Coronavirus: Moral duty to get all children back in school - PM - BBC News

There is a "moral duty" to get all children back into schools in England next month, Prime Minister Boris Johnson has said.

A Downing Street source said Mr Johnson believes the harm being done to children's education prospects and mental health by not attending school is far more damaging than the risk posed to them by the virus.

Schools across the UK have been closed to all but vulnerable children and those of critical workers since March and the current plan is for most children across the country to be back in class by next month.

Guidance on reopening has been published for England.

Mr Johnson's comments comes after the children's commissioner for England, Anne Longfield, said the reopening of schools "should be prioritised", and criticised ministers for treating children "as an afterthought" during the crisis.

However, he told the BBC all children in England would be returning to school next month, including in those areas currently affected by local lockdowns, amid a spike in cases.

But the No 10 source said in the event of future stricter local lockdowns, Mr Johnson's expectation is that schools would be the last sector to be closed, after businesses like shops and pubs?

Rises in cases in a number of areas across England prompted the prime minister to pause the easing of the lockdown nationally last month.

Mayor of Greater Manchester, Andy Burnham, said the government needed to improve its test and trace system or consider closing pubs ahead of schools reopening.

Bowling alleys, casinos and beauty salons were among the businesses that were prevented from reopening at the end of last month, for at least a fortnight

Shadow business minister Lucy Powell said it was "clearly illogical and unfair" to prevent some firms reopening while winding up the job retention scheme