Schools in England reopened their doors this week as a first step toward easing lockdown measures. While primary school children have returned as normal, pupils in secondary schools are expected to wear a mask during lessons and take bi-weekly rapid coronavirus tests. These are just a few of several new measures to try and ensure the reopening is done as safely as possible.
The reopening of schools was a "road map out of lockdown" priority for Prime Minister Boris Johnson and Education Secretary Gavin Williamson, who wanted to ensure schools were the last to close and the first to open. But could a rushed reopening lead to another spike of coronavirus infections?
The government's decision was largely welcomed by parents around the country. As in the United States and many other nations, British parents have been struggling to balance the pressures of home-school with their jobs. Children have also been unable to socialize with friends or follow the curriculum as normal, with students from disadvantaged backgrounds at risk of falling further behind. It is clear, then, why the prime minister is keen to see school children return to normality.
But what will normality look like? Nearly 57 million lateral flow test kits have been delivered to schools and colleges around the United Kingdom, which provide test results within 30 minutes. Children will be tested on arrival and then sent home with rapid tests, which they are expected to take at home twice a week.
However, there is a rising concern among medical professionals about how effective these rapid tests are. If not administered correctly, they are known to produce false results or fail to detect the virus. This could lead to a rise in cases among school children who will inevitably pass the virus on to their teachers and families at home. It also means the onus is on the individual, rather than the government, to ensure they are COVID-negative so that schools can operate safely.
Rachel Clarke, a palliative care doctor from Oxford, tweeted: "You really, really couldn’t make this up. After one day of school, my son and 30 other pupils are self-isolating at home for 10 days after one child had a positive school lateral flow test. Even though the subsequent gold standard PCR test was negative." This is an early sign that the rapid test results are likely to supersede PCR tests on the basis of convenience, despite contrary scientific and government advice. Gavin Williamson has said that he has no intention of closing schools again when the measures are reviewed during the Easter holidays, even if the so-called "reproduction" transmission rate rises above one. This is somewhat alarming given the uncertainty of both the pandemic and how successful lockdown exit plans will be. The decision is, therefore, a toss-up between the welfare and education of U.K. children and the safety of U.K. citizens against COVID-19.
Statutory exams have already been canceled this year, with new teacher-monitored grading methods introduced and an algorithm that will determine the academic fate of students across the U.K. SATs, taken by primary school children and GCSE and A-level exams, taken by 16-year-olds and 18-year-olds, respectively, have all been replaced by a combination of mock exams, coursework, and essays. This could result in grade inflation across the board while also preventing low-achieving students who perform best in their final exams from doing so.
Institute for Fiscal Studies research suggests that 60% of parents are concerned about their child’s lost learning, with 1 in 10 fearful that their child will never catch up. In addition to new examination methods, the education secretary has suggested that longer school days, shorter summer holidays, and five-term years (as opposed to three) are all being considered as options to help children catch up with their learning. However, the exact details of these measures are yet to be confirmed.
It seems school children are not out of the dark yet, and the future of their education remains uncertain. For now, individual schools and students are responsible for instigating the new measures and ensuring the reopening is safe. But with no sign from the government of intervention if the measures are unsuccessful and a reliance on largely ineffective rapid testing methods, it is difficult to feel overly optimistic.
Nikki Peach is a freelance journalist based in London, England. She recently graduated from City, University of London with an MA in Broadcast Journalism and writes about culture and current affairs.
