Sunderland Conservatives back June school reopenings 'with enhanced safety'

Education bosses for Wearside have expressed ‘deep concerns’ over government plans to see classrooms partially reopened from June 1, insisting any decision should be left to individual headteachers.

But Sunderland Tories have backed plans to restart lessons, while also calling for a tougher approach on social distancing measures intended to halt the spread of COVID-19.

Antony Mullen, chairman of Sunderland’s Conservative group, said his party supported reopening schools, but only ‘in situations where measures are taken to enhance the safety of pupils and staff members’.

He added: “We do so on the basis that the British Medical Association (BMA) has now dropped its opposition to schools re-opening, saying the risk to children is ‘extremely small’.

“In cases where parents are not comfortable with this, the government has removed penalties for parents who choose not to send their children to school.”

Earlier this week, Graeme Miller, the leader of Sunderland City Council, claimed the UK was ‘on a knife-edge’ in the fight against COVID-19 and said parents were ‘rightly concerned’ about the prospect of their children returning to lessons.

Official figures on the coronavirus outbreak have suggested the North East has the highest infection rate of any other part of the country.

A statement by the BMA on schools accepted some studies have shown COVID-19 poses an ‘extremely small’ risk to children, but also said there was no scientific consensus on the issue.

It added: “A focus on arbitrary dates for schools to reopen fully is polarising.”

Mullen, a city councillor since 2018, said if the council leadership refused to support schools reopening they must address gangs of ‘youths’ gathering at parks, beaches and shopping centres – an issue he accused Coun Miller of ignoring while ‘politicising the pandemic’.

Earlier in May Coun Miller said he would be powerless to stop ‘Roker beach or Herrington Country Park being full of people’ after the government signalled a relaxation of social distancing restrictions.

He has previously urged Wearside’s families to think of their grandparents’ risk of coronavirus infection before heading out over sunny weekends.