Prime Minister Boris Johnson insists 'schools are safe' amid calls for closures from teaching unions

Prime Minister Boris Johnson said he has "no doubt" that schools are safe and parents should send primary-age children back to classrooms this week where schools remain open.
Watch more of our videos on Shots! 
and live on Freeview channel 276
Visit Shots! now

Mr Johnson said he understood people's concerns about children returning for the new term but said education is "a priority".

Speaking on The Andrew Marr Show on BBC One, the Prime Minister said: "Schools are safe. It is very, very important to stress that.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

"The risk to kids, to young people is really very, very small indeed.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson said schools are safe. Photo by John Sibley-WPA Pool/Getty Images.Prime Minister Boris Johnson said schools are safe. Photo by John Sibley-WPA Pool/Getty Images.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson said schools are safe. Photo by John Sibley-WPA Pool/Getty Images.

"The risk to staff is very small.

"I would advise all parents thinking about want to do, look at where your area is, overwhelmingly you'll be in a part of the country where primary schools tomorrow will be open."

He added: "I understand people's frustrations, I understand people's anxieties but there is no doubt in my mind that schools are safe and that education is a priority."

Gavin Williamson confirmed on Friday that all London primary schools will remain shut to most pupils next week - rather than just those in certain boroughs as set out earlier in the week - but teaching unions say all schools should close for the next two weeks.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

On Saturday evening, the Department for Education said remote learning was "a last resort" and classrooms should reopen "wherever possible" with appropriate safety measures to help mitigate the risk of transmission.

"As we've said, we will move to remote education as a last resort, with involvement of public health officials, in areas where infection and pressures on the NHS are highest," the spokesperson said.

General secretary of the National Education Union (NEU) Dr Mary Bousted earlier said schools should stay closed for two weeks to "break the chain" of transmission and prevent the NHS becoming overwhelmed."

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

The union, which represents the majority of teachers, has advised its members it is not safe to return to classrooms on Monday.

NAHT general secretary Paul Whiteman said the union had started preliminary steps in legal proceedings against the Department for Education (DfE), asking it to share its scientific data about safety and transmission rates.

Read More
Key questions answered on the new Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine being rolled out to...

You can subscribe to this website and enjoy unlimited access to local news, information and puzzles online. With a digital subscription, you can read more than 5 articles, see fewer ads, enjoy faster load times, and get access to exclusive newsletters and content. Simply click ‘Subscribe’ in the menu.