Boris Johnson: ‘Alternative arrangements’ will be made for exams
The Prime Minister confirmed GCSE and A-Level exams will not go ahead “as planned” for the second year running and Education Secretary Gavin Williamson “will work with Ofqual to put in place alternative arrangements”. Ahead of the announcement, ITV’s political correspondent Robert Peston tweeted: “By the way, my assumption is that the PM will make clear that GCSE and A-Level exams will be cancelled for second successive year.
“Impossible to hold them with so much schooling missed, even though remote learning will be much better than first time round.”
Boris Johnson confirmed all schools will remain closed throughout January in a bid to curb the spread of the deadly coronavirus.
Mr Johnson added it would be unfair to allow exams to go ahead “as normal” this year.
During an address to the nation, the Prime Minister said: “We recognise that this will mean it is not possible or fair for all exams to go ahead this summer as normal.
GCSEs and A Levels to be cancelled again (Image: Getty)
Schools will remain closed and exams cancelled (Image: Getty)
“The Education Secretary will work with Ofqual to put in place alternative arrangements.”
“We will provide extra support to ensure pupils entitled to free school meals will continue to receive them whilst schools are closed and we will distribute more devices to support remote education.”
Primary and secondary schools will close immediately and move to online learning for all pupils except children of key workers and the most vulnerable, Mr Johnson said.
All primary and secondary schools and colleges will move to remote learning, except for the children of keyworkers or vulnerable children.
READ MORE: Tier 5: Full lockdown for England until at least February 15
Exams to not go ahead for second year running (Image: Getty)
Early years settings such as nurseries and childminders can remain open, and existing childcare bubbles will be allowed to stay in place.
University students will not be allowed to return to campus and will be expected to study from their current residence.
In-person university teaching will only take place for a small number of critical courses.
Teaching unions across the country have been calling for the Prime Minister to close schools again in a bid to stop the spread of the virus, which is now believed to be around 50 to 70 percent more transmissable.
Today, all of the unions called for classroom teaching to be “paused” until all staff are vaccinated.
The joint statement was signed by GMB, NAHT, NASUWT, NEU, Unison and Unite.
Unison general secretary Dave Prentis said: “The new restrictions are tough, but the virus has to be beaten. Otherwise, the NHS could be overwhelmed, with terrible consequences for those needing care.
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UK coronavirus cases mapped (Image: Express)
“While most of us will now be safe at home, key staff in hospitals, schools, care homes and other essential services will keep doing their jobs, despite the risks. Many are exhausted, covering for colleagues off sick with Covid.
“Without a doubt, the Government should have acted sooner.”
Stephen Phipson, chief executive of Make UK, said: “In the face of a renewed national crisis the Prime Minister is right to take these vital measures.
“This fight is likely to occupy much of the coming year and, just as it has done since the start of the crisis, industry has supported the national effort and will continue to do so. In return, it is now critical Government revisits the business support packages.”
Schools will remain closed until February 15 (Image: Getty)
Hannah Clare, who chairs Brighton and Hove’s children’s committee, said the decision to close schools nationwide came after the Government had “delayed and delayed and delayed”.
She said: “We made the difficult decision that Government weren’t brave enough to face.
“As with most things from Government throughout… the right decision was pointed out a long time ago and they have delayed and delayed and delayed.
“For us it was a case of looking at what the level in our wider community was and what it was going to be and seeing that it was the right decision to make.”
Schools to close again to curb coronavirus (Image: Getty)
Today, a joint statement signed by GMB, NAHT, NASUWT, NEU, Unison and Unite urged the Government to keep schools closed.
The NEU said: “We are calling on Gavin Williamson to actually do what he professes he does: to follow the science and announce, now, that primary schools in England should move to online learning – apart from key worker and vulnerable children for at least the first two weeks of January.
“It is not good enough to always be behind the curve, playing catch up with new strains of Covid, seeing hospital admissions rise and case numbers spiral out of control.”
NASUWT general secretary Dr Patrick Roach called for a nationwide move to remote learning.
Education Secretary Gavin Williamson (Image: PA)
He said: “The NASUWT is completely committed to ensuring that children can return to school as quickly as possible.
“However, it is now abundantly clear that the pandemic is seriously impacting on the ability of all schools and colleges to continue to operate normally.
“The NAUSWT is calling for an immediate nationwide move to remote education for all pupils in primary, secondary and special schools and colleges.”
However, Amanda Spielman, Ofsted chief inspector, warned closing schools put children’s lives on hold and should be kept to an “absolute minimum”.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson (Image: Downing Street)
She wrote in the Sunday Telegraph: “It is increasingly clear that children’s lives can’t just be put on hold while we wait for vaccination programmes to take effect, and for waves of infection to subside.
“The longer the pandemic continues, the more true this is.
“For all these reasons, we must renew and maintain the consensus that children’s time out of school should be kept to the absolute minimum.”
In the first lockdown last year, some schools conducted lessons remotely as school building were closed to most pupils except for the children of key workers.
Last month, education secretary Gavin Williamson said: “I have every confidence that if we’ve been able to run a whole set of exams for GCSEs and A-levels during a national lockdown, we have every ability to run those same set of exams in the summer of next year.”
