By Weekly testing for schools and colleges made available from January
The government has announced weekly rapid coronavirus tests will be available for secondary schools and colleges in England from next month.
Education Secretary Gavin Williamson said:
“The huge expansion of COVID-19 testing is a milestone moment in our work to keep schools and colleges open for all”.
He added:
“I know it has taken a phenomenal effort from everyone to ensure approximately 99% of schools have been open each week since the start of term”.
“Testing on this scale brings real benefits to education, it means more children, teachers and staff can stay in their classes in schools and colleges without the need to self-isolate”.
The announcement comes after Greenwich Council in southeast London said it had “no choice” but to tell schools to stay open following threats of legal action from the government.
Health Secretary, Matt Hancock, said he was confident that keeping schools and colleges open was the “right” thing to do, despite London Mayor, Sadiq Khan, urging officials to reconsider closing educational facilities.
The council – in similar action to Islington Council in North London and Waltham Forest Council in east London – had urged schools to shut from Monday evening and move to online learning for the rest of the current term, due to rising COVID-19 rates in the borough.
