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| Starmer: England's back-to-school plans 'lie in tatters' | Starmer: England's back-to-school plans 'lie in tatters' |
| (about 2 hours later) | |
| Government plans for schooling during the pandemic "lie in tatters", with England's pupils set to miss six months of lessons, Sir Keir Starmer has said. | Government plans for schooling during the pandemic "lie in tatters", with England's pupils set to miss six months of lessons, Sir Keir Starmer has said. |
| Calling for a national task force to tackle the issue, the Labour leader said the consequences for inequality and children's education were stark. | Calling for a national task force to tackle the issue, the Labour leader said the consequences for inequality and children's education were stark. |
| Boris Johnson defended the plan during Prime Minister's Questions, pledging extra support for vulnerable families. | Boris Johnson defended the plan during Prime Minister's Questions, pledging extra support for vulnerable families. |
| Plans for all primary pupils to go back this term were ditched on Tuesday. | Plans for all primary pupils to go back this term were ditched on Tuesday. |
| And although some secondary students, most of whom have been out of school since the end of March, are expected to be invited back for some face-to-face time with their teachers, their lessons are not expected to resume until September at the earliest. | And although some secondary students, most of whom have been out of school since the end of March, are expected to be invited back for some face-to-face time with their teachers, their lessons are not expected to resume until September at the earliest. |
| Speaking during Wednesday's coronavirus briefing, Mr Johnson said the government "fully intends" to bring all children in England back to school in September "provided the progress we are making continues". | Speaking during Wednesday's coronavirus briefing, Mr Johnson said the government "fully intends" to bring all children in England back to school in September "provided the progress we are making continues". |
| "What we'll be doing is a huge amount of catch-up for pupils over the summer months," he said, adding that the education secretary will announce more on a catch-up programme next week. | "What we'll be doing is a huge amount of catch-up for pupils over the summer months," he said, adding that the education secretary will announce more on a catch-up programme next week. |
| 'Flailing around' | 'Flailing around' |
| At PMQs, Sir Keir said Mr Johnson had announced his plan to reopen primaries on 1 June, without consulting head teachers or having convincing scientific evidence on safety. | At PMQs, Sir Keir said Mr Johnson had announced his plan to reopen primaries on 1 June, without consulting head teachers or having convincing scientific evidence on safety. |
| And he said parents had lost confidence in the government's schools plan. | And he said parents had lost confidence in the government's schools plan. |
| He accused the prime minister of "flailing around trying to blame others" for what had been a completely avoidable "mess". | He accused the prime minister of "flailing around trying to blame others" for what had been a completely avoidable "mess". |
| Mr Johnson retaliated, during a series of testy exchanges, saying Sir Keir should ask "his friends in the left-wing trade unions", meaning the teachers' unions, to help schools prepare. | Mr Johnson retaliated, during a series of testy exchanges, saying Sir Keir should ask "his friends in the left-wing trade unions", meaning the teachers' unions, to help schools prepare. |
| He also accused the Labour leader of changing his mind over whether schools should be open. | He also accused the Labour leader of changing his mind over whether schools should be open. |
| Sir Keir said England was an "outlier" compared with other countries in Europe, which had re-opened some of their schools. | Sir Keir said England was an "outlier" compared with other countries in Europe, which had re-opened some of their schools. |
| And his attempts to set up a cross-party task force to tackle the issue had been ignored. | And his attempts to set up a cross-party task force to tackle the issue had been ignored. |
| 'Disappointing' | |
| Ofsted chief inspector Amanda Spielman said the government's decision not to require all primary school pupils in England to return to the classroom before the summer holidays was "disappointing". | |
| She told a House of Lords Committee she was "saddened" that people may have become "more frightened than they actually need to be". | |
| Children's Commissioner Anne Longfield called for a national strategy to return pupils to classes, warning children risked being forgotten as the lockdown lifted. | Children's Commissioner Anne Longfield called for a national strategy to return pupils to classes, warning children risked being forgotten as the lockdown lifted. |
| And concerns were raised at the Commons Education Committee about the impact of school closures on children's life chances. | And concerns were raised at the Commons Education Committee about the impact of school closures on children's life chances. |
| Prof Lee Elliot Major, former chief executive of the Sutton Trust education equality charity, said he was "really worried" about the eight million children currently out of school. | Prof Lee Elliot Major, former chief executive of the Sutton Trust education equality charity, said he was "really worried" about the eight million children currently out of school. |
| He said: "There is a tsunami of anxiety hitting schools about the one million children who are going to be taking their GCSEs and A-levels next year." | He said: "There is a tsunami of anxiety hitting schools about the one million children who are going to be taking their GCSEs and A-levels next year." |
| And there needed to be clarity about how public exams would be handled next year, adding that he preferred a combination of exams and teacher assessment. | And there needed to be clarity about how public exams would be handled next year, adding that he preferred a combination of exams and teacher assessment. |
| Sally Collier, chief executive of England's exams watchdog, told the committee contingency plans were being drawn up but gave no details. | Sally Collier, chief executive of England's exams watchdog, told the committee contingency plans were being drawn up but gave no details. |
| Reports have suggested Ofqual might be considering delaying exams or using a system involving predictive grades. | Reports have suggested Ofqual might be considering delaying exams or using a system involving predictive grades. |
| Ms Collier suggested the government may be re-thinking the content of exams for next year and that schools would need to know at the earliest opportunity what they were going to need to teach next year. | Ms Collier suggested the government may be re-thinking the content of exams for next year and that schools would need to know at the earliest opportunity what they were going to need to teach next year. |
| Ofqual would be publishing a consultation in the coming weeks on possible measures to ameliorate the impact of educational disruption on next year's exam candidates, she told MPs. | Ofqual would be publishing a consultation in the coming weeks on possible measures to ameliorate the impact of educational disruption on next year's exam candidates, she told MPs. |
| Other premises | Other premises |
| National Education Union joint general secretary Kevin Courtney said it was increasingly clear disruption to schooling was going to continue. | National Education Union joint general secretary Kevin Courtney said it was increasingly clear disruption to schooling was going to continue. |
| "Looking at the exams system, we could face some of this, a very similar situation, next year, we have got to learn from this year," he said. | "Looking at the exams system, we could face some of this, a very similar situation, next year, we have got to learn from this year," he said. |
| Dr Zubaida Haque, of the Runnymede Trust, said there needed to be an urgent look at what could be done for pupils who were not going back to school this summer. | Dr Zubaida Haque, of the Runnymede Trust, said there needed to be an urgent look at what could be done for pupils who were not going back to school this summer. |
| She said there were lots of venues available out of school, which could be utilised because of Covid-19 restrictions - such as football stadiums, private schools and golf fields. | She said there were lots of venues available out of school, which could be utilised because of Covid-19 restrictions - such as football stadiums, private schools and golf fields. |
| She urged ministers to think creatively and urgently about how such facilities could be used, with a view to setting up summer schools to help pupils catch up and support them with pastoral and emotional needs. | She urged ministers to think creatively and urgently about how such facilities could be used, with a view to setting up summer schools to help pupils catch up and support them with pastoral and emotional needs. |
| Meanwhile, the Welsh government has published new guidance on the measures schools should consider when reopening, including outside learning, teaching in small groups and pupils eating at their desks. | |
| Schools in Wales will reopen to all age groups from 29 June but only a third of pupils will be in classes at any one time. | |
| First Minister Nicola Sturgeon says Scottish schools will reopen from 11 August, using a blended model, with some continued home-learning. | |
| In Northern Ireland, ministers have set a target date for some pupils to go back on 17 August, with a phased return for the rest in September. |