Letter: How was this schools decision reached?

As a grandparent of children who attend Calderdale primary schools and secondary schools in north Halifax, I wish to understand the basis of Calderdale Council’s advice to recommend schools don’t open due to safety issues around coronavirus.

I assume that Tim Swift, the council’s leader, finds the advice of senior government scientists is based on unsound, weak or unsubstantiated epidemiological data. I have to assume that he has access to evidence that contradicts this advice, could he please publish this evidence?

Coun Swift says the decision is based on “the current evidence within Calderdale indicates three of the Government’s five tests are not met and unfortunately we are not assured that this will change before June 1”.

How has this conclusion been reached and on what evidence is this based?

He also says that “test three requires us to be confident that the rate of infection is decreasing to manageable levels, but we do not currently know the impact of the changes to the lockdown restrictions announced last week”. What is the current ‘R’ rate in Calderdale, and by what parameters will the LEA use to judge this?

“Finally test five is about whether we can be confident that any changes we make will not risk a second peak of infections.

Unfortunately at this stage we cannot be confident that we could prevent the spread of the coronavirus within our nurseries, schools or colleges and then into the wider community”.

What are the methods you wish to be in place? What would be the infection rate have to be for it to have contributed to a significant increased risk of second peak in Calderdale?

I think it is only right when taking such a position that the advice that Calderdale Council based this decision on is shared with parents, some of whom will suffer continued hardship by not being able to return to work and have to continue to to try and educate their children at home.

Finally, now the council has taken this position, one has to assume it has a clear picture of what additional controls are required to be in place before it considers that it is safe to open schools to more pupils.

What timescale do you envisage when it will be safe for Calderdale schools to open? What is the infection rate in the community that you would deem it is safe to open schools? What additional levels of social distancing in schools do you deem safe in schools?

What plans do you have for all children to return to school in Calderdale and by what date?

Obviously for the council to take a position contrary to the Government’s scientific advice on how schools should open, then you must have evidence and plans in place for how the schools will reopen. I look forward to Coun Swift’s response on this matter.