With Covid cases at an all-time high and possible new restrictions being brought in imminently, many parents have been left wondering whether their children will be able to return to school in January.
The bottom line is, under the current UK regulations and guidance, schools will offer in-person teaching when they start the term in 2022. However, due to the uncertain nature of the pandemic, this is always subject to change.
A Department For Education spokesperson told Grazia: ‘We know children and young people want to be in the classroom and it is the very best place for their education and wellbeing, which is why protecting face to face education continues to be an absolute priority.
‘In response to rising cases and the Omicron variant, we have asked older students and staff to wear face coverings in communal areas,’ the spokesperson continued. ‘The Education Secretary [Nadhim Zahawi] has written to all education staff to explain what we’re doing to support the workforce, boost teacher capacity, and keep children in school.’
Measures currently planned for when schools come back from Christmas break include testing on return to the classroom, increased vaccination, better classroom ventilation and enhanced hygiene.
Zahawi has also called on ex-teachers to come out of retirement and return to the classroom in a bid to help with dire staff shortages, which forced many schools to start teaching online before the Christmas holidays began.
The BBC reported that as many as 30 local authorities across the UK had already moved some of their lessons online and closed classrooms in December, with numerous children sent home with laptops in preparation for remote teaching in the new year.
At present, teachers generally appear to be hoping for the best and preparing for the worst. One primary school teacher from Surrey told Grazia: ‘We’re already quite prepared as we’ve had Covid absence and had to keep providing home learning this term for people isolating. They’ve said [home learning] is a possibility but I really hope it doesn’t happen.’
Numerous children have been sent home with laptops in preparation for remote teaching in the new year.
Another added: ‘Our deputy head is making an online learning timetable over the holidays just in case. I think they have no idea [what’s going on] to be honest because it seems like the government has no idea.’
To prevent school closures, the Department For Education is urging for more testing and vaccinations to take place. They told Grazia: ‘We strongly encourage students, staff, and families to keep testing regularly and get their booster jab — or second jab if they are 12-15 – as soon as possible.’
For those whose children’s schools are already working remotely, the frustration over the uncertainty about whether they’ll return to school in the New Year is clear.
Steve from Maidenhead, Berkshire, whose son was sent home from school before Christmas, told Grazia: ‘They didn’t mention anything about January, just that they are closing his whole year down early due to staff shortages because of Covid.
‘He’s missed months of school…We will probably have to get him a private tutor at some point to get him back on track…I’m not a fan of home learning. They [children] have no interaction with people at all, no physical education and it’s not healthy being stuck at home 24/7.’
Yet, with rising case numbers there’s an argument for online learning, too. In the week ending December 1, there were 11,322 positive cases linked to primary schools and nurseries, compared with 10,846 cases the previous week. Meanwhile, in secondary schools and colleges there were 15,768 positives up from 14,933, the BBC reported.
Despite the statistics, education minister Alex Burghart remains reassuringly optimistic. ‘The government is throwing the kitchen sink at making sure that schools get back [in January],’ he told MPs.
‘The key to our success in the battle against Omicron will be the booster programme. This is how we maximise our chances for making sure that our children get the world-class education they deserve.’
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