The government will not rule out closing schools and using remote learning if the COVID-19 situation becomes worse in the UK. The government has also warned that parents who fail to send their children to schools will be fined.
The government has indicated that it is prepared to close schools again if the COVID-19 situation becomes out of control. They continued by asking the teachers to ensure that they are prepared for such a situation, whereby they can quickly set up remote learning and continue teaching students at home.
The UK Prime Minister, Boris Johnson said that, after five months of staying at home, students would now begin their classes in September. He continued by saying the chances of getting infected with coronavirus at school, for these students, was minimal.
On Monday, a statement from Downing Street indicated that parents who fail to send their kids to school would be liable for a fine. The statement also emphasized the need for preparedness for any future school lockdowns due to the spread of the virus, by ensuring that they can continue teaching students at home.
Remote learning an option in case of school closures
As schools look set for reopening in September, there was also fear that schools might be required to close again en masse. A Downing Street spokesperson when confronted with the question indicated that they would judge on a case by case basis. He indicated that this would depend on the circumstances surrounding the growth of the coronavirus cases. He added that if it is determined that the schools needed to be locked down, then a remote solution had to be sought so that the education could continue online.
The schools minister, Nick Gibb has also reiterated the government position on fining of parents during an interview with BBC Radio 4’s Today program. He indicated that fines would be the last resort to ensure that parents send their kids to schools. He indicated the important thing should be to focus on sending all the children to schools.
Downing Street has also indicated that it had not changed its policy on mask-wearing at school. They indicated that a mask will not be necessary nor will they be enforced saying that they hindered communication between the teachers and students.
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