School reopening plan generates 'fear' among education leaders

Speaking in a televised address to the nation on Sunday evening (10 May), Johnson said schools in England could open “at the earliest” on 1 June following the May half term holiday.

Schools would begin a phased return starting with Reception, Year 1 and Year 6, he said. 

Prime Minister @BorisJohnson addresses the nation on the next steps on coronavirus: https://t.co/7bdNfHdrKi

— UK Prime Minister (@10DowningStreet) May 10, 2020

“Our ambition is that secondary pupils facing exams next year will get at least some time with their teachers before the holidays. And we will shortly be setting out detailed guidance on how to make it work in schools and shops and on transport,” the Prime Minister added.

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The Department for Education later confirmed that childcare and early years settings would be included in the plan to reopen schools and said further guidance would emerge later today.

DfE said in a tweet: “As confirmed by the Prime Minister, we are asking education and childcare settings to prepare to open for more children from 1 June.

“We will publish further guidance setting out more information for early years, schools and colleges.”

The announcement, which comes despite Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland extending the lockdown for three more weeks, has led to widespread concern among education unions and parents.

Of the 49,000 members of the National Education Union (NEU) who responded to a snap poll an hour after the announcement:

• 85 per cent said they disagreed with plans to restart lessons for reception, year 1 and year 6 from 1 June
• 92 per cent said they would not feel safe with the proposed wider opening of schools
• Of those with school-age children, 89 per cent said they felt it would be unsafe or very unsafe to send their children back to school
• 96 per cent of those working from home because they have a pre-existing medical condition or are pregnant said they felt unsafe or very unsafe returning to work 
• 96 per cent of those with a family member living with them who has a pre-existing medical condition or are pregnant thought it would be unsafe or very unsafe for them to return.

Dr Mary Bousted, NEU joint general secretary said: "The government must work with the unions to establish a position which gains the confidence of staff in schools. The announcement – so out of step with Scotland and Wales and with its confusion about social distancing – has resulted in 92 per cent of NEU members saying they currently feel a wider opening of schools would be unsafe 

"The Prime Minister describes this as a ''first sketch'' of a roadmap but our members think this sketch must urgently be re-drawn. 

"The incoherence in this plan has generated genuine fear. For school leaders, the lack of clarity about what is expected before, or on 1 June, is simply unacceptable."

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More than 300,000 people have signed a petition set up by one mother following the announcement calling on the government to allow parents to choose whether to send their children to school.

Lucy Browne who started the petition on Change.org said: “As a mum I don’t want to face serious repercussions for making a choice I feel affects the safety of my daughter during a global pandemic.” 

Teacher Michelle Forster who signed the petition added: “I am a teacher and believe that we cannot return to school safely as we do not have the correct equipment, space or resources to manage the pupils and ensure social distancing measures and personal protective equipment (PPE). Returning to school before it is safe puts thousands of pupils, families and staff at risk.”

Early years leaders have criticised the Prime Minister for failing to include any mention of the sector in his speech.

The National Day Nurseries Association (NDNA) and the Early Years Alliance (EYA) have called for a “sustainable” plan to be drawn up focussing entirely on childcare providers and nurseries.

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Purnima Tanuku, chief executive of the NDNA, said: “It’s vital that the government works with the sector to ensure any plans they make are viable and sustainable.

“The Prime Minister spoke about more people returning to work from this week which will naturally increase demand for childcare places. We will need clarity on which other workers will be added to the critical worker list and therefore able to access childcare places.

“I will be meeting with the Minister today to discuss these issues and the government’s plans for nurseries in England.

“We have seen that in Scotland and Wales the guidance to childcare and educational settings is not changing, so we will need the different national governments to work together to address cross border issues.”

Neil Leitch, chief executive of the EYA, added: “We are incredibly disappointed and frustrated that, while the announcement offered some clarity on plans to reopen schools, there was no mention of the early years sector.  

"Nurseries, childminders and pre-schools need a clear plan of action on how they are going to be supported, both practically and financially, to re-open as lockdown eases, but as it stands, it is unclear how – or even if – they are included in the government’s proposals. 

“It is vital that the early years isn’t simply tacked onto the end of whatever plans government is making for schools. The early years is a unique sector with unique needs, and providers are going to face significant changes to the way they operate on a day-to-day basis, especially given the age of the children they care for.  

"As such, government needs to be clear how it expects childcare providers to operate during this transition period, and crucially, what financial support it plans to provide.”