Prime Minister must strike delicate balance with tough choices over schooling - The Yorkshire Post says

Boris Johnson and his Government are facing a precarious balancing act when it comes to decisions around the controversial issue of whether or not schools should open during this period of high coronavirus infection rates.

Whilst many primary schools in the country are returning for the start of the new term today, some in areas of the south of England will not re-open for face-to-face teaching for most pupils and secondary schools and colleges across England are operating a staggered return for their students. In a weekend that saw the president of the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health state that children’s wards were not seeing “significant pressure” from Covid-19, and Ofsted chief inspector Amanda Spielman warn that children’s education cannot be put on “furlough”, the Prime Minister said he had “no doubt” that classrooms were safe and the risk to young people was “very, very small”.

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But there are calls from teaching unions to close all schools for the next two weeks, with the National Education Union saying the move was needed to “break the chain” of transmission and prevent the NHS from becoming “overwhelmed”.

The Prime Minister said he had 'no doubt' schools were safe when he appeared on The Andrew Marr Show yesterday. Photo: Jeff Overs/PAThe Prime Minister said he had 'no doubt' schools were safe when he appeared on The Andrew Marr Show yesterday. Photo: Jeff Overs/PA
The Prime Minister said he had 'no doubt' schools were safe when he appeared on The Andrew Marr Show yesterday. Photo: Jeff Overs/PA
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As the first doses of the newly-approved Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine are rolled out today, the schools debate continues to be an impassioned matter – and with numerous, and equally important, facets to consider, it is perhaps not surprising. The Government has the unenviable task of ensuring that children and young people receive the vital education they deserve, whilst controlling the spread of the virus and protecting society’s most vulnerable.

With Mr Johnson hinting at tougher coronavirus measures ahead, the decisions to be made around schooling are not going to be easy. Frequent, careful and considered review will be key as the pandemic continues to develop.

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