Schools to return? Here's what the experts say

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Here's what the experts say:

OFSTED CHIEF INSPECTOR

Ofsted chief inspector Amanda Spielman said there is a "great deal of logic" in targeting younger children to return to the classroom.

She told Sophy Ridge On Sunday that "normality" for younger children is important, saying that the younger they are "the more they need routine".

From parents' point of view it is logical for younger pupils to be in school she added, as they tend to need more "care and oversight".

Ms Spielman also suggested that there could be a "mixed economy" for "some while" with some youngsters in school and others still learning at home.

ESSEX MP

Robert Halfon, MP for Harlow, said that delays to primary schooling have an "enormous effect" on children's education and skills later on in life and that it is his preference that early years education and primary schools open when possible to do so.

Mr Halfon, who is chairman of the Commons education select committee, also told Sky News that he understands that there are "huge anxieties" about ending the lockdown, but he also believes that parents will want their children's education to resume.

He said he would support "some kind of summer school" run not by teachers but by volunteers.

UNIONS

Kevin Courtney, joint general secretary of the National Education Union, said: "While we all want to see a return to some sort of normality the National Education Union believes it's really premature to talk about a June return date.

"Instead the Government should be providing evidence about how this can be safe, how many more fatalities would we expect to see amongst school staff and parents and how these can be prevented or minimised."

GOVERNMENT DEPUTY CHIEF MEDICAL OFFICER

Dr Jenny Harries told the Downing Street press briefing yesterday: "What we do know for children is that if they get infected ... younger children probably tend to have less clinical disease and if they have clinical disease - ie, they show some symptoms - they tend to progress less frequently to severe disease, so that's pretty good."

But she said "the transmission of disease" was in the "unknown box".

Dr Harries added: "The quality of the evidence is quite difficult at the moment, so you shouldn't take this as the truth, but there are some signs, let's put it that way, that potentially younger children, and I mean, say, infant junior school age, are less susceptible to disease and potentially transmit it less.

"But those are very early indicators if you like and they need testing with proper robust evidence."

She said the evidence was "far less clear" for older children and highlighted the importance of looking at how children interact with communities.

GOVERNMENT

Communities Secetary, Robert Jenrick, told yesterday's Downing Street press briefing that the Education Secretary, Gavin Williamson, had said that the Government was not today able to give a date to parents for the return of schools.

"He has said that that's going to be done carefully, and may well be in a phased manner," Mr Jenrick added.

He said the Government was focused on ensuring that children got a good quality of education while at home, and that he understood the difficulties of home-schooling.

"I've seen the anecdotal evidence so far, but important evidence nonetheless, of the differences in the quality of education being delivered to different children, in terms of the most vulnerable children in society appearing to receive less education than those in other households."