By Will schools reopen on Monday?
As of June 1, pupils in Reception, Year 1 and Year 6 classes will be able to return to school. But as opinion is divided about whether it is safe for schools to reopen on Monday, it is currently unclear how and if they will at all.
On June 15, secondary schools will also be able to provide face-to-face meetings for Year 10 and Year 11 students.
In preparation, many schools are already unrecognizable, with classrooms disinfected and spaced out to accommodate no more than 15 students each.
Some have even created socially distanced playground zones.
However, some teachers have claimed that very few parents have consented to sending their children back to school. Speaking to the BBC yesterday, one headteacher said that 1 out of 50 of his Year 1 students were expected to return.
Former National Education Union Executive and Primary School Teacher Simon Murch said it is not just a matter of whether schools are able to operate safely, but “the wider community and public health that needs to be considered”.
Primary School Teacher John Roos added that “teachers and teaching unions overwhelmingly feel that the pace and manner in which the government is planning to reopen schools is in fact not planned, but chaotic”.
But others have argued that there are factors beyond public health which must be considered.
For example, the socio-economic impact on households where adults are unable to work because they are not considered key workers, and throughout the coronavirus crisis, their children have had to remain at home.
In the same BBC report, one mother stated that her inability to work while her children were at home was not only costing her more because of the increased food budget, but was beginning to threaten her ability to pay other bills.
Many schools have made the decision not to reopen at all on Monday, at the discretion of their local authorities.
Amid confusion over the risks of coronavirus to children, there have been mixed responses, and naturally, a degree of conflict over the matter.
One parent said:
“People have been posting lots of screengrabs from Facebook which are full of misinformation about how the virus spreads and the risks to children.
“But if you dare to try to correct anything or put things into perspective you get shot down and it is implied you are a bad parent.
“I’m trying to hold down a full-time job while also home-schooling two children – I find being judged by other parents on top of that very hard to deal with.”
Another added that no parent should be judged for doing what they feel is right for their child.
What do you think – will you be sending your child back to school when they reopen?
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