Isabel Hardman Isabel Hardman

Will reopening schools set back Boris’s lockdown timetable?

(Getty images)

Schools in England have gone back today, with pupils taking lateral flow tests and being asked to wear masks in order to keep the risk of infections as low as possible. 

Today Boris Johnson held a special press conference to mark what he described as an ’emotional’ moment in the exit from lockdown. He said that the ‘overwhelming feeling is one of relief’ and that the ‘greater risk now is keeping them out of school for a day longer’. 

There are rumblings about whether the current plan for lifting restrictions is sustainable

He praised teachers for getting schools ready and for teaching throughout the lockdown period, and parents for homeschooling while trying to hold down their own jobs. He also mentioned the government’s work to help children catch up on lost learning with a ‘concerted programme for educational recovery’, which ministers are developing with the help of a review led by Sir Kevan Collins.

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