The Government is often accused rightly, of being out of touch with how ordinary people live their lives.
Boris Johnson displayed his legendary out of touchness again on Sunday when failing to properly address the question of the spread of COVID-19 infections in schools.
He appeared on the Marr programme on Sunday 3rd January and opined that it was safe for pupils to return to Primary Schools on Monday (except where they are closed due to COVID-19)
The 450,000 strong National Education Union whose members, unlike Old Etonian Johnson, are familiar with the schools dont agree and have told teachers they may not work if there are safety concerns. Head teachers and SAGE agree.
The start of secondary education will be delayed until later in January but the start of primary school will happen or not on 4th January depending not on safety but random Government policy
Johnson has previously complained that the reason for the rise in infections was not school pupils but mixing in households.
Clearly he is remembering his own schooldays.
He was a boarding pupil at Ashdown House Prep School in East Sussex from 1975-1977.
He then won a scholarship to Eton from 1977 until 1982 where apart from his first term he was a boarding pupil on college premises.
What did this mean?
Johnson was a boarder in ‘College’ at Eton the area reserved for those like him who had won Scholarships to the school.
In his biography of Johnson Andrew Gimson notes:
Each boy in Eton has his own room, and every evening after house prayers, (Martin) Hammond- the Master presiding- would walk the corridors of College from 8.45 until about 11.15, dropping in on one boy or another.
No mixing and personal supervision therefore, rather unlike the State school system that Boris Johnson nad no experience of and no idea about.
In johnson’s memory pupils at school dont mix with parents either. Except in the real world, they do…
Petition to keep Primary Schools closed due to safety concerns:
https://actionnetwork.org/forms/make-schools-safe-and-protect-communities/
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