Stephen Morgan MP is demanding that the Education Secretary urgently answers outstanding questions after his shambolic announcement on school reopening led to chaos for parents, pupils and school staff just days before term is due to restart.
Some primary schools across the country face closure in other tier four areas with no clear path to reopening and the Education Secretary’s statements and media appearances so far have shed little light on the situation.
With one working day to go until the return of schools, thousands of parents have been forced to find last minute childcare as over 870,000 – more than one in six – primary age children will be off school for at least the next two weeks.
Accusing the embattled Education Secretary of a “cavalier approach to children’s education”, Shadow Education Secretary Kate Green has also demanded a clear and transparent route out of school closures that will ensure that pupils can return to the classroom safely.
The Portsmouth South representative is calling on Gavin Williamson to immediately clarify the announcement made by Government and ensure school and college staff and working families get the support they need to keep children learning safely.
He has also called on the Government to publish the SAGE advice on schools and colleges, stating that parents and school staff deserve to know that the government is taking all possible measures to keep children learning and keep children and staff safe across the whole country.
Demands by Labour to the government include:
- Publish SAGE’s advice on the return of schools in January;
- Confirm how many primary schools across England will not be opening as planned, and how many pupils are affected by this;
- Publish the criteria used to determine which schools have closed and the specific circumstances in which schools will reopen during the new term;
- Confirm which secondary age students will receive remote learning over the next two weeks;
- Set out what support is available to families whose children will be off school;
- Consider pausing the return of university students to campuses in line with the increased in tier 4 stay at home restrictions;
- Set out how BTEC and vocational and technical exams taking place in January will be supported to go ahead safely and fairly.
Following an urgent letter to the Government this morning, Stephen Morgan MP said:
“Government incompetence is causing a great deal of stress for parents, pupils, and school and college staff, and risks damaging children’s education, especially as further dither and delay comes just two days before the start of the Spring term.
It was clear that the latest u-turn was needed to provide consistency in London, as Covid infections continue to rise. Portsmouth local authority area moved into tier 4 on Sunday 20 December, with neighbouring Hampshire following shortly after.
Parents, teachers and my constituents need Ministers to be transparent with their decisions to ensure they are based upon science and data and not just that Portsmouth schools have simply been missed by your Government”.
Kate Green MP, Labour’s Shadow Secretary of State for Education, said:
“Gavin Williamson’s cavalier approach to children’s education has put the life chances of a generation at risk.
“He must end the serial incompetence and urgently clarify how many schools are closing, how many more are at risk, and provide a clear path to reopening for all schools affected.
“With just four days to go parents and pupils are confused about the start of term with dedicated school and college staff again being left to pick-up the pieces. Parents, pupils and staff deserve better.”
