Should schools be closed during lockdown? Here’s what our readers think

THERE has been a mixed reaction to the government’s decision not to include schools in the second national lockdown.
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Readers have been responding to Portsmouth teacher and National Education Union vice-president, Amanda Martin’s claim that both primary and secondary schools would ‘need to be part of any lockdown’.

Ms Martin added: ‘Ignoring the role of schools and colleges in the spread of the virus is likely to lead to the need for even longer lockdowns in future.’

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The NEU said figures from the Office for National Statistics show infection rates have increased by 50 times in secondary schools and risen nine fold in primary schools.

Readers have been debating whether schools should have been closed as part of lockdown.

Picture Michael Gillen.Readers have been debating whether schools should have been closed as part of lockdown.

Picture Michael Gillen.
Readers have been debating whether schools should have been closed as part of lockdown. Picture Michael Gillen.

Prime minister Boris Johnson said: ‘We must not let this virus damage our children and young people’s education.’

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What readers think

The aim of the lockdown is to get the R rate below one – the point at which infection levels start to decrease.

Here’s a flavour of what people have been saying on Facebook.

Comments against schools being part of lockdown

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Derek Chivers: ‘Can we close the hospitals as nurses may be at risk?

‘Both my daughters are front-line nurses and have been amongst it since day one.

‘The virus is here to stay and not going away anytime soon. We as a nation, along with others, need to accept that.’

Carla Van Kooperen: ‘I believe the kids should be in school.

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‘Children need others to develop not only their level of education but it is massively beneficial in terms of developing their social skills and benefiting their mental well being.

‘The stats are showing that the 5-15 year old category are the lowest category being affected by this disease so why would you shut down the school system, especially for those children that are vulnerable and rely on school for protection, nourishment and escape?’

Anonymous poster: ‘My son suffered during lockdown with his mental health and he has only just started to cope again with being back at school. Some kids can’t cope with no routine and being indoors with everyone 24/7 with just one period of 30 minutes exercise a day.’

Kerry Gater: ‘No way should they close schools again. I want my five-year-old to be at school. I'm no teacher and she's already missed out on six months of her education.’

Comments in support of schools being part of lockdown

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Lynda Williams: ‘Let’s have a complete lockdown and let’s get this virus under control so we can have some life.’

Saralu Dorey: ‘Let’s go back to online schooling so we can keep our children safe.’

Nadege Lindsay: ‘Education is important but so is children’s health. Parents do not social distance in the school playgrounds.’

Marion Udle: ‘Schools should be closed as children could spread germs to people at home. Our kids aren’t guinea pigs when everyone else is isolating.’

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Angie Clark: ‘Health comes before education. Children can do that at home with parents and guardians. The virus has spread more since September when the kids went back to school.’

After criticism over the union’s stance, many of those posting on Facebook were teachers and support staff who felt compelled to speak out in defence of education professionals.

Lauren Booth posted: ‘Would you gladly be in a classroom with 30 plus children and no protection in place? No masks, no screens, all coming from different families who have been on differing levels of how much they've been following the rules?

‘We don't want time off, we'd be working from home, just like last time. The risk we are putting ourselves at is massive. We want to teach but we just want to be safe.’

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Another person added: ‘Have you set foot in a school since you were attending one?

‘Before half-term I was sneezed on because children this age just cannot socially distance, and no primary staff get any sort of PPE. Bubbles are more like leaky buckets with the amount of sibling and family crossover.’

A message from the Editor, Mark Waldron

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