Government plan to partially reopen schools from January

The decision is going to be under review after discovery of a new variant

THE government are still planning to partially reopen schools next week but the decision will be reviewed all the time.

Boris Johnson is facing calls from both sides of the argument to either lockdown schools, or have them operating in January.

They are set for a staggered reopening from Monday, with primary schools, Year 11 and 13 pupils, and key workers’ children being sent to class as normal on January 4.

Unions have asked that all schools be closed for the first two weeks to ensure teachers can first be vaccinated, but the government is primed to go ahead with its staggered reopening plan.

Upon reopening next Monday, mass testing is due to be carried at secondary schools, with pupils taking their GCSE and A-level exams returning that day.

Children in the lower years and those in Year 12 will learn remotely before returning to school on January 11.

The staggered plan is still the proposal put forward by the government but Michael Gove told Sky News this morning that it was "under review".

Mr Gove, Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, said: "Our plan is that primary schools will go back but with secondary schools it will be the case that next week only children in Year 11 and Year 13.

"Those who are doing their GCSEs, their BTECs, their A-levels – those will go back."

"We always keep things under review but teachers and head teachers have been working incredibly hard over the Christmas period in order to prepare for a new testing regime.

"They've been preparing very hard over the course of the holidays and I just think we should all be very grateful that teachers – at the end of what has been a very difficult and challenging year – have been preparing for this."

Mr Gove also said exams would "absolutely" still be going ahead later in 2021.