Disadvantaged children 'worst affected' as government drops plan to reopen schools
Fiona Simpson
Tuesday, June 9, 2020
Government plans to reopen schools in England to all pupils before the summer holidays have been thrown into disarray highlighting concerns over the impact of extended closures on the most disadvantaged children.
Education Secretary Gavin Williamson said in a statement to the House of Commons that primary schools will no longer be expected to open to all pupils before the end of July.
"While we are not able to welcome all primary chuldren back for a full month before the summer, we continue to work with the sector on the next steps," Williamson said.
"We'd like to see schools who have the capacity bring back more children in those smaller class sizes (maximum 15 pupils) if they are able to do before the summer holidays.
"We will be working to bring all children back to school in September," he added.
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The U-turn on plans due to concerns over increasing the spread of Covid-19 has drawn criticism from sector leaders who believe it will damage the education of the country’s most disadvantaged children.
Children’s commissioner for England Anne Longfield said extending closures will mean children “will have missed out on the best part of six months of formal education”.
This will affect disadvantaged children “much more significantly”, she added.
“Previous research has suggested that up to two thirds of the gap between economically disadvantaged children and their more affluent peers is accounted for by the six-week summer holidays. This is a period when no children are undertaking formal education, but where gaps still emerge in children’s skills and abilities,” Longfield said, calling on the government to announce plans for a summer scheme to help bridge the attainment gap.
A recent report by the Education Endowment Foundation suggests school closures could reverse progress made to close the attainment gap between poorer and wealthier students back to levels seen in 2011.
Projections by the foundation suggest that the gap could widen by 36 per cent, however this could increase by as much as 75 per cent in the most disadvantaged areas, the research warns.
The foundation echoed Longfield’s calls for the government to introduce extra catch-up provision, including assessment of lost learning and targeted support, to help reduce the effect of closures.
However, it adds that “it is unlikely that a single catch-up strategy will be sufficient to compensate for lost learning due to school closures. There is a risk that high levels of absence after schools formally reopen poses a particular risk for disadvantaged pupils.”
Conservative MP Robert Halfon, chair of the education select committee, has called for a national strategy to “get schools open as soon as possible”.
“There could be an epidemic of educational poverty, a growing digital divide and a safeguarding crisis,” he warned highlighting the impact of closures on vulnerable children’s mental health and increased risk from online abuse and county lines drugs gangs.
Teaching unions have lobbied the government for the past month over “impossible” plans to reopen schools, however, they have also said more needs to be done to support disadvantaged children.
Dr Mary Bousted, joint general secretary of the National Education Union (NEU), said: “The consequences of Covid-19 are going to be felt in our education system for months to come. What is needed, now, is a national plan for education, along the lines being developed by the Scottish government.
“This should cover all possible scenarios and focus on blended learning, at home and at school; greatly increased support for disadvantaged children, including free internet access so that they can access online teaching and learning, and the requisitioning of local public spaces, such as community centres and libraries, so that pressure on school space is lessened and more children are able to return to school in safe environments.”
Dr Patrick Roach, general secretary of the NASUWT - the teachers’ union, added: “Whilst the NASUWT welcomes the government’s belated decision to step back from its plans to open schools to even more pupils before the end of this academic year, we are also urging the government to act swiftly to address the concerns of teachers and headteachers struggling to maintain safe working practices in schools where provision for children has already been extended.
“The government must also make clear to schools that they should revisit their plans and take all appropriate steps to protect the welfare of staff and pupils even if that means pausing planned reopening or closing wider provision in the interests of safety and public health.”
Last month, Prime Minister Boris Johnson advised nurseries to reopen from 1 June along with primary schools to Reception pupils and those in Years one and six with more pupils set to be welcomed back for four weeks before the summer break.
Secondary schools are expected to reopen to pupils in Year 10 on 15 June with just a quarter of a year group attending at any one time.
Schools in Scotland will begin to return from 11 August with some home learning still in place, First Minister Nicola Sturgeon has announced.
Schools in Wales will reopen from 29 June to all age groups for limited periods during the week
Some Northern Irish pupils preparing for exams and those about to move to post-primary schools will go back in late August, with a phased return for the rest in September.
