Parents to stage two protests today over return to schools on Monday – and one next week

Parents are in open revolt over the plan to make children go back to school next week, with two groups staging distanced town hall protests yesterday and another planned on Monday.

School staff and children plan the separate protests today at Lambeth Town Hall (4,30pm) and Lewisham Civic Centre (noon) today over the “reckless” return of reception, Year 1 and Year 6 pupils “before it is safe to do so”.

There will also be a Greenwich NEU cavalcade from Blackheath to the Department for Education (DfE) in Whitehall on Monday at 2.30pm.

Lambeth residents and teachers will hand in a letter yesterday demanding council leaders back their boycott.

“We are not guinea pigs or lab rats,” said the open letter to Cllr Ed Davie, Lambeth cabinet member for schools.

The letter from Lambeth Coronavirus Support Group for Workers said: “We are outraged by the recent behaviour of the prime minister’s adviser, Dominic Cummings, and the contempt for all of us shown first by his actions and then his shocking excuses.

“If it is okay for him to ‘follow his instincts to protect his child’, then it is okay for parents to keep their children away from the risks of returning to unsafe schools. We stand together with school staff who are taking such a strong stand, putting the lives of everyone in our community first.”

The National Education Union has set five tests that need to be met for a safe return to school: falling Covid-19 cases, a national plan for social distancing, comprehensive regular testing for children and staff, strategy when a school case occurs, and protection for the vulnerable.

The letter adds: “The government has failed on all these, and even its own tests, but is ploughing ahead with reopening schools, placing business interests before our children’s lives.

“In our borough we are seeing high levels of infection and tragic deaths, particularly amongst our BAME community. To open schools at this time is a reckless and dangerous move that will place our children in danger.

“The DfE has no expectations of social distancing once inside the school gates. Plans for staggered timetables and small groups kept apart, cleaning everything the children touch and hand washing is totally inadequate when lives are at stake.

“Our children are not guinea pigs or lab rats. Children are just as at risk of infection as adults. We have all been following lockdown guidance, avoiding contact between our friends and families and now suddenly our children are to be thrown together, instantly increasing risk to themselves, the school staff and all our families!

“Our children are definitely missing school, their friends and teachers and it is tough being at home, but keeping them safe and well is our priority and we will not send them back into school until we know it is safe to do so. We place their lives first.”

The Lewisham protest, led by South East London Coronavirus Action Group, is calling for local councils to give a clear direction to schools that they should not bow to government pressure to reopen before it safe to do so.

There was a public, socially-distanced protest by teachers, parents and trade unionists outside Lewisham Council offices at 12 noon today.

Up to 300 people, mainly parents and teachers, signed their open letter opposing the unsafe return to schools. But the official advice from Lewisham and from Greenwich councils leaves it up to individual schools to decide if they reopen to classes.

Maggie Palmer, a UNITE rep who works for the NHS, said:

“This is not good enough. We need a clear statement from our local councils that they want no return to unsafe schools. Everyone can see that the Tories have behaved disastrously throughout this crisis. The UK has some of the highest infection and death rates in the world. In our boroughs we are seeing high levels of infection and tragic deaths, particularly amongst our BAME community.

“The government has failed on all the NEU’s tests, and even its own tests, but is ploughing ahead with reopening schools, placing business interests before our children’s lives.

“We ask Lewisham, Greenwich, Bexley and Bromley councils to stand with us – children, parents and school staff – against the premature easing of the lockdown and the Government’s June 1 reopening.”

But a Notting Hill primary’s head says pupils will be excited about the prospect of going back to school.

Jagdeep Birdi of Colville Primary School said: “In reality coming back to school is not scary. It is exciting and it is joyful. The vast majority of children will be excited to come back to school.”

The school remained open for key workers’ children and also for some who needed some extra support.

Children will be taught in “bubbles” – small groups of pupils – plus teaching staff who will stay segregated from each other to maintain social distancing.

The government suggested having one member of staff per bubble but Mr Birdi said they decided to have two – to allow for breaks, such as comfort breaks.

He added: “It’s not been a mean feat. We have been able to get ready because people have worked 24/7 as soon as the announcement was made.”

Staff have “gone above and beyond”, he said.

Plans to keep children separate include smaller class sizes, keeping pupils in smaller groups, staggered break and lunchtimes, as well as drop-offs and pick-ups, and increased cleaning.

The prime minister said on Tuesday the Department for Education has published detailed guidance on the issue.

Progress is “conditional and provisional” he said, insisting that “we must all remember the basics”, like washing hands and maintaining social distancing.

“We are beating this thing, but we will beat it all the faster if we stay alert, control the virus and save lives,” he said.

“What we will do is make sure that we stagger things and we pace things and we work directly with you, with local authorities, to make sure that there is a plan.”