Boris Johnson is facing calls from almost 50 Conservative MPs to ensure schools “go back to normal” on a permanent footing when all remaining Covid restrictions are lifted in England — currently scheduled for 19 July.
In a letter to the prime minister, senior figures including former leader Iain Duncan Smith, said the current self-isolation policy is “unsustainable” and causing “unnecessary and significant disruption”.
The demand comes after the education secretary, Gavin Williamson, said the government wanted to scrap school “bubbles” within weeks, with a decision before 19 July — Step 4 of the government’s Covid roadmap.
Mr Johnson is yet to announce whether the government will press ahead with unlocking the remaining areas of the economy in three weeks’ time, but new health secretary Sajid Javid told MPs earlier this week he was “very confident” the easing of restrictions would go ahead.
According to the latest data, more than 330,000 students were self-isolating due to potential contact with a Covid cases last week, with tens of thousands out of the classroom with a suspected or confirmed infection.
The signatories, which also include the chair of the Commons education committee Robert Halfon, and former ministers Caroline Nokes and Esther McVey, insisted: “Children have sacrificed so much to keep the country safe during the pandemic.
“It is vital that all schools go back to normal for 19 July when restrictions lift, even if just for the last few days of term.”
The 48 MPs said: “This will send a signal ahead of the autumn that the route to freedom is a ‘one way road’ and genuinely ‘irreversible’.”
“Guidance on self-isolation is causing unnecessary and significant disruptions to the education of hundreds of thousands of children,” they added. “This disproportionate policy is unsustainable and is causing deep uncertainty and anxiety among a cohort who have already suffered enough.
“Restrictions such as bubbles in schools are causing ongoing and severe disruption and preventing schools from operating normally and being able to offer the full array of extra curriculum activities and sports which are so vital for children’s health.
“Sports days are being cancelled and children are missing out on end of term music concerts, performances, proms, and many other things which normally enrich education.”
The letter has been coordinated by the UsforThem campaign group, whose co-founder Molly Kingsley asked: “Haven’t children sacrificed enough in keeping the country safe during the pandemic?”
“It is vital that we now restore normality in schools and we are delighted to receive so much support from MPs,” she added. “We need to get rid of the self-isolation guidance, the disruptive bubbles and send a clear message that schools are going back to normal on a permanent basis”.
