{"id":196681,"date":"2021-03-08T12:10:01","date_gmt":"2021-03-08T09:10:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/en.buradabiliyorum.com\/englands-children-go-back-to-school-after-virus-lockdown\/"},"modified":"2021-03-08T12:10:01","modified_gmt":"2021-03-08T09:10:01","slug":"englands-children-go-back-to-school-after-virus-lockdown","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/englands-children-go-back-to-school-after-virus-lockdown\/","title":{"rendered":"#England’s children go back to school after virus lockdown"},"content":{"rendered":"

“#England’s children go back to school after virus lockdown<\/strong>”<\/p>\n

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Children return to school in England on Monday for the first time since January, as the government begins to ease tough restrictions thanks to a mass vaccination drive against the coronavirus.\n <\/p>\n

Throughout the latest lockdown since the start of the new year, schools have remained open to children of key workers and the most vulnerable.<\/p>\n

But all other youngsters have been at home, causing a headache for working parents, and fears about the effect on their learning.<\/p>\n

Pupils aged five to 11 go back to the classroom Monday, with a staggered return over the coming week for secondary school students aged 11 to 18.<\/p>\n

The government has been able to plan to ease its COVID-19 restriction measures as around 23 million people in Britain have received at least a first vaccination jab, helping to bring down case numbers and ease pressure on hospitals.<\/p>\n

Cautious app<\/a>roach<\/b><\/p>\n

Prime Minister Boris Johnson has outlined plans to lift stay-at-home curbs in England, hoping a cautious approach will not spark a renewed surge in cases that would force another lockdown.<\/p>\n

Britain has suffered more than 123,000 COVID deaths and is banking on its mass vaccination drive to lift all restrictions possibly as early as June.<\/p>\n

Under further plans for reopening, the government has said it will ease limits on social<\/a> interaction outside on March 29, with the reopening of non-essential retail from April 12.<\/p>\n

Schoolchildren returned to class after the Christmas break but were sent home again after just one day, to contain a more transmissible virus strain.<\/p>\n

“The reopening of schools marks a truly national effort to beat this virus,” Johnson said ahead of Monday.<\/p>\n

“It is because of the determination of every person in this country that we can start moving closer to a sense of normality\u2014and it is right that getting our young people back into the classroom is the first step.”<\/p>\n

Returning students will face regular testing to curb the spread of infection, while older children will have to wear facemasks indoors until April.<\/p>\n

Different plans for school returns have been unveiled across the other nations of the UK\u2014Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland\u2014where devolved governments have powers over education policy.<\/p>\n

In Scotland, children aged four to seven returned last month and older students are due to follow\u2014part-time\u2014from March 15.<\/p>\n

A similar timetable has been outlined in Wales, starting with those preparing for exams on the same date.<\/p>\n

Youngsters aged four to eight in Northern Ireland are also back on Monday, with secondary pupils aged 13 to 18 on March 22. Others have to wait until April.<\/p>\n

Huge relief<\/b><\/p>\n

Education Secretary Gavin Williamson said the school return would “mark a moment of joy for millions”, and it was important for children to be in class “not only for their education but for their mental health and wellbeing”. <\/p>\n

Parents have also welcomed the return to the classroom after two tough months of home-schooling and juggling their own work during lockdown.<\/p>\n

Lisa Tyler, 41, from Northamptonshire, central England, said having her six and 10-year-old daughters back in class would be “the biggest relief in the world”.<\/p>\n

Trying to manage supervision of schoolwork and her job as a university administrator had been hard, particularly on her youngest, she said.<\/p>\n

“If you don’t do it she’s going to fall behind. You have to sit with her all the time,” she added.<\/p>\n

“I can’t wait for her to go back to school. Trying to just manage that, it’s been a nightmare. And she just needs to go back.”<\/p>\n

Julie Williams, 49, from Essendon in southeast England, said she and her husband had struggled to prioritise care for their three sons as they both work for the state-run National Health Service.<\/p>\n

“The job throughout the pandemic has got busier and worse. So it’s been quite tricky for us,” she said.<\/p>\n

Her youngest son, who is 10, has continued to go to school as the child of a key worker, but said reduced class sizes\u2014and months not seeing friends\u2014was hard.<\/p>\n

“I think there’s that social interaction they are missing,” Williams said, adding she was concerned as he made the transition towards secondary school.\n <\/p>\n\n

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Follow the latest news<\/a> on the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak\n <\/p><\/div>\n

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\n \u00a9 2021 AFP<\/p>\n

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Citation<\/strong>:
\n England’s children go back to school after virus lockdown (2021, March 8)
\n retrieved 8 March 2021
\n from https:\/\/medicalxpress.com\/news\/2021-03-england-children-school-virus-lockdown.html<\/p>\n

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