Headteacher warns lockdown has 'trashed the prospects of an entire generation'

25 January 2021, 10:57

Headteacher: Huge damage is being done to children's futures

By EJ Ward

@EJWardNews

Headteacher warns lockdown has "absolutely trashed the prospects of an entire generation."

This headteacher told LBC's Nick Ferrari that "colossal damage" is being done to children's future by the coronavirus lockdown.

Lewis a teacher from Camden said the closure of schools has "absolutely trashed the prospects of an entire generation."

Warning about the "lasting and profound consequences" he said home learning was "not anywhere near what is delivered in schools."

Adding pupils spending more time at home was also taking a toll on their mental health.

The head also warned that the futures of children "stuck at home" all over the country were not being considered at all.

Read more: Pressure grows on PM over plans to reopen England's schools

The conversation comes as the Prime Minister faces pressure from some of his own MPs to fully reopen schools in England.

They want children back in lessons by early March - when the most vulnerable people should've had a coronavirus vaccination.

PM 'keen to restart face to face learning as quickly as possible'

Read more: Health Secretary 'hopes' schools will reopen by Easter

Read more: Daily Covid testing in schools paused amid emergence of new variant

Asked if he could give a firm date for schools reopening, Mr Johnson said: "Daily we're looking at the data and trying to work out when we're going to be able to lift restrictions.

"Schools obviously will be a priority but I don't think anybody would want to see the restrictions lifted so quickly while the rate of infection is still very high so as to lead to another great spread of infection.

"We've now got the R down below 1 across the whole of the country, that's a great achievement, we don't want to see a huge surge of infection just when we've got the vaccination programme going so well and people working so hard.

"I understand why people want to get a timetable from me today, what I can tell you is we'll tell you, tell parents, tell teachers as much as we can as soon as we can."