Coronavirus: All teachers and pupils to be tested if they develop symptoms on return to school, says education secretary

Government planning phased reopening of schools, beginning with pupils in reception classes and year 6, for start of June

All teachers and pupils in England will be tested for Covid-19 if they develop symptoms upon their return to school, Gavin Williamson has said.

The education secretary said the tests were one of several protective measures that would be rolled out by the government for the planned phased reopening of English schools.

Pupils in reception classes and year 6 are set to be the first to go back at the start of June.

Class sizes will be restricted and mixing between school groups will be limited, Mr Williamson said.

He also confirmed he was looking “very closely” at proposals for summer school catch-up tuition, following concerns that vulnerable children were not receiving the education they needed during lockdown.

The education secretary insisted that the reintroduction of classroom teaching next month was “the right thing to do and the only reasonable thing to do”, based on medical and scientific advice.

However, the government’s strategy has been met with confusion and condemnation from teachers, with one union describing it as “reckless”.

Mr Williamson, speaking in the House of Commons on Wednesday, defended plans to start reopening schools next month.

“The only consideration behind this decision is what is in the best interests and the welfare of children and those who work in schools,” he said, responding to an urgent Commons question from Liberal Democrat education spokeswoman Layla Moran.

“And we all recognise the importance of children being able to return to schools and sometimes scaremongering and making people fear is really unfair and not a welcome pressure that is to be placed on families, children and teachers alike.”

On testing, he said: “We already have priority testing for all teachers and those who work in schools if they have symptoms of coronavirus. This priority testing will be extended to all children who attend school and, if they’re displaying symptoms, as well as their families.

“This will enable a track-and-trace approach to be taken to any confirmed cases.”

He promised the Department for Education would further consult with sector leaders over policy and procedures, having earlier this week published initial guidance on preparing schools for a June return.

“I know that this will be challenging but I know that nursery, school and college staff will do everything in their power to start welcoming our children back to continue their education,” Mr Williamson added.

Labour’s Mary Kelly Foy, the MP for the City of Durham, has meanwhile raised concerns about the mass reopening of schools.

“Education unions are clear, there can be no compromise on health and safety,” she said on Wednesday. ”These proposals are ill-thought-out and reckless. They will at best create a sterile learning environment for young children who won’t understand why they are unable to interact with their friends.

“At worst the proposals will set off a chain of new infections back into the households of working people.

“How can it be right that without any scientific evidence, school staff and their pupils have to accept lower safety standards?”

Shadow education secretary Rebecca Long-Bailey said the guidance provided by the government on schools did not provide the “clear assurances” needed on safety.

“We all desperately want schools to reopen for the sake of children’s education and well-being,” she told the Commons.

“But [Mr Williamson] must appreciate that the guidance provided so far does not yet provide the clear assurances over safety that are needed.”

Earlier this week, Mary Bousted, joint general secretary of the National Education Union (NEU), said that the announcement to reopen schools from 1 June “is nothing short of reckless”.

“Coronavirus continues to ravage communities in the UK and the rate of Covid-19 infection is still far too great for the wider opening of our schools,” she said.

The general secretary of NASUWT, The Teachers’ Union has also questioned the feasibility of the plan.

“The fact of the matter is the government has announced a date but hasn’t come forward with a plan about how schools will ensure that they’re safe for pupils and safe for staff to be in from 1 June,” Patrick Roach said on Monday.

“And the prime minister said that it would be madness to risk a second spike in relation to transmission of the virus. Well the profession has got very serious concerns about that announcement of 1 June, whether indeed it is possible to achieve it, but also how to achieve that in a way which is safe for pupils and staff.”​