It’s ‘too early to know’ if schools will go back in February, Hancock says

The government refuses to commit to reopening schools before the Easter holidays.

The prime minister and education secretary are coming under increasing pressure to reopen schools and provide a ‘route map’ for the reopening plan. 

Rob Halfon, the chairman of the Commons Education Committee, wrote on Twitter that he was seeking ‘clarity’ from the Department for Education and ‘an education route map out of coronavirus to get children learning again at school’.

It comes after growing concern that children are the ‘forgotten victims of the pandemic’. 

Former cabinet minister Esther McVey says the government need to take into account the damage the prolonged closures will do to the future prospects of a generation of children. 

Speaking to The Daily Telegraph, she said: “We genuinely seem to have forgotten about the children,”

“Millions of them are missing out on an education, not developing socially with their friends and aren’t allowed to enrich their lives by playing sports and music any more.

“They are the pandemic’s forgotten victims and we’ve got to start thinking about their prospects and futures as well.”

Tory MP, Tom Tugendhat added: “Closed schools increases inequality, exposes the most vulnerable, and creates gaps that cannot be filled. We must open schools as soon as possible.”

A senior government source cautioned that the picture has become ‘more pessimistic’ as slowing infection rates were not falling ‘nearly as sharply as had been expected’, reports The Guardian. 

Robert Halfon urges ministers to put ‘the whole engine of the state’ behind paving the way for schools to reopen.

He told The Guardian: “The whole engine of the state must do everything possible to get our schools open after half-term as was originally proposed,

“If it means priority vaccinations for teachers and support staff then it is worth it because despite the efforts of individual teachers and support staff who are doing their best we are facing an epidemic of mental health problems and educational poverty.

“This is putting enormous pressure on parents and families, many of whom have to give up their livelihoods to look after their children at home. With all the laptops in the world, you still need motivation from parents and when they are working that is very hard, especially with younger children.”

General secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders, Geoff Barton said: “At a time when we are worrying about the mental health of young people, the last thing we need now is no one back in school till after Easter,”

Downing Street and the Department for Education are expected to examine the data this week before making a judgment. 

Education secretary Gavin Williamson has said schools will be given a minimum of two weeks notice to plan a return of pupils. He added that he is hoping to be able to give teachers and parents an update this week. 

However, it is believed the majority of pupils will not return until at least Easter, despite the government aspiring to have pupils returning to schools from February half-term.

It comes after Matt Hancock told Sky News that we are a ‘long, long, long way off’ easing lockdown restrictions.

The health secretary refused to commit to either mid-February or after Easter as a point for schools to reopen with all pupils.

He told the Andrew Marr Show: “We’re really clear we want to get schools back and as safe as we can, but we have to watch the data,”

“Of course I hope schools go back after Easter and the vaccination programme is going fast. But we’ve got to make sure that we get the cases down and we’ve got to protect the country from new variants coming in from abroad.”