Schools in England will not be able to open after the half-term break next month but could begin to return from 8 March, the prime minister has said.
Boris Johnson said a final decision would depend on meeting vaccination targets and schools would get two weeks' notice.
He acknowledged the delay would be "frustrating" for pupils, teachers and parents.
There was not enough data yet to decide when to end the lockdown, he added.
Mr Johnson told the House of Commons he hoped other lockdown restrictions could begin to be gradually eased at some point after schools reopen, but pupils returning to class would be the "first sign of normality".
In the week of 22 February, the government would have more information on whether vaccines block transmission and how the vaccine will reduce hospitalisations and deaths, he said, allowing them to plan for the "gradual and phased" reopening.
That would also depend on continuing to hit vaccination targets, the capacity of the NHS and on deaths falling at the expected pace, he said.
But Mr Johnson said schools also needed a fortnight's notice to reopen after the government makes its decision.
Schools in England have only been open to those deemed vulnerable or to children of key workers since January, with primary and secondary schools offering remote learning for other pupils since then.
The prime minister said he understood frustration among pupils and teachers "and for parents and for carers who spent so many months juggling their day jobs, not only with home schooling but meeting the myriad other demands of their children from breakfast until bedtime".
The government initially planned to review lockdown measures including school closures on 15 February, which had raised hopes that pupils could return to classes after half term.
Acknowledging the impact of continued school closures, Mr Johnson pledged to "work with parents, teachers and schools to develop a long-term plan to make sure that pupils have the chance to make up their learning" before 2024.
After complaints about confusion and drift about when schools in England are going back, Boris Johnson has sought to bring some certainty.
They won't be going back straight after half term - but the target date will be 8 March.
That still leaves parents home schooling for another five weeks - and means most of this term will have been without face-to-face lessons.
This will be a particular worry for pupils heading for whatever replaces GCSEs and A-levels this summer, after almost a full year of stop-start lessons.
Head teachers say the delay is "no surprise" - and reopening must be done safely.
And Labour says half term should be used to vaccinate teachers to help schools stay open.
But the prime minister will hope that parents would rather have some clarity about what's happening with schools, even if that means a longer delay.
Teachers' and head teachers' unions said they supported reopening schools but added that it must be safe and not rushed.
Mary Bousted, joint general secretary of the National Education Union, said that although the most vulnerable would be protected by March, most parents would not be.
"It fails completely to recognise the role schools have played in community transmission. The prime minister has already forgotten what he told the nation at the beginning of this lockdown, that schools are a 'vector for transmission'," she said.
Paul Whiteman, general secretary of school leaders' union NAHT, said the government needs to work with head teachers to review safety measures and create a "workable plan" for schools to reopen fully.
"The government will also have to put effort into reassuring families that it is safe to send their children back to school - there is a confidence test the government must pass to make the return a success," he said.
https://news.google.com/__i/rss/rd/articles/CBMiJmh0dHBzOi8vd3d3LmJiYy5jby51ay9uZXdzL3VrLTU1ODI4OTUy0gEqaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuYmJjLmNvLnVrL25ld3MvYW1wL3VrLTU1ODI4OTUy?oc=5
2021-01-27 14:44:00Z
52781334210923
Tidak ada komentar:
Posting Komentar