rate
of transmission is uncertain. Scientists have expressed different
views on this point. What we do know is that the full reopening
of schools will bring nearly 10 million pupils and staff into
circulation in England – close to one fifth of the population.
This is not a small easing of lockdown restrictions. It is a
massive step.
These factors necessitate a cautious approach with wider school
and college opening phased over a period of time. This is the
approach being taken in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. It
allows public health experts to assess the impact of the first
phase before moving to the next.
None of this is intended to stand in the way of the full
reopening of schools and colleges. On the contrary. It is
intended as a prudent way forward to ensure that once they are
fully open, they stay open.
