Mr Johnson’s statement comes after a senior member of the Conservative party warned the Government against “backsliding”.
Education committee chair Robert Halfon said some primary school children should return to classrooms this month.
He warned of his concerns about an “epidemic of educational poverty”.
Mr Halfon told Sky News: “What my concern is that, long after the coronavirus has gone, we’ll have an epidemic of educational poverty and a mental health crisis affecting young people.
“We’ve got to get our schools open. Despite the wonderful efforts of teachers and support staff, nothing is more important than getting children into school full-time and learning again.
“The risks to children are few, thank goodness, from this awful disease.
“We know that teachers aren’t at any more risk compared to other professions, although I would like to see teachers and support staff get priority for vaccination.
“So let’s get the schools open, let’s have no backsliding in terms of March 8, if we can’t get them open before, and get our children learning again.”
He also said ministers should consider extending the length of terms or school hours to enable pupils to catch up on missed learning.
