Children’s education must not be ‘held to ransom’ if Covid risk continues to fall

With only a partial return to school now likely from late August onwards, the TUV leader said it would be “scandalous” if children remain at home longer than absolutely necessary.

“I am particularly concerned about some children who haven’t had the family back-up to sustain the level of teaching that they require. These are the children who need it most and are falling further behind,” he said.

“If we continue on the trajectory, which we appear to be on, which happily is seeing low levels of new cases and deaths, I fail to see why our schools shouldn’t be back in full operation.

“It would be scandalous if the last sector back in operation were schools. We cannot hold our children’s education to ransom,” Mr Allister added.

He also said some schools will need to be suppled with single, rather than double, desks to facilitate social distancing.

During a weekend BBC interview, DUP MP Sammy Wilson accused teachers’ trade unions of “whingeing” and of “trying to find a thousand difficulties for every situation”.

Responding to what he branded a “one-sided attack” on the unions, Justin McCamphill of the NASUWT said teachers are eager for a return to normal school life – and called on Mr Wilson to apologise for his remarks.

“We absolutely support a return to work, we just want to make sure it is safe,” he said.

“The [education] department produced guidance on Friday that we have had a chance to digest over the weekend and, while it is not everything that we could want, we expect that is the basis on which schools will be returning. And social distancing is central to that return, so therefore that means it won’t be a full return.

“I think Sammy Wilson should apologise to the teaching profession in Northern Ireland”.

Mr McCamphill said the notion of “blended” teaching in September means children could be in school for two days with the further three school days at home with set work.

“A lot of this will come down to how much time a teacher will have to support that, but I expect that they would be setting work the child will do at home.

“The department is consulting with us at the minute on guidance for what they are calling a ‘recovery curriculum,’ where schools are going to have to address those parts of the curriculum that some children will need to catch up on.”

However, Mr McCamphill said there is evidence from New Zealand – where schools have been closed for lengthy periods in the past due to earthquakes – that the “detrimental impact” of the absence was not as bad as had been feared.

Mr Wilson has not yet responded to a request for comment.