Headteacher sends brutally honest letter to parents about kids returning to school

A headteacher has laid out his fears for the safety of children following Boris Johnson’s announcement that classrooms could reopen as early as June.

Howard Fisher, head of St George’s Church of England Primary School in Kent, has sent a brutally honest letter that has been shared over a thousand times on Facebook, according to Kent Live.

The letter, dated May 11th, reads: “We have no plans sent from the government before the announcement last night. No doubt they will arrive this week suggesting social distancing, less pupils in the school, splitting them up, staggered lunches and drop offs, etc.

“I can be truthful here and categorically tell you there is no such thing as social distancing in a school; it does not exist and would never exist.

“The reason childhood illnesses spread in a school is surprise, surprise, we are all in contact with each other.

“I can put two children in opposite classrooms and they will still get chicken pox because that’s how it is in a school. This virus we are lead to believe is a super spreader.”

The letter continued: “Do I want the staff and the children back; of course. Are you at the end of your tether at home; of course you are.

“However I am not going to sit here and write to you to say we can achieve social distancing in a school. We can always make things safer, we could perhaps reduce slightly the risk, but as soon as you open the school as far as my many years can tell you, the risk will be there.

“So that leaves us all in a quandary doesn’t it? How long can we go on like this for? Unfortunately I heard no answers last night, I heard no solutions.

“I heard that it is ok to put our youngest children back in a school and our oldest. I heard nothing that would put my mind at rest.

“There will be some of you that say, ‘let’s just get on with it,’ I respect that, but get on with what?

“There is not a reliable test, a vaccine, an idea about what to do next, there is just the possibility that things will be ok; that’s all we have at the moment and ‘ok’ is not good enough when it comes to the precious gift that is your child.”

Mr Fisher said a ‘sensible and rational debate around better solutions’ is missing. He added: “Believe me, I would rather any child repeats a year than go back too soon and have to lose a child; why is this not in the national debate; because it will cost money!

“So parents, what can you do next? Well, all I can do is pass onto you information when we have it and you can make your own decision.

“Parent power is quite something when it is applied nationally; perhaps you too have some great ideas that can be brought before our politicians.

“I am only interested in my community and the families I serve and hope that you can reflect on my thoughts as the week unfolds.”

Speaking to Yahoo, Mr Fisher explained that it is ‘still too soon’ to reopen in July and that September is a ‘much safer time’ to bring back teaching into classrooms.