Going back to school in the UK is vital — for kids and the economy
Loading player...
Sara Vickery-Bragg has a company in London preparing mail-order gift boxes and her husband runs his own technology firm. They have also been nannies, teachers and entertainers for two small children since March.
As for so many parents, that combination of roles is finally about to end in the UK as most of England’s 24,000 schools reopen over the next week, a critical moment in getting the country back to work and the economy out of the worst slump for centuries. For Vickery-Bragg, sending her four-year-old son for his first day of term means no longer having to frantically pack orders while the children are watching television or eating dinner.
“It’s more time than I’ve had in six months so it will feel like a bit of a luxury,” said Vickery-Bragg, who is now seeking a nursery place for her toddler. Returning to normal “is not going to be overnight, but I feel like anything that makes working life easier is just something to be grateful for at the moment”.
The juggle of work and children resonates across the world in the era of coronavirus, but the reopening of schools in Britain has taken on greater political and economic significance because the country has been hit by the pandemic more than anywhere else in Europe. Getting pupils back into the classroom is now paramount to avoiding deeper pain rather than simply a calculated risk.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson is already facing a public inquiry over his handling of the crisis, while chaos in August over grading for school leavers also cost his governing Conservatives in the polls. A U-turn over face coverings in high schools saw education secretary Gavin Williamson field another barrage of criticism, even from within the party.
Reopening schools could provide a 3.3% boost to the economy, equivalent to £70bn a year, according to the Centre for Economics and Business Research. The report, published on Monday, said as many as 5% more employees would be able to return to their workplaces.
The UK has experienced the biggest drop in employment since the global financial crisis and, unlike Germany, is preparing to end a furlough programme. The government is starting a publicity campaign this week to get people back into offices as job losses mount at retailers in city centres.
A study by academics in Cambridge, Oxford and Zurich found that women are particularly vulnerable, with more of ...
As for so many parents, that combination of roles is finally about to end in the UK as most of England’s 24,000 schools reopen over the next week, a critical moment in getting the country back to work and the economy out of the worst slump for centuries. For Vickery-Bragg, sending her four-year-old son for his first day of term means no longer having to frantically pack orders while the children are watching television or eating dinner.
“It’s more time than I’ve had in six months so it will feel like a bit of a luxury,” said Vickery-Bragg, who is now seeking a nursery place for her toddler. Returning to normal “is not going to be overnight, but I feel like anything that makes working life easier is just something to be grateful for at the moment”.
The juggle of work and children resonates across the world in the era of coronavirus, but the reopening of schools in Britain has taken on greater political and economic significance because the country has been hit by the pandemic more than anywhere else in Europe. Getting pupils back into the classroom is now paramount to avoiding deeper pain rather than simply a calculated risk.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson is already facing a public inquiry over his handling of the crisis, while chaos in August over grading for school leavers also cost his governing Conservatives in the polls. A U-turn over face coverings in high schools saw education secretary Gavin Williamson field another barrage of criticism, even from within the party.
Reopening schools could provide a 3.3% boost to the economy, equivalent to £70bn a year, according to the Centre for Economics and Business Research. The report, published on Monday, said as many as 5% more employees would be able to return to their workplaces.
The UK has experienced the biggest drop in employment since the global financial crisis and, unlike Germany, is preparing to end a furlough programme. The government is starting a publicity campaign this week to get people back into offices as job losses mount at retailers in city centres.
A study by academics in Cambridge, Oxford and Zurich found that women are particularly vulnerable, with more of ...