Schools: Coronavirus

(asked on 3rd December 2020) - View Source

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if he will make an assessment of the risk to clinically extremely vulnerable parents of sending their children to school.


Answered by
Nick Gibb Portrait
Nick Gibb
This question was answered on 11th December 2020

Updated guidance on protecting clinically extremely vulnerable individuals, developed by the Department of Health and Social Care, was published on 26 November 2020. The advice outlined within this guidance states that children and young people whose parents or carers are clinically extremely vulnerable should still attend education and childcare. This remains the default position for all areas irrespective of local restriction tiers. The guidance can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/guidance-on-shielding-and-protecting-extremely-vulnerable-persons-from-covid-19.

Education and childcare is vital to the wellbeing of children and young people. Time out of nursery, school and college is detrimental for children’s cognitive and academic development.

Schools, nurseries and colleges have implemented a range of protective measures recommended by the Public Health England-endorsed guidance published by the Department for Education which, when followed, creates an inherently safer environment for pupils, staff and families. The guidance can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/actions-for-schools-during-the-coronavirus-outbreak/guidance-for-full-opening-schools#res.

If parents or carers are anxious about their child attending education, we recommend that they discuss this with their school leaders to understand their concerns and provide reassurance regarding the protective measures that have been put in place to reduce the risk of COVID-19 transmission at school, nursery or college.

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