Parents are fuming that Boris Johnson is keeping schools shut until at least March 8 - and are hunkering down for more weeks of arduous home schooling. But he reaffirmed his commitment of reopening schools as a 'national priority' and said he would aim to lift the shutdown 'when the data permits'. An 11th-hour U-turn to close schools in January and a row over meagre free school meals parcels left parents and industry leaders reeling. In a speech to the Education Policy Institute yesterday, Gavin Williamson assured that quality education was continuing while schools were shut. He said: 'Schools are now routinely delivering high-quality teaching for up to five hours a day to children who are learning at home.

Source: The Nation January 27, 2021 17:03 UTC