SCHOOLS have two functions: education and child-minding. It is urgent that children's interrupted education be resumed and that parents be able to return to work as soon as possible. It is hard to see how anyone would disagree.

After that, it gets more difficult. Physical distancing in schools is of limited viability.

Research by the leading German virologist, Christian Drosten, suggests that, although children are generally (with some serious exceptions) less affected by Covid-19 than adults, they carry the same levels of infection in their bodies which implies that, unless shown otherwise, they are as potentially infectious. A primary school puts several hundred people of varying ages into a confined space; a senior school up to several thousand. Many will be vulnerable, or go home to vulnerable family members.

The problem, not just for now but for the next academic year - and maybe longer - is how to maximise protection while allowing education and parents' work to resume. There are imperfect possibilities.

Obvious measures would include a temperature check on all arrivals at school (staff, pupils and visitors) as a first line of defence. Any other suspect symptoms would also need isolation and same-day testing by a qualified professional, with results at the latest by first thing the following morning (Hong Kong can turn round results in 8 hours: we should be able to). There will need to be adequate isolation rooms with supervision and PPE. A positive test would then require extensive further tracing and testing.

What seems to be on offer by the government, with the patronisingly vague "following the science" as if we were all foolish enough to think it that simple, falls well short of these needs. The official and unofficial SAGE both recently studied the same scientific information, made very similar reservations, and reached slightly different conclusions; but both were insistent, as Sir Patrick Vallance very clearly said on May 22, that an effective "test, track and trace" system is a prerequisite for even the limited school restart proposed for June 1. As yet, we do not have that and, given past failures, cannot count on it for a while. Gavin Williamson, apparently ignoring this condition, claimed the SAGE advice supported the government's position regarding a June 1 start.

Dorte Lange, speaking for Danish Teachers, said: “The situation...is totally different [UK and Denmark] If you, in general, have the experience that you can trust the government and the authorities, then you are more likely to do so [return to school with confidence.]" Amicable discussions started with the publication of a study by Denmark’s infectious diseases agency, with full disclosures of known information. Undermining trust, Gavin Williamson misused the Danish experience: “Schools have started to return in Denmark and have not seen a negative impact…This has confirmed this approach is the right approach.”

It is sometimes hard to tell where the dishonesty ends and the stupidity begins.

The return to school is urgent and vital, but the Government has a lot of work to do to build the necessary trust, and must work harder at not destroying it.

Barry Tempest

Romulus Close

Dorchester