THE SAFE return of all primary school pupils is “impossible”, Britain’s biggest head teacher’s union have warned.
A poll of National Governance Association members revealed three out of four of the 2,350 governors surveyed think it’s “unlikely” all students are coming back.
Boris Johnson had previously vowed to have all primary-aged children back in for a month before the summer holidays.
However, the head teachers’ union have now insisted a full return before the summer would not be possible because many schools are too small for it to be completed safely.
NGA chief executive Emma Knight said: “Unless something dramatic changes very soon in terms of the government’s scientific and medical advice, it will simply not be possible for primary schools to invite all pupils back for a whole month of education before the summer holidays.
“It is adding to uncertainty for parents, but also extra pressure on school leaders and governing boards who think that they need to try and do this when actually it wouldn’t be safe.”
It comes as Downing Street admitted the plan to have everyone back at the beginning of next month was now “under review”.
If schools don’t host the remaining pupils until September it means three million primary children will have gone more than five months without face-to-face teaching .
Yesterday saw many school children in the UK finally return to the classroom.
Reports suggested that attendance ranged from 40 per cent returning to 70 per cent.
Is is believed 1 million pupils were kept home by parents – with some still concerned about health risks.
It comes amid concerns from experts that children kept in home-schooling could feel isolated from their classmates.
However, due to new social-distancing guidelines in the classroom class sizes have been slashed as only reception, year one and year six were asked back.
It comes ten weeks on from Boris Johnson‘s address to the nation on March 23 urging Brits to stay at home amid the coronavirus pandemic.
