Parents of pupils in England ‘will be asked to test them twice a week’

Parents of pupils in England ‘will be asked to test them twice a week’

Parents of secondary school pupils in England will be asked to test them twice weekly once schools reopen, according to a report.

8 March is currently the earliest proposed date for students to return to classrooms, but it is unclear whether we will see a staggered return, or whether all year groups will return at once.

Officials at the Department for Education are alleged to have met with education unions today to finalise arrangements for mass testing within secondary schools.

When questioned about the proposal to test children twice weekly during Sky News interview, Care Minister Helen Whately said:

“Next week more will be set out about how the return to school is going to work.”

She has yet to confirm or deny the claim, but later told the BBC:

“There is work being done to look at how testing will help schools come back.

“But there will be more details set out about that next week.”

The department also reported that schools will only oversee the initial round of testing, after which it will become the responsibility of parents.

Speaking to Sky News, Geoff Barton, general secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders unions, said:

“If what we’re reading in the papers today is the direction of travel, there will be some mass testing in those secondary schools and further education colleges initially.

“But then the responsibility for that would pass to the home, to parents, that’s something that we would endorse, that seems a good idea.”