90% of parents would be unhappy with schools reopening soon after lockdown is eased, survey finds
NINE out of ten parents say they would be unhappy with schools reopening soon after lockdown is eased, according to a survey by charity Parentkind.
The results were released as the organisation and teaching unions signed a joint letter to Education Secretary Gavin Williamson asking him not to “rush into decisions”.
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The survey result was revealed by the BBC last night, with a full report expected to be published today.
John Jolly, Chief Executive of Parentkind, said: “Overwhelmingly parents tell us that they do not want their children to go back to school until it is safe to do so, with most wanting clarity on when this could be.
“It is vital that parents’ voices are heard and shape government action.”
Calling for key criteria to be met before any return, National Education Union general secretary Kevin Courtney said: “We agree with parents that schools should not return until it is safe to so.”
“We all want some sort of normality, we all want children and young people to be back in school. What we do not want is a rushed return that ignores the potential risks to students, their families, school staff and wider society.”
“For the Government to gain the trust of parents and school staff they must meet the reasonable five tests that the NEU, supported by Parentkind, have asked to be met. Failure to do so is risking the prolonged threat of this pandemic for the whole of society.”
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Dean Jones, Principal at the Firth Park Academy in Sheffield, said school life would change dramatically after lockdown.
He told the BBC: “Having looked at our staircases, they are not sufficiently wide, so they would have to be one way.”
“To keep corridors clear, it will be teachers moving wherever possible, rather than students. One-way corridors are a must, considering staggering the entry and exit times to lessons.”
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