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Over 700 local people demand schools remain closed in Tier 4 areas
04/01/2021
Petition urges for schools to stay shut to curb the spread of the virus
Hundreds of people from the Banbury and Bicester area have signed a petition demanding that schools remain closed in Tier 4 localities to curb the spread of coronavirus. Whilst most secondary schools will remain closed at the start of the new school term today, many primary schools are reopening their doors after the Christmas break.
The petition to close schools in areas with the highest infection rates has gathered support from people across the county. Locally in the Banbury constituency as of Sunday evening 711 people had signed to back the campaign.
The petition on Parliament’s website describes schools as a “breeding ground” for the virus, which pupils bring back “to families who are potentially vulnerable, keeping rates high”.
Katie Louise Anderson started the petition. She said: “This Christmas I am apart from all of my family for the first time. My younger siblings have no idea why I won’t be there, and it’s heartbreaking. All I want to do is go home and see my family, and the sooner I can do that the better.
“Currently I see no way of this happening unless schools close for at least two weeks, but preferably more. Especially with this new strain of the virus, we need to be making the move to online schooling and actually keep people safe.”
The petition currently has more than 189,000 signatures which means it will be considered for debate in Parliament.
You can view the petition here.
Published: by Banbury FM Newsteam
Helen Taylor On 04/01/2021 at 9:24 am
We have to balance health with the needs of young people though. When parents are both working, it’s impossible to home-school children.