UK Follows Spain’s Example to Get Kids Back to School by September

The UK is following in Spain’s footsteps to restore normality and get children back to school – full time – by September.

During Friday’s daily coronavirus briefing, the UK’s Education Secretary Gavin Williamson announced that “all pupils in all year groups in England will go back to school full-time from September”. He said the Government wanted to “to bring every child back, in every year group, in every school”.

This news follows the UK Prime Minister’s announcement of a £1bn fund to help children who struggled with home-learning during the pandemic to catch up. Under current coronavirus pandemic rules, class sizes are limited to a maximum of 15 pupils, but Williamson said the Government is looking at “expanding those bubbles to include the whole class” – which could be up to 30 pupils.

Now that there are signs that the spread of coronavirus is reducing means that the UK Government can now look at ensuring that “every child returns to school”, explained Williamson. He acknowledged the anxiety among parents about sending their children back to school, but reassured them that “the well-being of your children is the absolute top priority for every single one of us”.

Guidance on safety measures will be published in the next fortnight, he added. Regions in Spain like Andalucia have already outlined procedures for the return of kids to school in September, as reported.