By Gavin Mackintosh-
Only primary school kids and Years 11 and 13 in the Uk are to be allowed to return to class on January 4 , it has been revealed
Other pupils could be stuck at home until February under new Covid plans, further impacting the education of several pupils heavily.
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Children from disadvantaged backgrounds are expected to be hit the most, although the British government has in the past promised to provide funding for tuition for kids who may need the extra help. The problem is that teachers are not offering the availability of free tuition from the government, leaving it down to informed parents to request it if they think they need it.
It remains to be seen how many families actually ask for tuition, and seeing what proportion get the tuition.
Tuition cannot currently be conducted in person because of lockdown rules, but can be done via zoom or skype. It is debatable whether tuition via zoom is as efficient as tuition in person. The closer interaction of teaching is lost, where the tutor can explain things in greater detail, and even right things down for pupils to read and copy.
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Stricter Lockdown
Boris Johnson was reportedly told last week by SAGE, led by Chief Scientific Adviser Patrick Vallance, that a stricter lockdown is required to keep the ‘R’ rate below 1, an adviser has claimed. Sage wants all schools, but ideally secondaries, shut for a month while keeping pubs and all non-essential shops closed.
. Sage wants all schools, but ideally secondaries, shut for a month while keeping pubs and all non-essential shops closed.
Staggering
Cabinet Office minister Michael Gove said the Government is still set on staggering the reopening of schools as planned but warned of “trade-offs
He told Times Radio: “We do keep things under review, and we’ll be talking to head teachers and teachers in the next 24, 48 hours just to make sure that our plans… are really robust.”
He said: “It is our intention to make sure we can get children back to school as early as possible. But we all know that there are trade-offs.
“As a country we have decided – and I think this is the right thing to do – that we prioritise children returning to school.
“But we have a new strain and it is also the case that we have also had, albeit in a very limited way, Christmas mixing, so we do have to remain vigilant.”
Mr Gove said the current plan was for primary school pupils, GCSE and A-level students and kids of key workers to return to school next week, with other secondary school students returning the following week.
He said reviews would be possible, warning of longer periods of enforced online learning as a possibility.
Gavin Williamson will be at an important meeting today, where he intends to make a compelling case to keep classrooms open in Tier 4 areas in the new term.
Last week scientists warned Boris Johnson he should keep secondary schools closed in January, with the possibility of a national lockdown, Politico reports.
R Rate
SAGE, which advises the British government on the pandemic, told the PM the R rate could be kept down below 1 if schools remained shut – with secondary schools the key to achieving this.
Last week Professor Neil Ferguson told the Commons Science and Technology Committee the new strain of coronavirus is “everywhere now”.
He said: “Schools are now shut, we are in a near-lockdown situation across the country. Contact rates are lower over Christmas.”
Experts have suggested kids could spread the disease faster, with several Government figures earlier indicating schools could remain closed throughout January.
Teachers are expected to be bumped up the vacation list when the Oxford jab is approved this week.
The National Education Union has previously said the Government should allow schools to move classes online for most pupils for a fortnight in January to allow Covid-19 cases to fall.
A Whitehall source said full closure for schools in the “stay at home” areas was “on the table – but a long was from being implemented.”
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