Educational Settings: Reopening Debate
Full Debate: Read Full DebateDepartment: Department for Education
Neil O'Brien
Main Page: Neil O'Brien (Conservative - Harborough)Department Debates - View all Neil O'Brien's debates with the Department for Education
Educational Settings: Reopening
Neil O'Brien Excerpts(3 years, 2 months ago)
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Nick Gibb
The hon. Member raises an important point. This is why we have kept alternative provision and special schools open, and it is why we keep schools open to vulnerable children to ensure that they are in a school where they can be protected. I share her view that the most important risk factor for young people, leaving aside the pandemic, is not being in school, so we need to do everything we can to help children remain in school in normal times. That is why we want to reopen schools for all pupils as soon as the science allows.
Neil O’Brien (Harborough) (Con) [V]
Will my right hon. Friend join me in paying tribute to the teachers across Harborough, Oadby and Wigston, who have done an incredible job in keeping schools open for key worker and vulnerable children during very difficult circumstances? Given the huge uncertainties about how fast infections will fall, the risks from new variants and the effects of the vaccine roll-out, does he agree that we have to make the decisions on schools reopening, which we are all desperate to see, based on scientific advice rather than on arbitrary deadlines?