The British government confirmed today that the schools will reopen on June 1st according to previous announcements.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson delivered the announcement in person via a press briefing today.
Secondary schools will resume starting mid-June in June 15th, albeit in a more limited way. Reception, first year and sixth year students will be showing up to school first starting next week.
For weeks, there has been a fierce debate between the government and the teachers union over the safety hazards regarding the reopening of schools. It also follows a recent poll where more than 75% of the parents said they will refuse to send their children back without safety guarantees.
Although the PM admitted that it may not be physically possible for all schools to simultaneously reopen, Johnson emphasized that it was “crucial” that schools reopen for the children. He explained that education will determine so much of the children’s future, including their welfare.
Johnson went on to say that Britain is far from alone when it comes to reopening schools. He also tried to assure the parents that necessary measures will be imposed to ensure the safety of the students in a post-Covid classroom.
Detailed guidelines regarding both the children and staff have been put forth by the government. This includes orders to distance the children anywhere between 2.3 meters to 3.5 meters away from each other according to their ages and cleaning the surface of what they touch.
Former head of Office for Standard in Education (Ofsted), the British counterpart of a Department of Education, said that he supports the decision to reopen the schools but criticized government officials for failing to reassure and comfort the parents.
Sir Michael Wilshaw explained how although he agreed that a whole generation of children should not be robbed of their future because of the virus, government efforts to persuade and convince parents came too late and too little.
More than three-quarters of the schools expressed their intent to remain closed, with the Sunday Telegraph reporting that 50 or more councils are ready to support the school’s decisions via legislation.
The teachers union have also asked its members to delay the reopening of the schools by demanding a 22-page long questionnaire to their schools, which experts believe can’t be answered prior to June 1st.
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Replaced!