'Huge catch-up job' ahead for schools, MPs warn
MPs today warned of the “huge catch-up job” ahead for pupils after rules on school bubbles were scrapped.
Education Secretary Gavin Williamson announced that measures which have seen large numbers of pupils sent home if a single child has a positive Covid test would end on July 19, while close contacts will not need to isolate from August 16.
Last week more than 640,000 youngsters were sent home from schools in England, including thousands across the Black Country and Staffordshire.
The move has been welcomed by MPs across the region, who say the country now faces a major challenge in helping children to catch up with lost education.
Speaking in the Commons, South Staffordshire MP Mr Williamson said a stricter testing regime in schools would replace the bubbles system, meaning more pupils would be able to stay in school.
He said: “We recognise that the system of bubbles and isolation is causing disruption to many children’s education. That is why we’ll be ending bubbles and transferring contact tracing to the NHS Test and Trace system for early years settings, schools and colleges.”
Wolverhampton South East MP Pat McFadden, the Shadow City Minister, said: “There’s a massive catch-up job to do and if it is not done the pandemic will have a lasting negative effect on the life chances of today’s school children.”
He added: “I welcome any measure that means children spend more time at school and are less likely to be sent home because a positive case of the virus has been identified in school.
“The bubble system has been a big strain on parents too with people having to adapt when children are sent home. But ending the bubble system is only one step – the far bigger job is making sure the past year doesn’t mean children losing out in the future.”
Dudley South MP Mike Wood said he wanted to see youngsters back in the class safely and added: “This will be a huge relief to people from across the region who have seen education disrupted over the last 16 months.”
Wolverhampton South East MP Pat McFadden, the Shadow City Minister, said the country now faced a major challenge to make sure the pandemic does not cause “permanent harm” to children’s opportunities in life.
He added: “I welcome any measure that means children spend more time at school and are less likely to be sent home because a positive case of the virus has been identified in school.
“The bubble system has been a big strain on parents too with people having to adapt when children are sent home. But ending the bubble system is only one step – the far bigger job is making sure the past year doesn’t mean children losing out in the future.”
Stuart Anderson, Conservative MP for Wolverhampton South West, said one of his own children had missed almost an entire month of school last year due to having to self-isolate.
“I’ve got five children and they have spent so much time at home,” he said. “Measures have had to be in place, and although schools have done a fantastic job with remote learning, we have now got to move forward.
“Children’s education is key and we have already seen so many hours of learning being lost. It will be a relief to plenty of families that we are now moving on to the next phase.”
According to official figures just four per cent of those who were sent home from school last month were confirmed Covid cases, with the remainder classed as potential contacts.
On Monday it was confirmed that almost all restrictions will be lifted on July 19, including social distancing and mandatory mask wearing.
