Schools will “very much be the first to open” when lockdown is eased, Education Secretary Gavin Williamson said today.
The Cabinet minister explained that this would not happen before the pressure on the NHS, with many hospitals struggling to cope with a surge in Covid patients, started to ease.
“What we will be wanting to do is give schools as much notice as possible so teachers can get ready, children can prepare and parents know in order to be able to manage their lives,” he told Sky News.
“We will want to give all schools a clear two weeks notice period in order to be able to ready themselves.
“One of the key criteria is whether the pressure on the NHS has started to lift, that is why we had to take the national decision, very much in the national interest, one that I personally never would have wanted to take to see schools closed again.
“We had to make that decision because of the pressure on the NHS and needing to reduce movement in society and in communities.
“But schools were the last to close, school will very much be the first to open.”
Pressed on BBC Radio 4's Today programme when schools will go back, Mr Williamson said: "I would certainly hope that that would be before Easter."
The Government is seeking to offer the coronavirus vaccine to around 15 million people in the four high priority groups by mid-February, raising hopes that the lockdown could start to be eased in early March once these individuals are at least partially protected from the disease.
The four groups are people aged 70 and over, care home residents and staff, frontline health and social care staff, as well as individuals particularly vulnerable to the virus.
However, ministers are wary of lifting the restrictions too early and allowing the disease to spiral out of control again.
Schools have remained open for key workers.
