Boris Johnson has sparked dissent in Tory ranks by issuing a demand for all schools to remain open until the official start of the Christmas break on Thursday.
The order came as councils in London switched to remote learning as coronavirus cases soared in the capital, with Islington advising schools to shut and Greenwich saying headteachers should move to online classes from Monday evening.
Tory MP for Wimbledon Stephen Hammond rejected the No 10 ruling, saying schools in his south London constituency should have closed last Friday and should consider two weeks of online learning after Christmas.
Mr Hammond was among a group of London MP briefed by ministers and officials this morning on the situation in the capital, which he described as “stark”.
“Frankly, the government should not be stopping schools closing,” Mr Hammond told BBC Radio 4’s World at One.
“I have been of the view for at least a week now, looking at my local area, that schools should have been closed last Friday. With only three days left till the end of the term we should make that decision today.
“It’s not just what’s happening in schools but it’s the congregation of parents of primary schools and congregation of pupils outside afterwards. I also think that we should think very carefully about how quickly they should open after Christmas and potentially two weeks of online learning.”
However, Downing Street said on Monday all schools are expected to stay open until the end of term.
“We’ve consistently said that not being in school has a detrimental impact on children’s learning as well as their own personal development and mental health,” Boris Johnson’s official spokesman said. “Which is why we expect all schools and colleges to remain open until the end of term on Thursday, as schools have remained open throughout the pandemic.”
Asked whether action will be taken against councils that close early, the UK prime minister’s spokesman said: “Our regional school commissioner teams are working closely with schools and local authorities across the country and will continue to work with them and support them to remain open.”
The move to online teaching in some local areas comes amid concerns staff and children in school during the final week could be told to self-isolate over Christmas.
Mass coronavirus testing is going ahead for secondary school students in areas of London, Essex and Kent amid rising coronavirus rates in the run-up to the holidays.
On Sunday, Greenwich Council told all schools in its area in southeast London to close from Monday and switch to online learning following signs of “exponential growth” in Covid-19 cases.
Islington Council is advising schools in the north London borough to shut early ahead of Christmas – except for children of key workers and vulnerable pupils – and not to reopen until later in January.
“This is a very difficult decision – however the public health situation in Islington and London is so serious that we have to do everything we can to stop this deadly virus spreading in our community and across London,” Islington Council leader Richard Watts said.
Meanwhile, nearly all the secondary schools in Basildon have moved to full remote education, Essex County Council said on Monday.
Schools have been warned they could face legal action if they allow pupils to learn remotely in the run-up to Christmas.
New powers introduced through the Coronavirus Act allow the government to issue “directions” to heads around education provision during the pandemic. If they refuse to comply with directions to stay open, the UK education secretary could apply for a High Court injunction forcing them to do so.
Additional reporting by Press Association
