A petition calling for Boris Johnson to close schools has topped 420,000 as exam worries grow and universities ban face-to-face teaching due to the coronavirus threat.
The form, started by Sami Attout, urges Boris Johnson to shut down campuses ‘in the coming weeks or as soon as possible’, to prevent the spread of Covid19.
School leaders have raised questions over the upcoming exam season – which is predicted to overlap with the peak of the bug – and called for advice for parents.
And the London School of Economics yesterday banned all face-to-face teaching and public events for the rest of the academic year.
Boris Johnson has refused to close schools amid the coronavirus pandemic, but advised schools not to take trips abroad
A petition, started by Sami Attout, urged Boris Johnson to shut down schools and colleges ‘in the coming weeks of as soon as possible’, to prevent the spread of Covid19
It comes as the official number of cases in the UK yesterday reached 590, with 10 deaths.
But the Government’s chief scientific adviser Sir Patrick Vallance said the true number was probably up to 10,000.
Hundreds of thousands of worried parents are demanding MPs step up measures to allow them to take their children out of school.
The PM has held off the drastic measure – which has been enforced across Europe – saying washing hands for 20 seconds remains the most important step.
The petition has garnered more than 420,000 signatures, surging past the 100,000 needed to secure a debate in Parliament.
It states: ‘We would like the government to at least consider closing schools/colleges down in the coming weeks or as soon as possible, in addition to taking necessary actions to prevent further spread.
‘We would like the Government or Parliament to enforce this action due to the growing fear among parents and students that attend school.
‘The ability to focus or concentrate is affected in addition to the growing fears of the Coronavirus.
‘In our view, the government and health officials around the world are more ”reactive” rather than ”proactive”.
‘This will result in more spread as time is given for the virus to do so. We hope to come to an agreement as soon as possible in a timely manner.’
School leaders fear students’ GCSEs will overlap with the predicted peak of the coronavirus in the UK.
The Association of School and College Leaders said its members are answering tough questions from anxious parents.
The Department for Education in England has set up a Covid19 hotline for school staff, while exam regulators urged them to continue preparations for tests.
Yet major universities have taken precautions, with LSE saying all teaching, taught exams and other assessments will be moved online for the rest of the academic year.
Students at LSE received an email alerting them to the dramatic decision
A university spokesman said: ‘These actions are taken as a precaution and to provide clarity and reassurance to the LSE community in exceptional circumstances.
‘The LSE campus and halls of residence will remain open. Guidance from Public Health England maintains that there is presently low risk for LSE and that buildings, services and facilities can run as usual.
‘We will take any additional necessary steps, such as a campus closure, if we are advised to do so in the future.’
Durham University previously announced classroom teaching, including small groups and one-on-one meetings, will cease from March 16.
The university and its library will remain open, but all lessons will be delivered online as much as possible.
Manchester Metropolitan University said it will end in-person teaching from March 27, for the final week of term.
The Prime Minister yesterday faced a growing backlash after he refused to shut schools across the country as the coronavirus pandemic gripped the public.
A number of other countries such as Ireland, Austria, Turkey and Norway have taken drastic measures to stymie the spread of the disease, including closing schools, colleges and childcare facilities.
But the Prime Minister and his chief medical advisers decided to hold back these responses in an effort to delay the peak of the ‘worst public health crisis for a generation’, and instead recommended only stopping school trips abroad.
He outlined his plan in a press conference on Thursday, advising people to avoid cruises, school trips, and to stay at home for seven days if they notice any mild symptoms.
One of his advisors also said it was unreasonable to expect children to remain isolated for up to 16 weeks.
Chief medical officer Prof Chris Whitty said children appear to have a milder response to the virus compared to adults
Mr Johnson said: ‘We advise all those over 70 with serious medical conditions against going on cruises and we advise against international school trips.
‘At some point in the next few weeks we are likely to go further.’
Despite the warnings, Mr Johnson said the UK would not close schools yet.
He said: ‘The scientific advice is that this could do more harm than good.
‘But we are keeping this under review and this could change as the disease spreads. Schools should only close if they are specifically advised to do so.’
Chief medical officer Prof Chris Whitty later reiterated the Prime Minister’s point, saying: ‘Fortunately, and this is one silver lining in this particular infection, it looks as if children are affected much less than adults based on the early data we have at the moment.
‘Our view is not that they don’t get infected, we think they probably do, but they seem to have a much milder disease in general.’
Chief scientific adviser Sir Patrick Vallance said you cannot expect children not to come into contact with each other for 16 weeks
Chief scientific adviser Sir Patrick Vallance also said schools would have to be closed for up to 16 weeks and it was not realistic to expect children to be cooped up that long.
He said: ‘It is true that there is some effect in closing schools but that effect is minimal and actually you would have to do it for 13 to 16 weeks or longer.
‘You do not have to be a very advanced mathematician to work out that the chances of keeping children not speaking to each other or playing with each other are zero.’