Ministers have been urged to create summer schools to help pupils catch up as they return to the classroom for the first time in more than two months – but up to a million children may be kept at home amid fears from parents. Schools are reopening with unprecedented social distancing measures, including face shields … Read more
Parents and teachers have expressed their nerves as more than two million pupils prepare to return to school today. Before classrooms begin to fill for the first time in more than two months, teachers have been sharing their support for one another as schools reopen with unprecendented social distancing measures in place to keep pupils … Read more
Summer holidays should not be cancelled because teachers have been working ‘flat out’ during lockdown, an education union chief has insisted. Despite the loss of face-to-face lessons, Mary Bousted, general secretary of the National Education Union, said her members deserved the time off. She said any headteachers looking to recuperate lessons, especially for those pupils … Read more
British teachers are today being urged to follow the lead of their French counterparts by going back to work and getting more than 1.4million children into class after two months in lockdown. Ministers across the Channel have revealed that they have had 70 cases of coronavirus in 40,000 schools and nurseries in the past 11 days … Read more
Reopening schools across Europe has not caused a spike in coronavirus cases. Evidence from 22 EU states that have restored classes suggests little or no risk to pupils, teachers or families. The revelation piles pressure on unions resisting plans to send younger children back from June 1. The National Education Union yesterday even claimed it … Read more
Risk of spreading coronavirus between teachers and children in schools is ‘extremely low’, according to major new study The study looked at 18 infected students and teachers in 15 schools in Australia The researchers say it shows that the virus’s spread is ‘limited’ in classrooms Children in reception, Year 1 and Year 6 may start … Read more
Britain’s head teachers’ union has backed plans for schools to reopen on June 1 following meetings with key government advisers. The Association of School and College Leaders claim teachers were no more at risk than any other profession heading back to work as coronavirus lockdown restrictions ease. The National Association of Head Teachers said it would … Read more
Bosses behind dozens of primary schools in England are backing plans for pupils to return to classrooms, despite strong opposition from teaching unions. The heads of four academy chains – Reach 2, Harris, Oasis and GEP – which teach a quarter of the UK’s children, have all thrown their weight behind government proposals to reopen schools … Read more
BMA says teachers’ unions are ‘absolutely right’ to claim it is unsafe for schools to open on June 1 while Children’s Commissioner leads calls to get pupils back as soon as possible Anne Longfield called on union leaders to work with ministers to get pupils back Former Labour education secretary has also criticised trade union … Read more
The row between teachers and unions over when and how to reopen our schools exploded last night. In an extraordinary intervention, former education secretary David Blunkett accused the unions of ‘working against the interests of children’ by continuing to frustrate teachers who are desperate to get back into the classroom. And current Education Secretary Gavin … Read more