The Government has been warned that it needs to “do it’s homework” if it is to meet its aim of getting schools to re-open next month following the COVID-19 lockdown.

In an open letter to the Secretaries of State for Education and Health, Liberal Democrat Local Government spokespeople on Health and Education, Councillors Richard Kemp and Lucy Nethsingha, warned:

“We have grave concerns about how this is being undertaken in England. For example, there is no understanding that schools have different opportunities for reopening. Every school has a different layout; has different means for the children and staff to get to; and serves different social communities which have different levels of virus transmission risk.

The letter also warns that:

1. There is no effective track and trace system in place. The situation has improved recently with more real time information and control being put into the hands of councils through their DPHs but it still is not identifying and contacting as many of its target infected and potentially infected people as it needs to
2. There is a disincentive for many to comply with the system. People on very low wages and zero-hour contracts simply cannot afford to stay off work.
3. There is no App in place (although this was promised in June) to allow people to know if they are close to other infected people.

To improve the situation, they say the government can do three things:

1. Ensure an enhanced level of statutory sick pay for anyone needing to isolate themselves.
2. Allow local councils and especially, head teachers and their governing bodies to determine how best to reopen their schools, with what number of pupils and when.
3. Allow schools where they think fit and knowing their local conditions and their pupils to adopt a hybrid system of working at home and working at school for pupils.

Councillors Kemp and Nethsingha warn that: “At present there is little confidence in the Government and its measures. We see no signs that you have looked at France and America where many schools that re-opened have had to close again.

“What we are proposing here are three low-cost measures to get young people into schools and their parents back into work as soon and as safely as possible.”