The children’s commissioner for England has said that schools should only close after pubs, restaurants and non-essential shops in the event of a future lockdown.
Anne Longfield said that the right to an education should not be an "afterthought", and that schools ought instead to be the "first to open, last to close". She continued that children play a small role in the spread of coronavirus and that they are far less likely to become ill from it. The government have stated that enabling children to return to school is a national priority.
While Longfield did acknowledge the importance in reducing the transmission of Covid-19 in the community, she stated that: “it should not be automatically assumed that this requires closing schools - except as a last resort".
The briefing paper supported regular testing of pupils and teachers to allow for the isolation of any confirmed Covid-19 cases and their close contacts "without necessarily having to send entire classes or year groups home".
It continued: "This will be particularly important in the 2020/21 winter flu season when clusters of flu could be mistaken for a Covid-19 outbreak and result in unnecessary closure or interruption."
The paper also asks the Department of Education to expand its laptop programme when pupils need to work online, while also considering the disadvantage pupils who are expected to sit exams next year will face.
Longfield concluded: "Regular testing must be also in place for teachers and pupils, to reassure parents.
"If the choice has to be made in a local area about whether to keep pubs or schools open, then schools must always take priority."
