Opinion: ‘It’s time for schools to fully reopen’

A local teacher put it best. I was visiting one of Peterborough’s superb primary schools, when she said: “I went into teaching to change young lives. I can’t do that behind a computer screen.”

That message hit home.

Our schools have worked really hard to support home-learning and vulnerable families.

“They kept classrooms open for the children of key workers, then reopened more as year groups started to return in June.

But there are limits to what teachers can do while teaching remotely. Going to school matters. When children aren’t in the classroom, inequality goes up, life chances go down and the wellbeing of some is known to deteriorate.

The Government closed schools at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, on direct scientific advice. That decision probably helped to reduce the infection rate at the time, although its impact can’t be disentangled from many other restrictions.

Lockdown is over. Infection rates are low and far more is known about the risk factors involved. It’s time for schools to fully reopen

The UK’s Chief Medical Officers issued a joint statement this week, noting the “exceptionally small risk” to schoolchildren. Their conclusion was stark.

“Very few, if any, children or teenagers will come to long-term harm from COVID-19 due solely to attending school. This has to be set against a certainty of long-term harm to many children and young people from not attending school.”

They note that teachers have the same low risk as any other workers in a regular workplace. In fact, school staff are more likely to catch Coronavirus from other staff than from any of their pupils.

This is backed up by the emerging international evidence. Schools across Europe have returned to full teaching without significant problems arising.

Our normal assumptions about kids passing on colds and sniffles don’t apply. The Chief Medical Officers conclude that “schools are much less important in the transmission of COVID-19 than for influenza or some other respiratory infections.”

I do appreciate why some parents and staff have felt concern. But the evidence addresses those concerns clearly. We cannot justify keeping our children stuck at home any longer.

It is damaging lives. It’s wrong to pretend otherwise, however well-intentioned some people might be. And the damage would only deepen each day this situation continues.

Schools can and should deploy social distancing where they can, along with appropriate transport and hygiene measures.

Parents have new responsibilities too. Chatting at the school gates, grabbing a shared coffee after dropping the kids off, or taking turns for the school run are all good things in normal times.

They are less of a good thing right now.

The wider impact of school closures on families has been huge, so I am sure we can adjust for a bit. There’s no question that the effort is worth it because we can’t delay any longer.

This issue is so important. I believe all of the politicians in our city have a duty to support our schools reopening.

I urge the Labour councillors in Peterborough to see the reality, put their conspiracy theories aside and tell local parents that schools are safe enough for their children to return. End the division and opportunism. Join me in welcoming them back to the classroom. Our children have suffered enough disruption already.