Furious parents lash out as theme parks and zoos to open but schools may be shut until September
FURIOUS parents have lashed out as theme parks and zoos are set to open but schools may be shut until September. The Education Secretary Gavin Williamson yesterday admitted the plan for all primary school kids to return for a month before the summer holidays has been officially ditched. Just hours after admitting kids would not […]
FURIOUS parents have lashed out as theme parks and zoos are set to open but schools may be shut until September.
The Education Secretary Gavin Williamson yesterday admitted the plan for all primary school kids to return for a month before the summer holidays has been officially ditched.
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Just hours after admitting kids would not all be getting the education they need, the Government unveiled plans for Zoos, Theme Parks and drive-in cinemas to open from Monday.
Children’s Commissioner Anne Longfield has now accused ministers of “furloughing childhood”, while parents lined up to voice their anger at the plans.
Children have started to go back to school across the world following the coronavirus outbreak, but Britain’s cautious approach is seeing most still learning from home.
Parents and MPs are furious that pubs, restaurants, theme parks and zoos are set to reopen in the coming weeks, but still millions of children won’t be getting to learn.
One parent said: “Does seem a bit silly that my kids can go to a zoo or Ikea but can’t go to school. Of course I want them to be safe but there must be a way.”
Another blasted: “No school’s kids let’s go to a theme park or the zoo that’s going to help you get a job in the future”.
It comes as:
- A top MP warned 700,000 disadvantaged kids are NOT doing home work and don’t have access to computers
- The Government admitted all school children may not be back in class full time for the September term
- New figures revealed pupils are more likely to be hit by lightning than die of coronavirus
- Good Morning Britain’s Susanna Reid slammed the “national scandal” of school closures and shared fears of a “lost generation”
Today the Chancellor Rishi Sunak insisted the Government was making “good progress” on schools.
He said: “I personally think every day our children are not at school is a tragedy.
“It’s obviously going to have an impact on their futures.
“That’s why I’m so glad that as part of our measured and deliberate plan, we were able to reopen schools on 1 June for a number of pupils, especially our youngest children.
“We can’t do it all in one go, we have to take careful and measured and deliberate steps to do it, but that’s what we’re doing.”
A pastor at Westgate Chapel also bashed the announcement.
Gareth Russell tweeted: “This is disheartening: churches are closed for gatherings, my 8 year-old will not go to school until Sept at the earliest.
“But, don’t worry: we’ll be able to go to the zoo, get an air bridge holiday, and shop at Sports Direct at 9am on a Sunday morning.”
Other parents pointed the finger at both schools and the unions for failing to do more.
One tweeted: “I want my kids to go back. It’s not right that my sons education is being used as a political football between the government and the unions!
“I want the government to make teachers return to school.”
Another added: “I have three Children in years 11, 8 and year 5. None of them will be going back until September.
“They want to go, I want them to go, but the Schools / Govt disgracefully don’t want them to. Remember ‘every lesson shapes a life’? 6 months with no formal education is madness!”
This morning Business Minister Nadim Zahawi defended the decision to open zoos and safari parks before schools, insisting it gave parents “other outdoor facilities that they can enjoy with their children”.
He added: “The same voices that last week were supporting people who are saying do not open up the schools are this week criticising us for saying we will take it deliberately carefully.”
Just one in four children returned to classrooms last week.
New figures from the Department of Education show only 52 per cent opened their doors to children from nursery, Reception, Year 1 and Year 6.
The shocking numbers show just 659,000 children were at school last Thursday, 6.9 per cent of all pupils who normally attend.
However, it’s not yet known how many kids were eligible to attend last week in the first place.
