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English schools may reopen regionally, medical chief suggests English schools may reopen regionally, medical chief suggests
(about 2 hours later)
Jenny Harries says it is likely that there will be ‘regional separation’ after Covid lockdownJenny Harries says it is likely that there will be ‘regional separation’ after Covid lockdown
England’s deputy chief medical officer, Dr Jenny Harries, has suggested that a regional approach may be taken when deciding how schools in England reopen. There could be a phased reopening of schools in England based on regional infection rates after a lifting of national lockdown, MPs have been told.
When asked by the education select committee whether there could be a regional or phased system for reopening schools after the latest lockdown, Harries said: “I think it’s likely that we will have some sort of regional separation of interventions.” The deputy chief medical officer, Dr Jenny Harries, said that as the country came out of lockdown, it was highly likely there would be inconsistent patterns of infection across communities in different parts of the country.
She added: “So I think on the broad epidemiology it is highly likely that when we come out of this national lockdown we will not have consistent patterns of infection in our communities across the country. As a result, schools could reopen at different times with areas like London, which was one of the first to be severely affected by the new variant resulting in soaring rates of hospital admissions, among the first to get children back in classrooms.
“And therefore, as we had prior to the national lockdown, it may well be possible that we need to have some differential application.” Harries, who was giving evidence to MPs on the Commons education committee, would not commit to schools definitely reopening after the February half-term, saying there was still uncertainty about the implications of the new variant of the virus.
But Harries said schools would be top priority to ensure that the balance of education and wellbeing was “right at the forefront” of consideration. Asked by committee chair, Robert Halfon, whether there was likely to be a regional or phased system of opening, Harries said: “On the broad epidemiology, it’s highly likely that when we come out of this national lockdown, we will not have consistent patterns of infection in our communities across the country.
Addressing the committee on the risk of transmission in schools, Harries said: “Schoolchildren definitely can transmit infection in schools – they can transmit it in any environment – but it is not a significant driver as yet, as far as we can see, of large-scale community infections.” “And therefore, as we had prior to national lockdown, it may well be possible we need to have some differential application.”
She said schools would be right at the top of the priority list, to ensure that children’s education and wellbeing was at the forefront of consideration.
“Short answer is, I think it’s likely we will have some sort of regional separation of interventions and it’s likely that as we are hopefully starting to see some glimmers of hope that London, which has been affected earlier by the new variant, that may now move across the country.”
Halfon said it seemed very unlikely that schools would be able to reopen next month. Some reports have suggested they may remain shut until Easter, though with a staggered return based on regional infection rates, some children could get into school sooner than others, raising concerns about growing inequalities in access to education.
Boris Johnson ordered schools in England to close as part of a national lockdown just a day into the new term, after millions of primary children returned to class. Under the new restrictions children of key workers and vulnerable pupils are still allowed to attend, while all other children are now learning remotely.
Asked whether Johnson agreed with a phased reopening of schools, the PM’s spokesman said his priority was to get schools open as soon as possible. But whether or not that was possible after the February half-term would depend on a number of factors, the spokesman said.
Official figures published by the Department for Education on Tuesday showed that more than a fifth of primary school pupils in England (21%) were in class last week, compared with 5% of secondary school students.
Some headteachers have expressed fears that too many children are now on site with attendance far higher than during the first lockdown. Around 709,000 children of critical workers were in attendance on 13 January – 72% of all pupils in school last week.
A staggered school return will add to fears about the fairness of summer assessments. Glyn Potts, headteacher of Newman Roman Catholic College in Oldham, said the government must address urgent questions around fairness and exams to ensure children in areas hardest hit by Covid are not disadvantaged.
Around 200 year 11 pupils at his secondary school missed five weeks of teaching in the first term in autumn because of successive outbreaks.
“The use of a staggered regional return makes scientific and public health sense, provided that the government has clarified expectations on schools over matters such as mass testing via lateral flow tests and sought to address the many questions around examinations and fairness. If these are not addressed, it again leaves school leaders facing questions over safety and equality for those in areas where the virus has had sustained impact.”
He added: “Getting children back to school as soon as possible is the right outcome for their safety, development and mental health. School leaders should be given the authority to manage this in a productive way that allows for a phased return of year groups as well as regions, as many students will need the additional support and routine enhancement before a whole school return.”
Lucy Powell, the Labour MP for Manchester Central, said a regional reopening approach to schools would be “very difficult” and “not supported by evidence”. She added: “Schools up here were open when rates were higher than they are today ... The attainment gap is much higher in the north too.”
Geoff Barton, general secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders, said: “Although the government intends that schools will fully reopen after the February half-term holiday, it is clearly in the balance when this happens and whether there will be any sort of regional approach.
“We expect that it will depend on coronavirus infection rates and the pressure on the NHS, and that the government will make a call on this issue nearer the time. What is important is that when schools fully reopen, everything possible is done to keep them open and to keep disruption to a minimum.”