Skip to content
Search

Latest Stories

Children back in school in England after Covid-19 lockdown

Children back in school in England after Covid-19 lockdown

CHILDREN return to school in England on Monday (8) for the first time since January, as the government begins to ease tough restrictions, thanks to a mass vaccination drive against the coronavirus.

Throughout the latest lockdown since the start of the new year, schools have remained open to children of key workers and the most vulnerable.


But all other youngsters have been at home, causing a headache for working parents, and fears about the effect on their learning.

Pupils aged five to 11 go back to the classroom Monday, with a staggered return over the coming week for secondary school students aged 11 to 18.

Schoolchildren returned to class after the Christmas break but were sent home again after just one day, to contain a more transmissible virus strain.

Relief for parents

Parents have welcomed the return to the classroom after two tough months of home-schooling and juggling their own work during lockdown.

Lisa Tyler, 41, from Northamptonshire, central England, said having her six and 10-year-old daughters back in class would be "the biggest relief in the world".

Trying to manage supervision of schoolwork and her job as a university administrator had been hard, particularly on her youngest, she said.

Julie Williams, 49, from Essendon in southeast England, said she and her husband had struggled to prioritise care for their three sons as they both work for the state-run National Health Service.

"The job throughout the pandemic has got busier and worse. So it's been quite tricky for us," she said.

Vaccine hope

The government has been able to plan to ease its Covid-19 restrictions as around 23 million people in Britain have received at least a first vaccination jab, helping to bring down case numbers and ease pressure on hospitals.

Prime minister Boris Johnson has outlined plans to lift stay-at-home curbs in England. Britain has suffered more than 123,000 Covid deaths and is banking on its mass vaccination drive to lift all restrictions possibly as early as June.

Under further plans for reopening, the government has said it will ease limits on social interaction outside on March 29, with the reopening of non-essential retail from April 12.

Returning students will face regular testing to curb the spread of infection, while older children will have to wear facemasks indoors until April.

Education secretary Gavin Williamson said the school return would "mark a moment of joy for millions", and it was important for children to be in class "not only for their education but for their mental health and wellbeing".

Different plans for school returns have been unveiled across the other nations of the UK -- Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland -- where devolved governments have powers over education policy.

In Scotland, children aged four to seven returned last month and older students are due to follow -- part-time -- from March 15.

A similar timetable has been outlined in Wales, starting with those preparing for exams on the same date.

Youngsters aged four to eight in Northern Ireland are also back on Monday, with secondary pupils aged 13 to 18 on March 22. Others have to wait until April.

More For You

british-muslims-iStock

The study noted that this identification was not due to any doctrinal obligation but was influenced by the perception that many Muslims do not feel fully accepted as British. (Representational image: iStock)

iStock

Majority of British Muslims identify by faith first, study finds

A STUDY by the Institute for the Impact of Faith in Life (IIFL) has found that most British Muslims identify primarily with their religion rather than their nationality.

The research, based on a survey of 815 British Muslim adults by Whitestone Insight, revealed that 71 per cent of respondents identified as Muslim first, while 27 per cent identified as British, English, or Scottish first.

Keep ReadingShow less
Car Tax Changes: EV Owners Now Required to Pay for the First Time

Owners of electric vehicles registered on or after 1 April 2025 will pay £10 for the first year, followed by the standard VED rate of £195 from the second year. (Representational image: iStock)

iStock

Car tax changes take effect: EV owners to pay for first time

FROM today, 1 April 2025, electric cars, vans, and motorcycles in the UK will be subject to Vehicle Excise Duty (VED) for the first time.

The change, introduced in the 2022 Autumn Statement by former Conservative Chancellor Jeremy Hunt, aims to make motoring taxation fairer.

Keep ReadingShow less
scotland-minimum-wages-iStock

Full-time workers on the National Living Wage will receive an annual pay increase of £1,400 in real terms. (Representational image: iStock)

iStock

Wage increase takes effect for thousands of workers in Scotland

HUNDREDS of thousands of workers in Scotland will see a pay increase as new National Living Wage and National Minimum Wage rates take effect from Tuesday.

The changes will benefit approximately 220,000 people, according to STV News.

Keep ReadingShow less
uk-energy-bill-iStock

Water bills, energy prices, and council tax are rising, while the minimum wage has also increased (Representational image: iStock)

iStock

April bill increases put financial strain on single parents

A RANGE of essential household bills are increasing from April, with Citizens Advice warning that single parents will be among the hardest hit.

Water bills, energy prices, and council tax are rising, while the minimum wage has also increased, BBC reported.

Keep ReadingShow less
Netflix drama Adolescence to be screened in UK schools
Stephen Graham and Owen Cooper in 'Adolescence'
Netflix

Netflix drama Adolescence to be screened in UK schools

THE NETFLIX drama Adolescence will be shown in UK secondary schools as part of efforts to address harmful online influences on young boys, officials announced on Monday.

The show has sparked debate over the impact of toxic and misogynistic content on the internet. Prime minister Keir Starmer met the show's creators, charities, and young people at Downing Street, calling the initiative an important step in starting discussions about the content teenagers are exposed to online.

Keep ReadingShow less