Derbyshire councillor calls for all primary schools to temporarily adopt remote learning

Several councils in England have written to the Education Secretary Gavin Williamson asking for schools in their area to be told to stay shut – following closures in London.

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On Sunday, Prime Minister Boris Johnson said parents should send their children to primary school on Monday after the Christmas break as long as they are open in their area.

Mr Johnson said there was ‘no doubt in my mind that schools are safe’ but did not rule out further closures.

The Liberal Democrats want all primary schools to move to remote learning until January 18 and urged ministers to use that time to ‘get ahead of the virus’ and ‘publish a clear plan to open schools safely’.

Councillor Ross Shipman, Liberal Democrat group leader on North East Derbyshire District Council, said: “Parents are rightly concerned about sending their children to schools across Derbyshire – so while we have a dithering Prime Minister who refuses to acknowledge the risk of children spreading the virus, it’s crucial now that Derbyshire County Council show some leadership and tell parents to keep their kids at home until teachers and children can be kept safe.

"The Government cannot keep claiming they are tackling the spread of virus and at the same time sending children to mix with hundreds of different parents every day.”

Coun Barry Lewis, county council leader, said decisions about opening are made by individual schools.

Anne Longfield, the Children's Commissioner for England, called for teachers to be vaccinated ‘as a priority’ as she said that any school closure should be for ‘the absolute minimum of time and that time must be used very well’.

Writing in the Sunday Telegraph, Ofsted chief inspector Amanda Spielman said ‘children’s lives can’t just be put on hold’.

Most primary schools in England are set to return on Monday – but in London and some surrounding areas they will not open for most pupils until January 18 due to the fast-spreading new variant of Covid-19.

Secondary schools in England are expected to stagger their return with pupils taking exams in 2021 starting on January 11 and other year groups returning in person on January 18.

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