Why We Can't Have Another False Start Over Schools Farce

When US rocker Alice Cooper sang joyfully that “the school’s out for summer” he captured a feeling of excitement about the onset of school holidays that many of us will remember from childhood.

- Patrick O'Flynn

When he followed that up with a declaration that “the school’s out forever” it was widely understood that he was straying into the realms of fantasy.

But the way things are going he may as well have been producing policy guidance for civil servants at the Department for Education.

The vast majority of UK pupils have had no face-to-face lessons since March 20. We were told that almost all would be back at school by early June. It simply didn’t happen.

Next, we were assured there would be a rolling return so that most children got some classroom time before the summer holidays began in the third week of July. Now that is off the agenda too. So at least we can be certain that while the second half of the 2019-20 school year is now a write-off for most pupils, everything will be ready for the big return in September, yes? Well, not quite.

Astonishingly, the Government began the day yesterday by confessing that it was actively preparing for schools not being able to readmit all pupils then either. Schools minister Nick Gibb would only say it remained the “clear intention” to have all children back, but said the Government was taking a “very cautious approach”.