Hampshire key worker parents sending children to school should 'consider carefully'
The County Council is looking to minimise numbers in classrooms
Last updated 13th Jan 2021
During the latest lockdown, Hampshire's schools are only open for vulnerable children and those of critical workers.
But the County Council is calling on eligible families to think carefully about taking up a place - rather keeping children at home for remote learning if they can.
Councillor Roz Chadd, the County Council's Executive Member for Education and Skills, said they are trying to minimise spreading of coronavirus:
"All Hampshire schools are open for face-to-face teaching for vulnerable children and children of critical workers. They have carried out risk assessments and implemented measures to create a COVID-19 safe learning environment. However, we all need to remember that the purpose of the national lockdown and being required to stay at home is to minimise the transmission of coronavirus.
"I am a parent myself and I do appreciate the challenge of being able to work, the need to look after children and to support them with their remote learning. On behalf of our schools, I am appealing to all critical worker parents to consider their childcare arrangements during lockdown. For example, if both parents are critical workers, could one work from home or stay at home to support their children to remain at home as well, and access remote learning from their school?
"Clearly, we do want to make sure that all vulnerable children are in school during this time but, in terms of other children whose parents are critical workers, we are keen that a balance is struck between enabling those parents to get to work and keeping the numbers of children in schools to a minimum. By doing so, not only will we be helping to reduce the spread of infection, but we will also avoid putting additional pressure on the NHS."
The rules on children eligible to go to school state that at least one parent needs to be classed as a critical worker.
Early years settings remain fully open at this time.