Friday January 1, 2021, 10:50 PM
Gavin Williamson had said he was confident there would be no more delays to reopening schools. Credit: PA
In a major government U-turn, all London primary schools are set to remain closed as Covid-19 cases continue to rise.
It comes after the Education Secretary said only on Thursday that he is “absolutely confident” there will be no further delays to school reopenings, after soaring coronavirus case rates in December forced the Government into a U-turn in pushing back the start of terms for millions of pupils.
Gavin Williamson moved to reassure teaching staff, pupils and parents the newly rescheduled staggered return dates for England would remain in place, despite concerns about safety and transmission rates among younger people.
Leaders of eight London boroughs have written to Education Secretary Gavin Williamson formally asking him to reverse the decision to reopen primary schools in selected areas.
In the letter the leaders said they were “struggling to understand the rationale” behind a move that ignored “the interconnectedness of our city”.
They pointed out that Covid-19 infection rates were higher in some boroughs told to reopen schools than in others where schools will remain shut.
The Leaders of the London boroughs where primary schools have been asked to return on Monday have written to Gavin Williamson formally asking him to reverse this decision, which isn’t supported by the evidence. pic.twitter.com/2Ek7lLlwtQ