Full and safe re-opening of schools in September + Quality learning offer for all

Full and safe re-opening of schools in September + Quality learning offer for all

Started
12 June 2020
Signatures: 577Next Goal: 1,000
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Why this petition matters

Started by Jodie Reed

We, as parents, are calling for the government and teaching unions to take all steps necessary to ensure:

  • a safe and full re-opening of schools in England by the start of September, with a full-time offer as the default position for all children,
  • a quality home learning offer for any child unable to be in school for specific health reasons over a long period, including online tuition and good access to laptops and broadband. 

Without a proper plan for this to happen, we believe the wellbeing and life chances of a generation will be jeopardised.

Around 8 million children in England will have been out of school for 6 months by September due to Covid19.  Parents of all creeds are already struggling to keep children disciplined and motivated. For many of us home learning support from schools is excellent with teachers making good levels of direct contact - but this is not universally the case. Four in 10 pupils in England are not in regular contact with their teachers. Even where teachers make the best possible efforts, it is not the same. Our children often feel they have been cut adrift.   

Those of us on lower incomes and living in smaller spaces face particular challenges at this time, and yet are least likely to feel well supported by schools. The evidence from lockdown shows that disadvantaged children are much less likely to be engaging with remote learning and around 1million children remain without the necessary tech or broadband to access online learning. Even the government’s limited promise to get laptops to disadvantaged children in years 10 to 12 has not fully materialised. In light of the huge gaps in the experiences of families, it comes as little surprise that experts predict the gap between disadvantaged children and their peers will widen massively - as much as 75%.

As parents we are also deeply worried about the growing number of vulnerable children who, without regular teacher contact, are less visible and more likely to come to harm. ChildLine are receiving a record number of calls from children about domestic abuse - up 32% from before lockdown.  Yet referrals to social service referrals are hugely down.  Without daily contact with their teachers, many children will be suffering in silence.

We agree with paediatricians that getting back to school is the essential first step in a national recovery programme for all children and young people and a plan is needed now. Parents have been fearful with good reason, but this should not be used us as a pretext for inaction where a safe return can be achieved. It is not right that in England shops, zoos, pubs, bingo-halls and book-makers are all re-opening yet most children remain excluded from their right to go to school.  

With a concerted effort to put the right measures in place, and assuming infection rates stay low, we believe a safe and full-time return is achievable for the vast majority of children in September. The government's evidence shows that most children are at less risk than adults from this illness. And countries all over the world are re-opening their schools without a significant bounce in infection numbers. It will need investment in facilities. Probably a call to arms to parent volunteers. But it is possible.

We accept that even with all measures in place, some children could remain outside school for a time due to particular or local health risks associated with Covid.  The crisis shines a light on the long-standing problems faced by a significant minority of young people with health issues not in school, whose experience is highly mixed with no clear minimum standard, as the majority of us have now experienced. We, as a society, cannot continue to fail these children. In future, any child unable to be in school for long periods due to health should be guaranteed a quality home learning offer, including interactive online tuition structured to meet their needs. This must be accompanied by national provision of laptops and broadband for all children at home who cannot afford it, irrespective of their age.

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Signatures: 577Next Goal: 1,000
Support now
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