Education: Return in January

Kate Green Excerpts

Wednesday 30th December 2020 Commons Chamber

[Kate Green (Stretford and Urmston) (Lab) [V]]

Before I begin, I put on record my thanks, and the thanks of the whole Labour party, to every leader, teacher and lecturer and the support staff, early years professionals and social workers who have moved mountains to keep children and young people safe and educated in the face of enormous odds. They deserve not just the thanks of this House but genuine support, and I hope that when he stands to speak again the Secretary of State will give more information about that support.

I thank the Secretary of State for advance sight of his statement, but the truth is that we should not be in this position. Only days before many schools should have been opening again to all pupils, the Secretary of State has announced that many will not be returning as planned. This delay and disruption to children’s education is a direct result of the Government’s failure: they have lost control of the virus and now they are losing control of children’s education. The cost to pupils, the pressure on staff and the challenges for families caused by school closures are huge, but we know that action must be taken to control the virus. Is the Secretary of State confident that the measures he has announced today will control the virus? Will he publish the advice on this issue from the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies?

There is consensus across the House that the best place for children is in school, but the Government have failed to give schools the support they need to make that happen. For months, Labour has been calling for mass testing in schools. The Secretary of State announced it just before schools broke up for Christmas, creating huge additional work for overstretched school staff, but just two weeks later it is clear that his plan has failed and that many schools will not open as planned next week. Can he tell us how many schools now have testing infrastructure in place and how many will have it next week and the week after? Can he guarantee that every school will have the testing it needs when it is due to open again?

The Secretary of State’s announcement that some primary and secondary schools will not reopen to pupils in January will be a cause of huge concern to parents. Can he tell us how many primary and secondary schools will not open and how many pupils will be affected? Will students not in exam classes receive remote teaching while their school is closed? I am hugely concerned that even with school open to them, the most vulnerable children may simply not attend. Can the Secretary of State tell us how he plans to keep them safely in school in the weeks ahead?

I am glad that the Secretary of State announced an expansion to remote learning, but I remain concerned that it is not sufficient to support all pupils. Can he guarantee that every pupil will have the device and the connectivity that they need to learn, and will he ensure that that is available for every child whose school is not open?

Will there be any support for parents with children who cannot attend school? Can the Secretary of State confirm that parents can be furloughed if they have childcare commitments? Can that happen on a flexible basis that allows parents, particularly mothers, to balance work with caring for their children?

Many people who are clinically extremely vulnerable will be concerned about a return to school, whether they are a vulnerable parent of a child or a vulnerable member of staff. What reassurance and support can the Secretary of State give them?

It has been reported in recent days that teachers will be prioritised for vaccination, but an announcement today suggested that there would not be prioritisation based on occupation. I understand the clinical priorities for the first phase of the vaccination programme, but does the Secretary of State believe that not only teachers but all school staff, including in special schools, should be prioritised for vaccination thereafter in order to protect them and safeguard children’s education?

Turning to exams, the Government’s failure to get a grip on the virus has caused huge disruption to pupils’ education—disruption that will continue into the new year. Will the Secretary of State be making any changes to his plans to reflect that? Labour has said time and again that there needs to be a credible plan B in the event of disruption continuing that means exams cannot take place fairly. This is now urgent. Over 100,000 young people will be taking exams in the next few weeks for BTECs and other vocational qualifications. Can the Secretary of State tell us what he is doing to make those exams fair?

The Secretary of State told us weeks ago about the expert group on learning loss, but at the time he could not tell us who was on it, when it would sit or when it would report. Can he answer those questions today?

I welcome the decision to delay the return of students to university in January, which is sadly necessary for public health. Can the Secretary of State confirm that he has discussed this with unions and university and student representatives?

We should never have been in the position we are in today. If the Government had acted more quickly, followed the science and given schools the support that they needed throughout this pandemic, we would not be facing a new year with this new wave of infections and huge disruption to the lives of pupils, their families and staff across our education system. The Government have lost control of the virus, and it is children and young people across the country who are paying the price.

[Gavin Williamson]

I thank the hon. Lady for echoing my words and my thanks to all teachers, leaders and all those who work in our schools, colleges and childcare settings for the wonderful work that they do.

The hon. Lady talks about what extra support we are giving those schools in rolling out the largest mass testing exercise that this country has seen to ensure that children are able to get back into school and have the benefits of being in school. We are supporting them not just by making sure that they have the equipment that is due to be delivered to all secondary school settings on 4 January, but with extra finance—a package of £78 million —in order to help them get this mass testing programme set up, established and there to test all students and all staff as they return to secondary school. This is about taking the opportunity to beat back this virus, have a real understanding of where the infection is within the community, and ensure that schools are even safer than they have already been.

The hon. Lady asks about the SAGE advice. As she knows full well, SAGE publishes its advice, and it will of course do so soon. The contingency framework was published and has been a public document for a number of months, so I am sure she will have had the opportunity to look at it. It makes clear that for schools that have been placed in part of a contingency framework, there must be the continued delivery of remote education. To be clear: children who are in exam group years will be returning to secondary school on 11 January, even if they are in a contingency framework area.

The hon. Lady rightly highlights the issue of vulnerable children. Those in our school system, as well as our local authorities and social workers, can be proud of the amazing work that they have been doing with those children who are most vulnerable in society. We must ensure that we do everything to get them attending school, so that they have the protection of school around them. Those efforts, working with local authorities, the police, and schools, will continue. Finally, as the hon. Lady says, many students are about to take examinations in technical and vocational qualifications in early January, and those assessments will continue, as planned, in the educational establishments that are delivering them.