Prove nurseries are safe or close them, says leader

Writing to the Education Secretary Gavin Williamson, Birmingham City Council leader Ian Ward has demanded that evidence for these premises to continue to be ‘fully operational’ be provided by the government.

Both primary and secondary schools were closed to all but vulnerable and key worker children back at the start of the month, with both Covid cases and deaths soaring in recent weeks.

However nurseries and pre-schools have been told to remain open, with the government stating that ‘the earliest years are the most crucial point of child development’ and insisting that ‘current evidence suggests that pre-school children are less susceptible to infection and are unlikely to be playing a driving role in transmission’.

In a letter sent to Mr Williamson on Monday, Councillor Ward pointed to the rising rate in the city in under fives, with the figure now up to 217/100,000 from 59/100,000 back on December 9.

And he has asked the education secretary to show on what evidence the government has taken this decision, writing: “With pre-schools and nurseries continuing to operate through the current lockdown, we are writing to ask your department to urgently publish evidence that it is safe for these early years settings to remain fully operational.

“These providers and their staff deserve the same care and consideration as all education workers.

“They also deserve evidence that they are not putting themselves and their families at risk, but sadly Government has not provided clear and persuasive evidence to the sector or to parents to show that it is safe for early years settings to remain open.

“If unable to publish evidence reassuring the sector, the Government must surely consider the closure of pre-school settings to all but the children of key workers and those who are vulnerable.

“The safety and wellbeing of staff and children must be the key driver for any decision. However, if conclusive evidence is provided and the sector remains open, it is essential that the Government provides the necessary financial support, both for those reliant on ‘free entitlement’ funding, and those reliant on private parental income, to enable settings to remain viable.”