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Boris Johnson has said that “I have no doubt that schools are safe” in areas where they are open, as he warned of possible tighter restrictions in the coming weeks.
As pressure mounted on the prime minister to keep all schools in England closed amid the surge COVID-19 cases, he insisted that education is a priority and parents in areas where elementary schools are open should send their children tomorrow.
“I have no doubt that schools are safe and that education is a priority,” Johnson told the BBC’s Andrew Marr. “The benefits of education are so huge, we overwhelmingly want to keep our young people in education.”
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The prime minister also warned of possible tighter restrictions in the future: “We may have to do things in the coming weeks that may be more difficult. I am completely reconciled to that. I think the whole country is completely reconciled to that.”
COVID-19 cases across the UK are at record levels, rising as a new, more communicable variant spreads, affecting more children than before.
Most primary schools in England are scheduled to open on Monday, followed by a staggered start to secondary schools a week later, with GCSE and A-level pupils ready to return first.
Some primaries in areas where the new variant is more prevalent will not open on Monday. They are in London and parts of the South East, including 11 areas in Essex, nine areas in Kent, four areas in Hertfordshire, two areas in East Sussex, and Milton Keynes in Buckinghamshire.
However, the National Education Union (NEU) has said elementary schools must remain closed for at least two weeks after the Christmas holidays.
NEU deputy general secretary Kevin Courtney said its members have “the legal right to refuse to work in unsafe conditions that are a danger to their health and to the health of their school communities and in general.”
But, giving advice to parents, Johnson said, “Look where your area is, overwhelmingly you will be in a part of the country where elementary schools will be open tomorrow.”
In Brighton and Hove, the local council, against government guidance, has recommended that schools implement distance learning until January 18, arguing that their COVID-19 infection rate is now 500% higher. high than in early December.
Johnson declined to confirm whether the closed elementary and middle schools would open Jan.18.
“Well, obviously, we are going to continue evaluating the impact of Level 4 measures, Level 3 measures,” he said.
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He added that the new variant means that “obviously there is a stricter range of measures that we should consider.”
“I’m not going to speculate right now what they would be, but I’m sure all of our viewers and listeners will understand what kinds of things … clearly the school closings, which we had to do in March, is one of those things,” Johnson added .
