Schools across the country could be kept open through the summer to help children catch up on lessons missed during lockdown.
Speaking in the House of Commons today, Education Secretary Gavin Williamson, said the government is looking "very closely" at proposals for schemes including summer schools, to provide catch up tuition to pupils over the holiday period.
This came after Robert Halfon, Conservative chairman of the Education Select Committee, highlighted how vulnerable children were not receiving the education they need during the lockdown.
Speaking this afternoon, Mr Halfon asked: "Will (Mr Williamson), while understanding schools won't officially be open in the summer, support the opening of summer schools over the holidays, to be staffed by volunteers, graduates, an army of retired teachers, to provide catch-up tuition to these children who have been left behind?"
In his reply to the question, Mr Williamson, said: "He's right to highlight the many thousands of volunteers that want to reach out, help our children in order to be able to have the knowledge to succeed in the future, and we're very closely looking at such schemes - working with schools, working with the sector - as to how we can make that available to them."
On Sunday, May 10, Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced the government's 'road map' for easing the coronavirus lockdown restrictions across the country.
Under the proposals, primary school pupils in years Reception, 1 and 6, along with nurseries and childminders, are expected to return to schools from June 1.
They will be closely followed by pupils in Years 2, 3, 4 and 5 later in June.
But when the schools start to reopen, they will look very different as they adhere to strict new government guidance.
The changes will see classes halved in size, one-way corridor systems imposed and staggered break and drop-off times.
