Bradford becomes latest council to say it will not force schools to re-open

Parents will not be encouraged to send their children back despite the Government's wishes, and fines will not be issued to anyone keeping their child at home.

It is the latest council in Yorkshire which has defied suggestions that schools may begin re-opening to selected students in June, after Calderdale Council claimed yesterday that it would not be doing so.

Calderdale's leader Coun Tim Swift said he had "major concerns" that the Government's tests were "not currently being met" in the borough, and that as a result the authority was advising schools against re-opening.

In a statement, Coun Imran Khan, Bradford Council’s portfolio holder for education, employment and skills, said the safety of pupils, teachers and school staff was its "top priority".

He said: “Bradford Council has no intention of directing schools to open on June 1 or to force parents to send their children back and we are committed to working in partnership with school leaders, families and trade unions so that they can make sure their schools are safe environments for our children whenever they choose to open.

"Parents will not be fined if they choose not to send their children back to school at this time."

Coun Khan added: “Obviously we will always want children to be at school so they get the best life outcomes and so that vulnerable children are safe.

“Many schools in our district have been working hard over the past two months of the pandemic to support vulnerable children and the children of key workers and these activities have gone well beyond what would normally be expected of school staff."

The Government announced last week that pupils in Years 1 and 6, as well as nursery and reception children, would be able to return from June 1 "at the earliest".

In a recent daily briefing, Health Secretary Matt Hancock refused to answer whether parents would still be fined if they chose to keep their children off school once institutions were re-opened.

Coun Khan continued: "In Bradford, we are very aware that schools will need to reopen too at some point in the future but during this pandemic keeping pupils, staff and their families safe has to be our top priority.

“We have been working closely with head teachers to establish exactly what is needed for them reopen safely. Each school is different, and we believe that head teachers know their pupils and their circumstances and are best placed to decide whether or how their schools should reopen. Each school is carrying out a detailed risk assessment so they can establish based on evidence whether it is safe to open or not.

“We will back the schools and support whatever decisions that individual heads and governing bodies make, whether they open on a limited basis or continue to open just for vulnerable children and the children of key workers as they do now. Once schools have established what they are able to do we will work with them to make sure this information is widely available to parents.

“We will continue to liaise closely with the Department for Education so they are fully sighted on the issues that affect the children and families of Bradford. What we need is a planned, careful and robust way out of this lockdown for schools. We are therefore calling on the government to publish the scientific evidence so that everyone is equipped with the information and can be reassured on when it is safe to open.

“Schools across the Bradford District have been supporting children and their families throughout this crisis and we are hugely grateful for the continued efforts of all schools and their staff.”