The House of Commons education select committee heard from experts this week to explore the scientific evidence behind the decision to close schools during the latest national lockdown, and transmission rates among children. Giving evidence were Deputy Chief Medical Officer Dr Jenny Harries, Professor Russell Viner, President of the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health, and DfE’s Chief Scientific Advisor and Deputy Chief Scientific Adviser, Osama Rahman and Dougal Hargreaves.
The experts were first asked about when schools might open, and whether this would be after the half term. Dr Harries answered that it was likely that there will be some differential application in opening as we leave the national lockdown, with some regional separation of interventions. Osama Rahman added that there would have to be a balancing of risks, noting the risks to children of not being in school.
It is encouraging that these discussions are being had, and Schools North East has written to the Secretary of State for Education on the need for urgent clarification on how schools will re-open to all students, calling on the government to allow schools a more flexible phased approach.
Chair of the committee, Robert Halfon MP, further asked about the risks to children not being in school, asking if assessments had been made of the overall damage of school closures on children’s mental health.
Dougal Hargreaves said that this was ‘absolutely on the agenda at the Department for Education’, and are looking to build a more comprehensive database on the impact of school closures. Professor Viner said that the data gathered so far, while not perfect, shows a ‘story of considerable mental health harms’. He pointed towards the national children’s mental health study carried out by NHS Digital and NHS England, which found that the rate of serious mental health problems or very likely mental health problems had increased from one in nine in 2017 to one in six in July.
Finally, the experts were asked whether or not it would be helpful to prioritise school staff for a vaccine. Dr Harries said that the vaccination of staff is not the limiting factor to opening schools, and that it is about reducing community transmission rates.
However, as Robert Halfon noted, when teachers have to self-isolate, this can mean that year groups or schools have to close. In our letter to the Secretary of State, we reiterated our call to prioritise school staff for a vaccine as part of wider support to help schools open safely.
Protecting schools is a central theme in our lobbying work, recognising schools as key strategic infrastructure. This means supporting schools open in the safest way possible, considering both the transmission risks and mental health concerns of both students and staff. It is welcome that these discussions are being had, and we will continue to lobby for coherent guidance and clear contingency plans.
