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Video report from ITV News political correspondent Chloe Keedy
All students in exam years will revert to secondary schools in England from January 11, while the rest of the high school and university students will return full time on January 18, a delay compared to the planned return to school.
Most of the primary schools in England will return after the Christmas holidays, as planned, on January 4, but pupils from secondary schools will return at the end of the month.
Primary schools in a “small number of areas” in England, where Covid-19 infection rates are the highest, will not reopen for face-to-face teaching to all pupils as planned next week, he told students. deputies.
High school reopening is delayed with years 11 and 13 returning on January 11 and the other years returning on January 18.
Who will go back to school when?
Most elementary schools will return on January 4, except those where infection rates are highest.
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High school years 11 and 13 will return on January 11.
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All other years and college and university students will return on January 18.
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Where schools are closed, only vulnerable children and children of critical workers will attend face-to-face lessons.
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Mass testing will begin in the first week of school for high school and college students and teachers.
Has been growing concern from teacher unions and scientists on the spread of the virus after the discovery of its much more transmissible variant.
Mr. Williamson said that keeping schools open is “top of our plans” and was a “last resort” that some schools had to close where infection rates are highest.
He added: “We will open most elementary schools as scheduled on Monday, January 4th. We know how vital it is that the youngest children are in school for their education, well-being and broader development.
See the full announcement:
“In a small number of areas where infection rates are higher, we will implement our existing contingency framework, as only vulnerable children and the children of critical workers will attend face-to-face.
“We will post this list of areas today on the GOV.UK website. I would like to emphasize that this is used only as a last resort. These are not all Level 4 areas and the vast majority of elementary schools will open on Monday as planned. “
Areas where elementary schools will not open as planned:
London:
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Barking and Dagenham
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Barnet
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Bexley
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Brent
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Bromley
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Croydon
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Ealing
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Enfield
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Hammersmith and Fulham
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Havering
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Hillingdon
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Hounslow
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Kensington and Chelsea
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Merton
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Newham
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Richmond-Upon-Thames
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Southwark
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Sutton
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Tower hamlets
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Waltham Forest
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Wandsworth
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Westminster
Essex:
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Brentwood
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Epping Forest
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Castle point
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Basildon
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Rochford
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Harlow
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Chelmsford
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Braintree
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Maldon
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Southend on Sea
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Thurrock
Kent:
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Dartford
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Gravesham
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Seven oaks
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Medway
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Ashford
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Maidstone
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Tonbridge and Malling
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Tunbridge Wells
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Quagmire
East Sussex:
Buckinghamshire:
Hertfordshire:
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Watford
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Broxbourne
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Hertsmere
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Three Rivers
Williamson said the “mass testing” of schoolchildren will begin “in earnest” in January, with students in exam years leading the line.
He told deputies: “All students in exam years must return during the week beginning January 11 and all high school and college students return full time on January 18.
“During the first week of the quarter beginning January 4, high schools and colleges will prepare to screen as many staff and students as possible and will only be open to vulnerable children and key workers.”
He added: “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 evaluation process with teams on standby to provide in-person support if schools require it.
“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.”
Colleges are being asked to reduce the number of students returning to campus in early January to prioritize students who require “hands-on learning to earn their professional qualifications,” Williamson said.
“All college students should be offered two rapid tests upon their return to reduce the possibility of the spread of Covid,” he added.
The Education Secretary said the government expects to deliver 50,000 devices to schools across the country on January 4 to support remote and online learning, adding that 100,000 devices in total will be delivered during the first week of the quarter.
He said of the schools: “Our best line of attack is to keep them open using massive testing tools that we now have available so that we can ensure that children can continue to reap the benefits of a world-class education.”
Williamson also said he was “more determined than ever” to ensure children “don’t have to pay the price for beating Covid.”
Teacher unions have urged the government to delay the reopening of schools to protect against coronavirus infections and to help schools assess risks to ensure that Covid safety measures are in place.
Dr. Mary Bousted, deputy secretary general of the National Education Union (NEU), said she was “shocked” by Williamson’s announcement.
She said: “With warnings from eminent scientists of an ‘impending catastrophe’ unless the whole of the UK is locked down, and with more cases in hospitals than ever and our NHS facing a huge crisis, the Secretary of State sends the majority of elementary school students and staff back Monday to work environments that are not safe from Covid.
“The Government, despite being repeatedly asked, has not published 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.
“A longer period of online work for all elementary, high school and college students could suppress virus levels and buy time both for vaccine implementation and for measures that can keep schools safer.”
He added that the NEU does not believe the schools are “safe enough” for staff to work and raised a number of questions about the increase in rates among students, as well as the government’s plans for mass testing.
She said: “We would like Gavin Williamson to explain, if schools are not transmission centers, why are school-age students now the most infected age groups?
“Why are primary school children the second most infected of all age groups, or have infection levels among secondary school students increased 75 times since the beginning of September?
Serious questions should also be asked about the government’s plans for lateral flow tests in secondary schools, in particular about the effectiveness of these tests in identifying Covid infection in young people who are highly likely to be asymptomatic, and the Tests are supervised by medically trained volunteers.
“We do not believe it is likely that these tests alone can make our schools safe for Covid or protect the communities they serve.
“We believe that the steps of the Government will fail, that the cases will continue to increase and that the question of opening schools will have to be reviewed but in a worse situation than now.”
