THE reopening of schools should be far more cautious and needs to avoid a “big-bang” approach to keep the virus rate down, a Labour councillor says.

Matt Dent, Southend councillor for Kursaal ward, spoke as ministers pushed ahead with the planned reopening of schools to get classroom learning back on track.

Education Secretary, Gavin Williamson, insisted scientific evidence shows it is safe for students to return on March 8. 

However, Mr Dent hit back and called for schools to re-open “year group by year group”.

He said: “I do not understand why all children need to go back at once. Surely an approach staggered year group by year group, would allow a more cautious approach and close monitoring of the effect on children and on the spread of the virus. 

“I believe that schools should be empowered to effect a staged return to mass in-person learning rather than a ‘big bang’ approach which puts children and staff at greater risk of infection.”

The Government also announced plans for summer schools to help secondary school pupils who have fallen behind in their learning.

At a Government briefing yesterday, Mr Williamson ruled out extending the school day to help students catch up, and also ruled out shortening the summer holidays.

However, as part of new plans, schools will be asked to hold summer classes, but staff won’t be forced to run them, unions have revealed.

An extra £420million will be plunged into a “catch-up programme” for secondary school pupils in the summer, but opinion is split on the move.

Some parents are heavily against the plans, with holidays now in the pipeline for families following the potential of freedom from lockdown after June 21.

But Nicola Ansell, from Basildon, is fully behind the move, saying her 12-year-old daughter would be “happy to attend”.

She said: “Any help would be great with her learning. It’s not the same standard of work that she’s being set at the moment.

“She also hasn’t met her classmates at the moment. She only joined the Billericay School at the start of the year.

“She would be completely happy in going to school over the summer, as long as she got some time off too.”

Kimberley O’Connell, 46, from Eastwood, who has two secondary school children, aged 12 and 16, said: “Anything that will help is more than appreciated. They have been falling behind. Parents aren’t teachers and it is showing at the moment.

“I would be in total support of it, but I have got some concern about the teachers - they haven’t stopped working at all. I don’t want them to be forced to hold a summer school.”

But there are fears about teachers burning out.
Jerry Glazier, secretary of the Essex branch for the National Education Union, added: "I’m not expecting teachers to be forced back into the classroom. I hope and I expect it will be on a voluntary basis.

“Teachers have worked extremely hard, and it’s critical they are given a break.”

He stressed: “There’s a lack of understanding. Teachers don’t spent all six weeks of their holiday on a beach in Spain. 

“Teachers need to recharge their batteries in time for the new year. There are hundreds of supply teachers in Essex that have been out of work throughout the pandemic - they will be more than happy to help run the summer schools

“The catch-up programme demonstrates that using technology isn’t a replacement for face to face teaching.”

The Government is now facing calls to widen the plan to primary schools too.

Caroyln Goodall, from Leigh, who has three eight-year-old triplets, said: “I do worry about them getting behind. No homework has been set so far while we’ve been home schooling. If primary schools were to offer summer schools, they would most likely attend.”