By No fines for keeping children at home when schools reopen
Parents will not be fined for keeping their children at home when schools reopen, the Government has confirmed.
In a public broadcast on Sunday, Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced that the Government would be attempting to reopen schools for pupils in reception classes, year 1 and year 6 from June 1.
This follows widespread concern and campaigning by parents who do not feel it is safe for their children to return to school any earlier than September.
More than 400,000 people signed a Change.org petition calling on the Government to give parents the option of not sending their children back to school.
Since then, a Downing Street spokesperson announced:
“While we will not penalise (parents) for keeping children at home, once children are eligible to return to school we will strongly encourage them to do so.”
The message was subsequently reiterated in Government guidance which has stated the following:
“We strongly encourage children and young people in the eligible year groups and priority groups (such as children of critical workers) to attend, as requested by their school or college, unless they are self-isolating or there are other reasons for absence (such as shielding due to health conditions).
“You should notify your child’s school or college as normal if your child is unable to attend so that staff are aware and can discuss with you.
“Parents will not be fined for non-attendance at this time.”
At the end of April, Mr Johnson announced that the UK was officially past a coronavirus peak.
The Government said it would only allow children back into schools on several conditions, including that the rate of infection is decreasing.
It added that scientific evidence suggests children with coronavirus have less severe symptoms than adults, with younger children less likely to become unwell if infected.
When schools reopen, it said schools should limit the amount of contact between different groups of children – with smaller classes, for example.
All schools in the UK were told to partially close in March, just before the lockdown was announced on March 23. They remained open to children of key workers.
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