PRIMARY school kids could all head back to school for a month before the long summer break under the Government’s new plans to ease lockdown.
Younger children could be back in classrooms by June if top scientists think it is safe to do so without creating a second spike of new coronavirus cases.
The Prime Minister singled out children in reception, years 1 and 6, to be the first students to be back behind desks as the nation slowly comes out of draconian lockdown restrictions.
Releasing kids back into schools is a top priority for the Government because it will allow parents to be able to return to work without the burden of home schooling and to stop children falling behind in their learning.
The full-50 page document of the plans to ease lockdown was released this afternoon, detailing how and when classroom doors would be opened again.
The Government hopes they can get students back in time for there to be at least one month of teaching before schools’ doors close again over the summer.
The guidance released today said: “Schools should prepare to begin to open for more children from June 1.
“The Government expects children to be able to return to early years settings and for Reception, Year 1 and Year 6 to be back in school in smaller sizes, from this point.
“This aims to ensure that the youngest children and those preparing for the transition to secondary school have maximum time with their teachers.”
It added: “The Government’s ambition is for all primary school children to return to school before the summer for a month if feasible.”
The huge plan revealed:
- People won’t get the chance to see their relatives again properly for at least weeks to come – but ministers are looking at allowing one household to see another one
- Brits will be advised to wear face masks on public transport and anywhere where people can’t stay 2m apart
- The Government want all primary school kids to go back to school for a month before the summer holidays
- The public are now allowed to go outside for leisure reasons, but they can’t stay overnight for a holiday
- Sporting events to take place behind closed-doors for broadcast within weeks
Reopening schools is the second step of the three-phase plan to ease lockdown Boris Johnson outlined last night.
He said: “In Step Two, at the earliest by June 1 — after half term — we believe we may be in a position to . . . get primary pupils back into schools, in stages, beginning with reception, Year 1 and Year 6.
“Our ambition is that secondary pupils facing exams next year will get at least some time with their teachers before the holidays.
“And we will shortly be setting out detailed guidance on how to make it work in schools.”
Secondary school pupils are not expected to return to schools before the summer break, but GCSE and A-Level students set to sit crucial exams next year could have “face to face” contact with teachers before the summer holidays.
The guidance insisted that all plans for reopening schools would be kept under constant review to ensure cases of coronavirus did not rise.
But the PM’s plans have been labelled “reckless” by teaching union bosses.
Dr Mary Bousted, joint general secretary of the NEU, said: “We think that the announcement by the Government that schools may reopen from June 1 with reception and years one and six is nothing short of reckless.
“Coronavirus continues to ravage communities in the UK and the rate of Covid-19 infection is still far too great for the wider opening of our schools,” she said.
Dr Bousted urged the Government to meet tests set out by unions, which includes extra money for deep cleaning and personal protective equipment and local powers to close schools if clusters of infections break out.
