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All primary school children may not return to school before September, minister says

Children of essential workers eat lunch in segregated positions at Kempsey Primary School in Worcester
Children of essential workers eat lunch in segregated positions at Kempsey Primary School in Worcester

All primary school children may not return to school before September, a minister has said.

Nick Gibb, the schools minister, admitted that it is “difficult to say” whether all children aged between four and eleven will be able to return to the classroom before the summer holidays.

He said that he does not “know for certain” that schools will open at all until the latest data on transmissions is published on Thursday.

Speaking to MPs at the education select committee, he said that it will “depend on the science”, but added that “all the evidence is that it is going in the right direction”.

“We don’t know until we see more evidence of the R effect continuing to reduce over the next few weeks,” Mr Gibb added.

Earlier this month, the Prime Minister said that schools should prepare for pupils in Reception, Year One and Year Six to return from June 1, with the “ambition” that the rest of primary school children would be back in the classroom by the end of the month.

But the announcement has been met with staunch opposition from teacher unions and dozens of local councils who said it is not safe to reopen next month.

More than 50 councils have said they are against the June 1 start date and are either allowing headteachers to make their own arrangements or advising them not to open.

The UK’s largest teacher union, the National Education Union, has told its members not to “engage” with plans to reopen schools.

Robert Halfon MP, the Tory chair of the education select committee, asked the schools minister if he could give a “steer” on whether all primary children will return to school before the summer holidays. Mr Gibb said it is “difficult to say” adding that this will be “totally led by the science”.

Asked what the Government is doing about councils which are at “loggerheads” with its decision to open schools next month, Mr Gibb said that the Department for Education’s regional teams have been talking to them.

He said that the “vast majority” of local authorities are preparing for schools to reopen, and that his officials are working with any council chiefs who have particular concerns about this.

Mr Gibb told the committee: “I am very optimistic and confident that the vast majority of local authorities are planning to open for Reception, Year One and Year Six on June 1, and they are planning for young people in Year 10 and Year 12 to come back for part of the time for face to face teaching.

“I am confident that most authorities are ensuring that planning is working.  It will be a phased approach in the week beginning June 1, there is no doubt about that, but I am confident that planning is taking place.”

On Wednesday the Prime Minister said that while he “would like to” reopen schools before the summer holidays, the decision is dependent on the latest coronavirus transmission rates which will be announced on Thursday.