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Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on education in the United Kingdom

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In March 2020, the education systems in the United Kingdom were shut down in response to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. By 20 March, all schools in the UK had closed to all children except those of key workers and children considered vulnerable.

Education in the United Kingdom is separated into four systems: the UK Government is responsible for England whilst education in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland is the responsibility of the Scottish Government,[1] the Welsh Government[2] and the Northern Ireland Executive, respectively.

Timeline

Late February to mid-March – individual closures

Following cases in Italy, the Cransley School in Northwich, Cheshire, and Trinity Catholic College in Middlesbrough closed, as some of their pupils had returned with symptoms from Italy. Fourteen schools in England had closed by 28 February.[3] Loughborough University reported a student confirmed to have the virus after recent travel to Italy, and indicated that several staff members and students began self-isolation.[4]

Mid-March – nationwide shutdown

File:Kirsty Williams, Minister for Education, Welsh Government; Ed 7 May 2020.webm
Kirsty Williams, Minister for Education in the Welsh Government, commenting on the re-opening of schools in Wales, 7 May 2020

On 18 March, the Welsh government announced that all schools in Wales would be closing by 20 March.[5] On the same day, the First Minister of Scotland Nicola Sturgeon announced that Scottish schools would also be closing from 20 March, and may not reopen before the summer.[6] Later that day, it was announced that schools in Northern Ireland would close to pupils immediately and to staff on 20 March.[7] Shortly thereafter, the Secretary of State for Education, Gavin Williamson announced that schools in England would close from 20 March for an unspecified length of time.[8] Prime Minister Boris Johnson said that schools would still look after the children of key workers, and vulnerable children,[9] and for England the Department for Education published guidance on eligibility on 19 March.[10]

The Coronavirus Act 2020, which came into force on 25 March, gave the relevant ministers and departments across the UK powers to shut educational institutions and childcare premises.[11]

The UK government also announced that GCSE and A Level exams were to be cancelled, an unprecedented action in UK educational history, and that grades were to be given out based on predicted grades and teacher assessment.[9][12][13]

June to September – reopening

Primary schools in England began to open more widely on 1 June, beginning with nursery classes and children in the year groups Reception (aged 4–5), Year 1 (aged 5–6) and Year 6 (aged 10–11), although many schools and local councils delayed until after this date.[14] It was planned that all primary-age pupils would be back in school by the end of June, however on 9 June the government announced that primary schools would not reopen further to other year groups due to concerns on the impact this could have on the rate of infection. Instead, most primary school children are not expected to be back in classes till September, six months after schools closed.[15]

Secondary schools in England reopened for the year groups 10 (aged 14–15) and 12 (aged 16–17) from 15 June. However, schools had been instructed to continue to primarily educate young people in these age groups at home, and to keep face-to-face lessons to a minimum.[16] School attendance will not be compulsory for pupils, regardless of whether they have a place available or not, until the start of the new academic year.[17]

Meanwhile, Scottish schools will not be reopening until 11 August it was initially planned that they would operate a "blended model" of part-time study at school and home though it was later decided that schools would aim to open full-time as soon as they returned.[18][19] Northern Irish schools will be reopening for "key cohorts" (students studying for exams or transitioning between schools) in August, and for others in September.[20] Schools in Wales are planned to reopen on 29 June, and although all year groups will return, to begin with, children will attend school part-time and attendance will not be compulsory until after the summer holidays.[21]

Universities

Cambridge University was criticised for their incoherent response to the pandemic which forced international students and staff to scramble to make arrangements to return home with only two days' notice. On 13 March, students and staff were advised that international travel was discouraged and university facilities would stay open at reduced capacity. On 18 March, Vice Chancellor Stephen Toope announced a sudden U-turn and all university buildings would be indefinitely shut to all staff and students from the afternoon of Friday 20 March onwards, and all students were strongly encouraged to leave Cambridge.[22] The president of Cambridge UCU criticised that this sudden shutdown, saying it would exacerbate the pandemic as students from countries with weaker healthcare provisions were forced to return home.[22] Over a thousand Cambridge students signed an open letter requesting to have multiple assessment options in lieu of the cancelled examinations in Cambridge, including the option to retake part or all of the academic year in 2020–21.[23]

Coventry University first suspended graduation ceremonies due to be held in March and April,[24] and from 20 March, suspended all face-to-face teaching, in favour of on-line delivery.[25] Many other higher education institutions took similar steps at around the same time.[26] Many international students were stranded in UK universities by the shutdown.[27]

