Question by (Wansbeck):
If he will implement the National Education Union's education
recovery plan.
Rt Hon MP, Minister of State (Education) (Bognor Regis and
Littlehampton, Conservative) [00:00:23] Our priority is ensuring
that no child is left behind as a result of the pandemic. And
that's why we have prioritised the return of children to school
and where we are providing a package of £700 million to support
children, young people who need it most to catch up on lost
education on top of the £1 billion package launched last June. We
are committed to continuing to work with school leaders and
unions, including the NEU, to develop our longer-term plans.
: Time and time again the government have ignored the
signs: closing schools too late and opening schools too early.
Many scientists are warning that the government's measures for
schools aren't strong enough on their own to protect pupils and
staff against the risks of airborne transmission. SAGE
recommended a phased return. Scotland, Wales and Ireland have
listened. With this government forging ahead regardless, so much
more must be done to tackle the critical issues of PPE and
adequate ventilation in classrooms and vaccination. We really
need to protect our key workers, Has the minister got a grip on
this?
Rt Hon MP: Every step of the way we follow the science, we are
focussed on ensuring that we do everything we can to keep Covid
out of the classroom and to minimise the risk of transmission.
And that's why schools are going to enormous lengths to increase
hygiene, ensuring pupils wash their hands frequently throughout
the day, why there are bubbles so pupils don't mix unnecessarily,
there's increased ventilation, there are one-way systems, there
are staggered lunch and break times, there are facemasks in
secondary schools. And we are testing all staff twice a week and
all secondary school pupils twice a week But the best place for
pupils, as the Chief Medical Officer has said, is in school. It's
best for their well-being and it's best for their education.
