Appearances from Gavin Williamson and Amanda Spielman at the Education Select Committee this week have prompted conversations around prioritising a return to school for those children who have been at home.
Whilst there has been growing speculation around how and when schools will extend their opening (never actually having been closed!), senior figures this week seemed to place the return to school at the forefront of conversations around Coronavirus and the Education Sector.
‘In children’s interests to be back in school’
Speaking at Monday’s Education Select Committee Ofsted Chief Inspector, Amanda Spielman, emphasised returning to school as a priority, pointing to the learning loss pupils are suffering and highlighting that home and online learning are ‘imperfect substitutes’.
Spielman told the Select Committee “We have to accept that what can be done while schools are substantially closed is a very poor substitute for full normal education.”
“It would be unrealistic for anyone, including me, to expect the vast majority of children to have made the same progress they would have made if they’d been in school, which is why I truly believe that it’s in children’s interests to be back in school as early as possible.”
Whilst her comments correctly acknowledge that learning loss, which will be a significant issue, particularly for disadvantaged children, the Chief Inspector failed to recognise the amazing work that has been done by school leaders and teachers to support students through this incredibly difficult time. Head Teachers and CEOs have focused their efforts on ensuring their most vulnerable students are safe, that students and families receive the food they need, and that they are supporting key workers in their ability to do their jobs.
Spielman’s comments were not only negative about the service that schools have provided during this crisis, but failed to acknowledge that the role of schools has changed during the crisis and that learning is no longer necessarily the top priority, as mental health and pupil and family wellbeing issues rightly dominate.
Spielman did acknowledge that ‘children’s interests’ would not dictate the decision, however her comments urging school leaders to plan for how they can best return to normal education, were unhelpful when no advice or guidance has yet been given to schools about how or when this might happen.
A ‘phased’ return
In Wednesday’s Education Select Committee Education Secretary, Gavin Williamson, offered the first piece of information about what might happen when schools ‘reopen’ to all students. He claimed any return would be done in phases according to advice from SAGE, the government’s scientific advisory group for emergencies. Williamson told MPs: “We recognise that the idea of schools all returning on day one with the full complement of pupils is not realistic or practical. I do expect schools to be opened in a phased manner. I also intend to be giving schools as much notice as possible.”
However, following this, Wednesday’s press briefing saw Professor Jonathan Van-Tam commenting on the practicalities of social distancing in schools, saying “I think that would be very difficult with a classroom of four-year-olds, five year olds. I think that would be tricky.”
Strong, clear guidance needed
Conflicting statements from senior figures illustrate how complex the issue is. It is clear that in any reopening, the DfE must allow flexibility for local contexts. A one size fits all approach would fail to allow our schools to adequately ensure the safety of our pupils.
However, Senior Leaders will still require strong, clear guidance from the Government on how to extend the opening of schools to relieve the pressure and ensure our schools aren’t exposed to sustained parental or media criticism. The DfE needs to work with relevant stakeholders to ensure this guidance is provided, and is fit for purpose, while leaving room for some local/regional discretion according to contexts.
While it is clear that attending school is the best way to combat ‘learning loss’, and the disparity between pupils, this is an ongoing issue, which occurs annually over the six week summer break and other holidays, This must be addressed separately to the coronavirus crisis. Mitigating learning loss should not be prioritised over the health and wellbeing of our students and staff, and any return to school must only be done when it is absolutely safe to do so.
Thursday’s briefing saw Prime Minister Boris Johnson indicate that plans for extending the reopening of schools would be announced next week.
How are you planning to extend your school opening? Let us know.
