Should schools close for an extra week at half term? Northumberland families have their say

Prime Minister Boris Johnson is coming under increasing pressure to impose a two to three-week national ‘circuit-breaker’ lockdown over the half-term holidays in a bid to reduce rising Covid-19 infection rates,

Some Gazette readers argued children have lost out on too much education already, while others said an additional closure could be ‘worth a try’ to see how it impacts the infection rate.

This is what you said on the Northumberland Gazette Facebook page:

Suzanne Madgwick: “Absolutely not. Too much social and educational damage done already.”

David Bland: “That may reduce the infection rate slightly, except when they go back it may start rising again. How being off school and how it effects the infection rate is than unknown but could be worth a try.”

Philip Walter: “They have already missed far too much of their education, this would put them further behind and they need to keep a sense of routine and normality.”

Nicola Morris: “Schools should be the very last thing to close. As a teacher and a parent I can say that schools are managing with bubbles, separate lunch/break and increased cleaning.”

Ann Deary Francis: “Yes. It will be hard but we have to be realistic about community transmission or this will get a lot worse.”

Debbi Doodle: “Absolutely, schools are trying their best but they just don't have the space to keep the kids apart. If there is going to be a circuit break, it needs to involve schools.”

Michelle Lucy: “Definitely not, schools have handled this well, bubbles appear to be working well. Kids need routine in their lives. If we shut them it will only end up a rolling program of open/shut, for goodness knows how long.”

Kelly Dowson: “I don’t think the schools should close again. I think the wellbeing of our future generation is being overlooked. I worry about the mental health of children and the unknown impact this is having. “

Jade Blythe: “Absolutely not. Their education and mental health can’t suffer more than it already has. It’s unfair also on some parents, front line workers, those attempting to keep the economy going whilst expected to homeschool too.”

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