Vix Lowthion, IW Green Party Spokesperson and Green Party national spokesperson for Education shares this latest news. Ed
Isle of Wight Green Party call for the wider opening of our Primary Schools to be delayed. More Councils across England have announced today that they are instructing their primary schools to not open up for more pupils on Monday 1st June.
Why is the Isle of Wight Council not one of them?
Councils delaying reopening
The list includes Sheffield City Council, whose Director of Public Health says he ‘does not feel assured’ that the rate of infection of Coronavirus has reduced to manageable levels, that a comprehensive Test and Trace operation is functioning, and that there is adequate PPE for staff.
Other councils which are advising against the wider opening of our primary schools include: Lancashire, Nottingham and even Southampton City Council who have said they would be ‘taking a flexible approach’.
Full steam ahead
Why are the Isle of Wight Council not being equally as responsible, and advising headteachers and governors as a minimum that they do not need to open unless they are confident that it is safe to do so?
Yesterday’s report from the scientists on the Independent SAGE group say that opening schools in three days’ time ‘threatens not just the health of school communities but also of wider society.’ Mary Bousted of the National Education Union questions “Why, when the rest of the country is still required to observe social distancing, is it safe for schools not to?”
Lowthion: Blind loyalty to political party’s leadership
Vix Lowthion, IW Green Party spokesperson, said,
“It seems that this government, and the Isle of Wight Council, are prioritising the economy and blind loyalty to their own political party’s leadership, rather than the safety of Islanders at this fragile time of lockdown easing.”
Accountability
Both Cllr Paul Brading and Cllr Claire Mosdell are the IW Council Cabinet members with responsibility for the safety of children and the wider Public Health status of the Isle of Wight.
If they do not advise the schools who are unsure they can meet the safety regulations that they can delay wider opening, then they must be held accountable for the health and safety consequences of potentially a hundred extra children at each of our school gates on Monday morning.
Lowthion: Delaying opening a responsible and supportive action
Vix concludes,
“To open our primary schools, our outdoor retail, and also to allow households to meet up all on the same day next week will present a risk to our recovery from this virus.
“The Isle of Wight Council must advise our schools that delaying opening will be a responsible and supportive action to take.”
Image: Ryan Stanton under CC BY 2.0
