Labour needs to be braver on education, and recognise that frontline workers are the experts
Weeks of pressure finally cut through to the prime minister on Monday, when he plucked up the courage to deliver some bad news and announced a fresh lockdown in England. The move came less than 36 hours after he had limply conceded that Covid restrictions were “probably about to get tougher” but insisted that “schools are safe”. It was clear that the government’s stance was unsustainable, yet Labour refused to back the closure of all schools in England until hours before the move was announced.
When the government launched legal action against Greenwich council for recommending to its local schools that for the last days of term they stay open only for vulnerable children and those of key workers, something the government has now mandated, Labour did not defend the position taken by the local authority. Instead, a shadow cabinet member reiterated the line that “schools should be the last thing to close” and urged the government to work with the council to change course. At the time, Greenwich had 3,670 pupils and 314 school staff in self-isolation, and two schools in the area had already been forced to close completely owing to lack of staff.
