Secondary school kids in Years 10 and 12 could join primary pupils in returning from June 1

SECONDARY schoolkids could join primary pupils and return in just two weeks, the government said tonight after a fiery row between ministers and unions.

Gavin Williamson said the government is pushing on with plans for pupils in Reception, Years 1, 6, 10 and 12 to return "as early as next month".

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The Education Secretary revealed during today's press conference that pupils in Year 10 and Year 12 will be back "on a limited" basis to help them plan for exams next year.

He said schools would only return if rates of infection continue to decrease and therefore give the "green light".

Mr Williamson also revealed that those children and staff who do return will be eligible for a free coronavirus test, as the government begins to set out measures aimed at keeping teachers and pupils safe.

He said: "School staff can already be tested for the virus, but from the first of June we'll extend that to cover children and their families if any of them develop symptoms.

"Together these measures will create an inherently safer system where the risk of transmission is substantially reduced for children, their teachers and also their families."

It comes as the row between ministers and teaching unions intensified over when schools should reopen.

Unions are opposed to the plan, claiming teachers, pupils and their families will be at risk of catching the deadly virus.

Mr Williamson has warned teaching unions of "consequences" of schools not reopening.

He said: "The longer the schools are closed, the more the children miss out. Teachers know this.

"There are some who would like to delay the opening of schools - there is a consequence to this."

Mr Williamson dodged answering if any disciplinary action would be taken and said he was working with teaching unions to "give people the confidence in returning to school".

He said he wanted to start planning Year 10 and Year 12 pupils returning "so they can get the opportunity to come back on a limited basis to have some face to face" time as they will be sitting exams.

Mr Williamson said: "We do want to see children back in school because we know how much children benefit from being in school."

He added: "They stand to lose more by staying away from school."

In terms of what a return to school would look like, Mr Williamson said class sizes would only have a maximum of 15 pupils, a "rigorous" hand washing and cleaning regime and "creating a protective and small bubble around them".

Dr Jenny Harries, deputy chief medical officer for England, added: "Teachers are brilliant at getting kids to do things and they can get them to wash their hands systematically."

Mr Williamson tried to reassure worried educators and parents by saying they would look at the guidance "very, very carefully" and that the best way to protect children is have them return to school.

He added: "This is a very small tentative step which I believe is in the right direction."

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It comes as:

• Britain's death toll surpasses 34,000
• Sadiq Khan told Londoners to "continue to stay at home" as many flocked to parks to enjoy the sunshine
• Boris Johnson told MPs there would be no public sector pay freezes
• The head of the NHS said coronavirus admissions have halved since their peak

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Mr Williamson apologised to pupils and said: "At this time of year, GCSE and A-Level students would have been making final preparations for their exams while other students would have been enjoying their summer term.

"If you're one of them, as I've said before, I can only say how sorry I am that this has all happened to you this year.

"The sacrifices that you have had to make through no choice of your own.

"But the impact that this coronavirus has had on your life has made things so incredibly tough for all of you."

This is a very small tentative step which I believe is in the right direction.

Gavin Williamson

At the briefing, Dr Jenny Harries said that as part of the new measures aimed to keep students and staff safe from the virus at school, the government will also try to encourage "contained" interaction between students.

Dr Harries said this could involve small groups in the classroom "where you increase the level of interaction a small amount, but it is contained".

This could involve desks being placed at an appropriate distance so that kids would be able to avoid prolonged close contact.

She added: "A child rushing past another one in a normal area is probably not much of a risk.

"But if they were sitting directly opposite to each other in a very small space, close together for a long amount of time - that might be more of a risk."

UNIONS PUSH BACK

Teaching unions were backed yesterday by the doctors' union, the British Medical Association, who said unions were "absolutely right" to urge caution and prioritise testing before reopening schools on June 1.

Following a meeting yesterday with government scientific advisers, union representatives said they had been left with more questions than answers, with one union leader describing the scientific evidence as "flimsy at best".

Anne Longfield, the Children's Commissioner for England, said: "We cannot afford to wait for a vaccine, which may never arrive, before children are back in school."

"It's time to stop squabbling and agree a staggered, safe return that is accompanied by rigorous testing of teachers, children and families."

Patrick Roach, general secretary of the teaching union NASUWT, said: "There has been no squabbling on behalf of the NASUWT.

"The issue is very clear. We want to see schools reopening as soon as practicable.

"And that's what our members want, and what our members are saying, very clearly, is that schools need to reopen in a manner which is safe to do."

Mr Roach said teachers needed "unequivocal guidance" from the Government that there would be "strong controls" in place which would satisfy both teachers and parents that it was safe to return.

He told the BBC Radio 4 Today programme: "We are continuing to say to Government, but also to schools and employers, that we are here, we want to work with those employers to put plans in place to see whether schools can be ready for re-opening from June 1.

"We want schools to be re-opened, we want children to be safe and we want staff to be safe. It is not a zero sum game here.

"It is about ensuring that we get back to a place where we can return to some form of normality."

BMA council's chair, Chaand Nagpaul, the BMA council's chair, said: "We cannot risk a second spike or take actions which would increase the spread of this virus, particularly as we see sustained rates of infection across the UK."

Meanwhile Liverpool became the first local authority to rule out reopening its school until at least June 15, in a major blow to the government.

Hartlepool in County Durham, later joined Liverpool in saying it would ignore the plan.

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