A classroom sits empty amid the latest closure of schools to help slow the spread of Covid-19. Education workers in Kingston have slammed the chaotic policies on schools in relation to the latest coronavirus restrictions, as the National Education Union (NEU) confirmed an increase in their membership in the borough amid the pandemic. NEU members in Kingston said they were dismayed , angry and fearful at the confusion surrounding instructions on schools and coronavirus, which were previously ordered to open after the Christmas break but are now being told to stay closed due to Covid-19 concerns. Some schools including those in Kingston had previously been told to reopen after Christmas, prompting a fierce backlash from the NEU, only for the government to later concede that the policy was too risky because they could act as vectors and spread the virus further.
Kingston Council has slammed the government s decision to only allow specific London boroughs to delay primary school reopenings next week. The borough was not listed by the government in Wednesday s announcement (December 30), meaning pupils are expected to return to primary schools as normal next week. But the decision was slammed as baffling by the council, while other boroughs across London which were excluded from the list have also heavily criticised the decision. Many of the boroughs ordered to delay their reopenings have lower rates of coronavirus infection than those not included on the list - some significantly so. In a statement published on Thursday, a council spokesman said: Kingston’s headteachers and the local authority - along with fellow London boroughs - were not consulted about the decision before it was made.
Liberal Democrat Tricia Bamford, 66, stepped down as councillor for Chessington South on Monday (November 30). She said she had planned to retire at the end of her term in May 2022, but changes in family circumstances pre-empted this. She told the Local Democracy Reporting Service that she was most proud of “finding a voice” for residents and her community, and growing her confidence. “It’s been great for me, having been in that honoured position, really, because let’s face it, people voted for me to represent them six times, and every time it’s been an honour, and every time, you know, you don’t want to let them down.