Here's what Portsmouth parents have said about the potential of keeping primary schools shut because of Covid-19

Amanda Martin, a Portsmouth teacher and president of the National Education Union (NEU), made the plea today as the United Kingdom recorded 57,725 new coronavirus cases – its highest daily total ever.

After an emergency meeting, the NEU has collectively urged government ministers to ‘listen to the science’ and close primary and special needs schools until infection rates decrease.

And parents in Portsmouth have since taken to Facebook to have their say.

Their outcry also follows a government U-turn on Wednesday as the education secretary, Gavin Williamson, announced a delayed start to the new school term.

Here’s what Portsmouth’s parents have said

:: Claire Wearn: ‘My daughter is in a primary school and I can tell you she’s not going back.’

:: Kim Cammidge: ‘I didn’t shield my kids over Xmas and not see family so I could send them back into a classroom of 30 kids – some of whom no doubt didn’t follow government guidelines – potentially putting my family at risk. Maybe having an extremely clinically-vulnerable child I’m more cautious than some, but it seems crazy to send them all back when cases are so high.’

:: Andrew Groff: ‘What if both parents work full time and there is no one able to look after your kids? If you are in the position to be able to keep your children at home at no inconvenience to yourself, then you are very lucky.’

:: Gemma Wilson: ‘Think it should be parents’ choice.’

:: Jacqui Jaxs: ‘Close them! Open them and there’s no point being in tier 4!’

:: Stephy Dealey: ‘Schools need to be open, by keeping children out of school you are seriously jeopardising their futures. It's not just the academic side of school that is important, the social side is hugely important to children's futures.’

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:: Nicola Jane: ‘As well as keeping children safe, think about teaching staff. You wouldn’t have an office with over 80 members of staff open!’

:: Nick Gardner: ‘If you cannot mix with your relatives of one household over Christmas how do you expect teachers to have classes of around 30 households – plus any number of staff?’

:: Tracey Mcnally: ‘Schools can’t remain closed. BoJo needs the parents out working. Who will look after kids when parents [are] out working? Grandparents who, if over 60, are more vulnerable.’

:: Josie Buxey: ‘They need to stay open, especially with children who have special needs [who] don't understand why they can't go to school. And also they have had plenty of time to get the schools safe for children and staff to be there.’

:: Alice Stanley: ‘How can you make a school safe when groups of sometimes over 40 people are mixing at one time in a small, enclosed classroom? No matter how much procedural stuff schools have put into place, teachers and support staff are still mixing with up to 40 children from separate families. It’s just ridiculous that that could ever be deemed as ‘safe’.

:: Jade Hallett: ‘If adults are being told to work from home if they can, why can’t parents opt in to remote learning if that’s what they feel will keep their child safe without fearing a huge fine? I for one like many parents struggled with the schools shutting and having them home that long. But when it’s this bad, I’d do it the whole year to keep them safe.’

A message from the Editor, Mark Waldron

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