See also

References

  1. ^ The Scottish Government Archived 27 November 2008 at the Wayback Machine scotland.gov.uk, accessed 6 June 2009
  2. ^ About Archived 18 February 2012 at the Wayback Machine wales.gov.uk, accessed 6 June 2009
  3. ^ Bedingfield, Will (28 February 2020). "Will shutting down UK schools stop coronavirus? It's complicated". Wired UK. ISSN 1357-0978. Archived from the original on 2 March 2020. Retrieved 3 March 2020.
  4. ^ Fagan, Ciaran. "Leicestershire's first Coronavirus case is confirmed as a university student". Leicester Mercury. Archived from the original on 8 March 2020.
  5. ^ "All schools in Wales to close by Friday". BBC News. 18 March 2020. Archived from the original on 18 March 2020. Retrieved 18 March 2020.
  6. ^ "Coronavirus: Schools 'may be shut until summer'". BBC News. 18 March 2020. Archived from the original on 18 March 2020. Retrieved 18 March 2020.
  7. ^ "Schools in Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland to close by the end of the week". ITV News. 18 March 2020. Archived from the original on 18 March 2020. Retrieved 18 March 2020.
  8. ^ "Coronavirus: Schools in England follow Scotland and Wales in closing". BBC News. 18 March 2020. Archived from the original on 18 March 2020. Retrieved 18 March 2020.
  9. ^ a b Adams, Richard; Stewart, Heather (18 March 2020). "UK schools to be closed indefinitely and exams cancelled". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 20 March 2020. Retrieved 21 March 2020.
  10. ^ "Guidance for schools, childcare providers, colleges and local authorities in England on maintaining educational provision". GOV.UK. Department for Education. 19 March 2020. Archived from the original on 21 March 2020.
  11. ^ "Coronavirus Act 2020 s.37: Temporary closure of educational institutions and childcare premises". legislation.gov.uk.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  12. ^ "Coronavirus: GCSE and A-Level results to be based on teachers predicted grades". ITV News. 20 March 2020. Archived from the original on 20 March 2020. Retrieved 21 March 2020.
  13. ^ Weale, Sally; Batty, David (19 March 2020). "Fears that cancelling exams will hit BAME and poor pupils worst". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 20 March 2020. Retrieved 21 March 2020.
  14. ^ "Which children are going back to school?". BBC News. 29 May 2020. Retrieved 31 May 2020.
  15. ^ Coughlan, Sean (9 June 2020). "Many primary pupils not back until September". BBC News. Retrieved 9 June 2020.
  16. ^ schools, Telephone 0800 046 8687 If you have a query about coronavirusrelating to; Establishments, Other Educational; Care, Children's Social; Engl, in; to 6pm, contact our helpline Lines are open from 8am; Friday, Monday to; school, 10am to 4pm at weekends If you work in a; Helpline, Please Have Your Unique Reference Numberavailable When Calling the. "Guidance for secondary school provision from 15 June 2020". GOV.UK. Retrieved 31 May 2020.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  17. ^ "Which children are going back to school?". BBC News. 29 May 2020. Retrieved 31 May 2020.
  18. ^ "Scottish schools to reopen in August". BBC News. 21 May 2020. Retrieved 31 May 2020.
  19. ^ "Scottish schools aim to reopen full-time in August". BBC News. 23 June 2020. Retrieved 25 June 2020.
  20. ^ "Some pupils to return to school in late August". BBC News. 21 May 2020. Retrieved 31 May 2020.
  21. ^ "Schools in Wales to reopen this month". BBC News. 3 June 2020. Retrieved 3 June 2020.
  22. ^ a b "Cambridge colleges criticised for asking students to leave over coronavirus". The Guardian. 18 March 2020. Archived from the original on 19 March 2020. Retrieved 20 March 2020.
  23. ^ Batty, David (18 March 2020). "Cambridge students urge university to let them retake the final year". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Archived from the original on 19 March 2020. Retrieved 20 March 2020.
  24. ^ Layton, Josh (11 March 2020). "Coventry University suspends graduation ceremonies to guard against coronavirus". Coventry Telegraph. Archived from the original on 12 March 2020. Retrieved 16 March 2020.
  25. ^ "Our response to COVID-19". Coventry University. Retrieved 17 March 2020.
  26. ^ "More universities halt teaching and exams". BBC News. 13 March 2020. Archived from the original on 18 March 2020. Retrieved 19 March 2020.
  27. ^ "Thousands of students stranded at university amid UK lockdown". The Guardian. 24 March 2020.
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