High Peak MP says children cannot be kept away from school any longer

Schools had to be shut to protect the NHS and save lives which was the right thing to do but it has come at a cost.

I know just how important our schools are and how transformative they are for people’s life chances.

Every child deserves a world class education so they can be the best possible person they can be, fulfilling the boundless potentialthat is in every single one of us.

Education can be the silver bullet that can help address a huge range of challenges we face as a country.

If we get it right, we can reduce inequality and crime, we can make the economy stronger and the nation healthier and happier.

If we get it wrong, it is always the most vulnerable who are worst hit.

Children cannot be kept away from school any longer.

The chief medical officers have studied the evidence and confirmed that it is indeed safe for children to go back to school this September.

They have defined the risk of children catching coronavirus as being ‘exceptionally small’ and the risk of transmission from children to adults is low.

Teachers have been working incredibly hard this summer to make sure High Peak’s schools can reopen safely next month.

I am grateful for everything they have done for High Peak children throughout the crisis.

We cannot be too careful, which is why protective measures have been put in place to reduce the risk of outbreaks in our schools.

This includes hand and surface hygiene, staggered break times, and keeping children in cohorts or ‘bubbles’.

These measures will help to minimise the risks.

For more information on planning your child’s return to school, I would urge High Peak parents to visit gov.uk/backtoschool.

Looking beyond this crisis, we need schools that can ensure that no one is left behind.

That is why an extra £14 billion has been given to schools and a new ten-year school building programme will begin.

Parents, children, and teachers need to know that returning to school will be safe and I will be working hard to help schools in any way that I can.

Robert Largan is MP for High Peak.