The Prime Minister should opt for a “phased return” of school and college pupils to classrooms in England or risk another spike in Covid-19 infections, a coalition of education unions has warned.
Unions representing school and college staff and headteachers are “increasingly concerned” that the Government could go ahead with a full return of all pupils in England on March 8.
A joint statement says: “This would seem a reckless course of action. It could trigger another spike in Covid infections, prolong the disruption of education and risk throwing away the hard-won progress made in suppressing the virus over the course of the latest lockdown.
“The science around the role that schools play in the overall rate of transmission is uncertain. ”
It adds: “What we do know is that the full reopening of schools will bring nearly 10 million pupils and staff into circulation in England – close to one fifth of the population. This is not a small easing of lockdown restrictions. It is a massive step.
“These factors necessitate a cautious approach with wider school and college opening phased over a period of time.”
