The Telegraph
There is a "real danger" that schools could remain closed until the summer, the Children's Commissioner warned as she blamed ministers for a "lack of planning". Downing Street needs to "think creatively" about how to get youngsters back to the classroom and must "ultimately make something happen", Anne Longfield said. Her intervention came as the Government came under mounting pressure from Tory MPs to explain why schools in their constituencies could not reopen after the February half-term. In a new policy briefing on schools, Ms Longfield said: "Everyone recognises the necessity of reopening schools as soon as possible, but hope alone will not make it happen. What is lacking is a clear roadmap towards this. There is a real danger that schools will remain closed until Easter at the earliest, or even into the summer – not because the virus makes this inevitable, but because of a lack of planning." She said that while the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (Sage) could provide modelling of different options, it was the role of ministers to "think creatively about what those different options might be, explore all possibilities, come up with a plan and ultimately make something happen". Ms Longfield set out a number of options for the gradual reopening of schools, including certain year groups returning sooner than others and children returning on a rota basis, meaning they take it in turns to come in on certain days. She said reopening is "not a simple on/off switch", and that while it may not be possible for all schools to open before Easter, that "does not mean it is impossible" for some children to go back in some areas on a smaller scale. On Tuesday, Gavin Williamson, the Education Secretary, came under fire for failing to appear in the Commons to answer Labour's urgent question on schools reopening. Instead, the schools minister Nick Gibb was pressed by MPs on what the Government's plan to reopen schools is.
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