[ad_1]
The return of many schools will be delayed beyond the government’s previous promise, the education secretary announced.
Exam-year students will return on January 11, and other high school students will follow a week later, on January 18, to allow for student and staff testing preparations to take place.
And while most elementary schools will open as planned on January 4, some elementary schools in areas with the highest coronavirus rates will not open on that date, with no set return date yet.
This will include primary schools in 22 boroughs of London, which between them have over half a million pupils, and many primary schools in Essex and Kent and some in East Sussex, Buckinghamshire and Hertfordshire.
But it does not include the primaries in Greenwich, which was forced to back down from government legal actions in late December after saying he wanted to close schools before the end of the fall term.
It appears that primary school pupils in the affected areas are expected to learn remotely.
The Department of Education has said that his return to school will be reviewed in two weeks, on January 13.
Revealed: Full list of areas where elementary schools face a delay in return
Millions of children in England face a delay in returning to school in January
Prime Minister Boris Johnson has admitted that the government may need to take “additional measures” in the worst affected areas.
Establishing a new plan in the House of Commons, Education Secretary Gavin Williamson said schools across the country face a “rapidly changing situation.”
He told MPs: “The 1,500 military personnel committed to supporting schools and universities will remain in the task of providing virtual training and advice on how to set up the testing process with teams on standby to provide in-person support if required by schools.
“Testing will begin the following week in earnest with those in exam years at the head of the queue.
“This is in preparation for the full return of all students in all year groups on January 18 in most areas.”
Use the Chrome browser for a more accessible video player
PM Announces More COVID-19 Restrictions
The news comes just 24 hours after the government insisted it was go ahead with plans for older elementary and middle school children to return to classrooms next week.
The return of pupils after Christmas, including the teachers’ unions, had been requested to be delayed until the end of January.
Scientists have warned that keeping schools and universities closed will reduce infection rates.
The teachers’ unions had also raised concerns after Williamson outlined before Christmas plans to evaluate staff and students beginning the first week of January.
At least one of them was not impressed.
The Deputy Secretary General of the National Education Union, Dr. Mary Bousted, said she was “shocked” by Williamson’s announcement.
Use the Chrome browser for a more accessible video player
‘We will soon know if vaccines reduce transmission’
She said: “With warnings from eminent scientists of ‘imminent catastrophe’ unless the whole of the UK is locked in, and with more cases in hospitals than ever and our NHS facing a massive crisis, the secretary of state sends the majority of elementary school students and staff returned to unsafe work environments on Monday COVID.
“The government, despite being repeatedly asked, has not released scientific guidance on the risks involved in reopening schools and universities. This information is desperately needed, particularly as new variants of the virus are 50% more transmissible.
“The Scottish government will not reopen schools until January 18 at the earliest. The Westminster government should have at least done so.”
Cllr Judith Blake, president of the Local Government Association Children and Youth Board, said she was also concerned about how the plan to assess students would be implemented.
She said, “We have ongoing concerns about the operational logistics of testing in high schools and the challenges this schedule poses.
“Ensuring there is an adequate number of staff and volunteers, identifying the number of stations needed, and finding a safe space for students to wait for their results are major challenges. It is vital that testing, PPE, and other support promised by the government. it is delivered on time and in the necessary quantities. “
In the subsequent parliamentary debate, Gavin Williamson did not respond to a series of questions about the government’s plans for schools.
He was asked how many primary schools in England will be forced to switch to remote learning next week, if testing can continue into the summer, and if school staff will be given priority in the latest vaccine implementation.
He did not provide clear answers on any of these issues, simply emphasizing that the government’s plans to implement tests would allow schools to get students back to face-to-face learning as quickly as possible.
