Parenting

Arguments for and against closing schools | Letters


I welcome Clea Skopeliti’s report on the National Education Union’s concerns for teaching staff following the government’s approach to Covid-19 (Report, theguardian.com, 14 March).

As a teacher in a large secondary school in Sheffield, I feel the effect on teachers of the decision to keep schools open has been largely overlooked. The debate has centred around the effect on the economy and health services, and the impact of alternative childcare arrangements (eg, children being looked after by grandparents), but this decision has raised major questions regarding teachers’ safety.

Colleagues at my school have health conditions such as diabetes, asthma and other respiratory problems; some are in remission from cancer; some are grandparents themselves. Flu is dangerous to women in early pregnancy, is this disease any different? Why hasn’t the government advised schools to send these colleagues home?

Why are people being advised to work from home if possible when they may work in an office of fewer than 10 people, but schools where there might be up to 2,000 people in a building are treated differently? Why hasn’t the government introduced funding for extra cleaning to prevent the spread on surfaces (a classroom may be used by 150 people in one day)?

I was under the impression I had begun this career to give young people the knowledge, skills and support needed to lead fulfilling, successful lives. It is clear that, in fact, this government sees schools as cheap childcare for people in more important jobs, and teachers as expendable.
Richard Beigel
Sheffield

While the government has been persuaded to change its advice on mass gatherings, let us hope it does not rescind its decision to keep schools open, at least for the time being (Mass gatherings banned as PM forced into U-turn, 14 March).

The immediate effect of closures would be to endanger grandparents, many of whom will be asked to care for school-age children, despite the fact that these older people are most at risk of harm. The second effect will be to force many adults, without relatives to turn to, to stay away from work. Can we afford to lose the contribution of hundreds of thousands of workers in the NHS, the care sector, the police force, and the transport and food industries at such a difficult time?

Finally, many well-meaning adults, who can afford to take time off, will volunteer to care for friends’ children in their own homes. They may well look after large groups of children, with the result that the virus continues to spread among them but they will not be given such good care as they get at school.

At the height of the pandemic, such closures might be necessary but let’s not do it before we have to.
Annabel Ferriman
London

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