Despite a big rise in local Covid cases, Greenwich council was overruled. Ministers should trust us to protect pupils
- Jules White is a headteacher
At the end of a difficult year for schools, a tawdry row has erupted. In response to Greenwich council asking its schools to close this week – ahead of the end of term on Friday and after a 59% rise in local infections within seven days – the education secretary, Gavin Williamson, has ordered the London borough to reverse its decision. The council’s leader, Danny Thorpe, said this morning that he has “no choice” but to back down.
After navigating enforced lockdowns, a national exams debacle, and thousands of pages of contradictory guidance and directives from the Department for Education, headteachers seem once again to be “piggy in the middle” as local authorities and central government battle it out.
