All schools need Nightingale Hospital-style ‘national effort’ to reopen in September

In an exclusive column for The Yorkshire Post, Anne Longfield, who comes from Otley, challenges the Government to take immediate action to help those children whose schooling has been badly disrupted by the Covid-19 lockdown.

Her action plan – which includes persuading former teachers to come out of retirement and the construction of temporary clasrooms – comes as Ministers come under increasing pressure to produce an action plan to enable all schools to fully reopen from September.

Teaching unions also want libraries and community centres to be converted into makeshift classrooms to make it easier for schools – and pupils – to comply with the current two metre rule on social distancing.

Today Ms Longfield accuses Mr Johnson of a lack of urgency amid growing fears about the education – and welfare – of 700,000 vulnerable children across the country as Ministers are accused of putting populist measures, like the reopening of zoos, before the needs of pupils.

She fears that the botched reopening of schools – Education Secretary Gavin Wiliamson has now conceded that all primary school pupils will not resume lessons this term – will widen the North-South attainment gap.

There were calls for Government intervention, part of The Yorkshire Post’s Power Up The North campaign, before Covid-19 forced the closure of all schools in March.

“I cannot understand why opening schools is less urgent than opening theme parks, pub gardens and zoos,” writes Ms Longfield ahead of the latest lifting of the lockdown by the Prime Minister.

“The Government needs to be more ambitious. Schools will never be 100 per cent safe for as long as there is no vaccine, so risk has to be managed.

“But billions have been spent on managing the impact on the economic and NHS – it is now time schools were included too. We need a national effort for education on the scale of the Nightingale hospitals.”

Ms Longfield says the Government’s top priority must be ensuring that all schools are safe to open at the start of the new academic year.

“It means sorting rapid testing for teachers and children, finding temporary classrooms, hiring retired teachers and marshalling volunteers to do everything they can to open-up classrooms by September,” she added.

“It also means introducing a ‘‘Catch Up Premium’’ like the one supported by the Northern Powerhouse, so there is extra help for children in the most disadvantaged areas of the North.

“It would be ridiculous if children are able to go to Lightwater Valley this summer, but not back to school in September.

“It must be a top priority for the Government to make sure schools in Yorkshire are ready to open their doors for all children by then.”

The Prime Minister continues to resist calls form Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer to set up a special task force to co-ordinate the reopening of schools.

But Mr Johnson has intimated that a relaxation to the two metre social distancing rule is on the agenda to help schools to accommodate more youngsters of all ages – a more detailed plan could be launched next week.

And Commons leader Jacob Rees-Mogg acknowledged the growing criticism about the Government’s approach towards schools.

“It is an issue that we are all facing as to how things reopen in a way that protects safety and health,” he told MPs yesterday.

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