Cheshire West leader asks for school re-opening powers

Cllr Gittins is to write to Education Secretary Gavin Williamson ‘to ask for the council to have powers to make local decisions on whether schools should remain open’, according to CWAC’s Labour Group.

It added: “As we have throughout the pandemic, the council will work with primary and secondary schools to keep children, their families and school staff safe. We will support schools in providing remote learning and ensure they can remain open for the children of key workers and vulnerable children no matter what.

“If the Covid-19 variant spreads rapidly in west Cheshire as it has done in the south-east the Government will have to move our schools to remote learning.

“We recognise classroom education is vital to the life chances of children but our schools cannot safely remain open to all children if transmission escalates in the weeks ahead. This evidence-led approach is supported by the local National Education Union branch.”

Currently, thousands of children in the borough are scheduled to return to the classroom this week, as primary schools, special schools, and alternative educational settings open up again.

Those in Years 11 and 13 are set to go back next week, with any remaining secondary school pupils following suit on the week of January 18.

CWAC says that schools in the borough will continue to conduct their own risk assessments and continue to follow national guidance on social distancing, face-coverings and hand-washing.

In response, CWAC’s Conservative Group leader Cllr Margaret Parker, told the LDRS: “It is law and it is a government decision and we do know that the Prime Minister is looking at this on a daily basis.

“I feel that our schools should open and we should take it as it comes. If infections do rise and they do have to close, then that’s fine and we should all follow national government guidelines.”

You can find out more information on school openings on CWAC’s website.