[ad_1]
Schools in England could remain closed beyond mid-January, education secretary Gavin Williamson admitted, as the country’s largest education authority urged its schools to remain closed and principals called for the next year’s exams to be re-evaluated. summer.
Just three days after stating that he was “absolutely certain” that all schools would reopen, Williamson said high schools within the 60 government-named “contingency areas” could remain closed for most students after the 18th. from January.
“Those in exam years will be educated remotely during the first week of the semester, and face-to-face beginning January 11, with other high school and college students returning full-time on January 18, in areas where they will not we had to apply. the contingency framework, ”Williamson wrote in the Mail on Sunday.
The secretary of education’s comments are a significant change from his statements on December 31, when asked to rule out further closures, he told the BBC: “We are absolutely sure that all schools are coming back.”
Williamson’s comments came as Birmingham City Council, the UK’s largest local authority, asked him to allow the city’s primary schools to close for the next two weeks, saying he would back any school that defies the government. and remain closed.
“The new strain of the virus and rising levels of cases in the city mean that we are deeply concerned about the return of children to elementary schools, special schools and alternative provision next week,” Ian Ward, Birmingham council leader, and Jayne Francis, the Education Councilor, told Williamson.
Boris Johnson also questioned his administration’s timetable for the reopening of schools, announced just five days ago. He told the BBC’s The Andrew Marr Show: “We have to keep things under constant review.”
Speaking of “tougher measures” being considered to curb the spread of Covid-19, the prime minister said: “Clearly, the school closings, which we had to do in March, is one of those things.”
On Saturday, England’s four major teacher unions, including the Association of School and University Leaders and the National Association of Head Teachers, called for schools to remain closed to all but eligible pupils.
The measure was endorsed by Unison and GMB, which represent the majority of the rest of the school staff, and by the Brighton and Hove council, which called for schools in its area to close for the next two weeks. Unison told its members, “It is not safe for you to attend the workplace at this time if your school is fully open to all students.”
Johnson also suggested for the first time that national exams like A-levels and GCSE may not take place in England this summer, telling Marr: “We have to be realistic about the rate at which this new variant has spread … and I have to be humble in the face of this virus.
Cost less? The campaign manager group said the government urgently needed to rethink its approach to testing. It said: “Public safety should not be risky or driven by an inflexible pursuit of GCSE and A-level exams in their current form.”
Starting Monday, the first official day of the new period in England, all mainstream secondary schools and universities will be closed, except for vulnerable children and those with parents who are key workers. In the 60 contingency areas, which expanded rapidly from 50 after complaints from London local authorities, primary schools will similarly remain closed until January 18.
Dr Susan Hopkins, Senior Medical Advisor for Public Health England, said: “Attending school is important for the educational and mental health benefits of children. School closings may reduce transmission, but the public health council remains that they should be the last to close and the first to reopen.
“When rates are extremely high, continue to rise, and the NHS is under significant pressure, it may be necessary to move to remote learning as a last resort.”
Andy Burnham, the mayor of Greater Manchester, said the government needed to allow “local flexibility” in deciding which schools to open to the most students.
“Let the directors come to a balanced judgment based on what is happening,” said Burnham.
The Liberal Democrats called for all elementary schools to move to remote learning until January 18, except for vulnerable children and children of key workers, and for the government’s plans for Covid testing in schools to be reviewed.
[ad_2]
