“Don’t Re-open Schools” motorcade tours Harlow

CARS adorned with posters opposing the planned re-opening of schools took to the roads of Harlow on Monday (25 May). The motorcade toured local schools to the accompaniment of a steady stream of chants delivered by megaphone. The slogans included: “No Going Back to School Until It’s Safe”, “Keep Our Children Safe”, and “Keep Teachers and Other Staff Safe”.

The “socially distanced” motorcade was organised by Harlow Coronavirus People Before Profit Action Group to draw attention to concerns about the government’s decision to partially re-open primary schools on Monday 1 June. The Group wants the government to postpone the re-opening, and calls upon local academy trusts and the local education authority, Essex County Council, to take a “firm stand” against any premature return to school for the county’s pupils.

“We know that teachers, support staff, and parents across Harlow are very worried about the safety of even a partial reopening of local schools,” said John Wake, speaking on behalf of the Action Group. “They are right to be worried. There are still about 61,000 new COVID-19 infections per week in England, according to the Office for National Statistics. It is true that the number of people dying every day from this disease has declined, but it is still in the hundreds, whereas it was in single figures when the lockdown was introduced on 23 March.” Mr Wake said that the Action Group asks the government to listen to the teaching unions. “The National Education Union has outlined five tests that the Government must pass before moving to further opening of schools. We cannot be confident that pupils and staff will be safe until the government passes those tests.”

The former Labour Parliamentary candidate for Harlow, Laura McAlpine, spoke out in support of the protest. She said that “it is important for children to return to school, but only when it is safe to do so. The Government’s advice on the reopening of schools has been chaotic and has caused confusion and anxiety amongst parents, staff, and children. Although my child is not yet old enough to attend school, I fully support parents with children of school age who think that even a partial re-opening of schools is premature. It would not be feasible to maintain social distancing at two metres apart in a classroom of 4 and 5 year olds. The reopening of any classes at this time risks the health of the staff, the children, their families, and the health of the community in general. I believe in social solidarity, which is why I stand with the concerned parents and the teaching unions on this issue.”

The Action Group believes that its position has been vindicated by a report by a committee of independent scientists, which states that new modelling shows that delaying school re-opening by two weeks would approximately halve the risk to children, and that delaying the re-opening until September would be less risky still.

The report by the Independent Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies, chaired by David King, the former Chief Scientific Advisor, says that schools should not re-open until local “test, track, and isolate” systems are in place. The report asserts that “There is no clear evidence that these conditions are met. Until they are it is not safe to open schools on June 1”.

The Independent Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies report on re-opening schools can be found at:
http://www.independentsage.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/Independent-Sage-Brief-Report-on-Schools.pdf

Information on the Harlow Coronavirus People Before Profit Action Group can be found at:
https://www.facebook.com/HarlowCoronavirusPeopleBeforeProfitActionGroup
Please see attached photographs of the motorcade.■