Schools minister Nick Gibb says “increasingly parents are reassured that children are safe to return to school” #r4today. With respect, that’s not the whole point

Having bubbles at school and extra hygiene measures *is* reassuring. But the problem is what is the contingency plan for if/when a major second spike comes later in the autumn? What is the plan?

Children’s Commissioner Anne Longfield is right to say education has been an “afterthought”. If it really were a “priority” as the PM says, we would have had volunteer/retired teachers brought back, libraries and other currently unused public buildings commandeered for socially

distanced classes. A national programme for online teaching that only a fraction of state school pupils experienced during lockdown. But there’s been a complete failure of imagination from the government on this. Where I disagree with AL is that schools must be the last to close

because while children suffer the least from coronavirus they are still transmitters. We want our children back in school, but it must be safe for everyone.