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The ‘shock’ of coronavirus school closures will hit a generation claim scientists

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The exact certainty of the impact COVID-19 imposes on children is still unclear, however, the suggestion seems that young people are less likely to be seriously affected than adults. SAGE documents that have been collated show the idea has been discussed to split classes in half and have children attend schools on alternate weeks.

However, the ramifications of disrupting children’s education could cause significant damage according to reports.

The impact of dividing lesson timetables could lessen the effect on the coronavirus rate of infection.

Schools are likely to not bring back reception, year one and year six at the suggestion of Boris Johnson and the government.

Other year groups are being reassured by ministers that the measures described in the published documents will make it safe to resume education from June 1.

Unions, on the other hand, have claimed that the SAGE evidence is currently inconclusive.

A Conservative MP told MailOnline Education Secretary Gavin Williamson has mishandled the situation.

He revealed: “Gavin is screwing up. There has been a huge eff up here.

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“Boris didn’t just bounce him into it in 24 hours.”

As he alleged that Mr Williamson should have been laying ground with the unions for weeks as they were known to be “very belligerent and very left-wing”.

At a Downing Street briefing yesterday, Sir Patrick Vallance stated that reopening schools would likely raise the R rate.

But schools are “not a high-risk area for R” said the expert.

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Sir Patrick said: “The risk for children (from coronavirus) is much lower – we know that.

“They are at low risk but not zero risk and there have been some serious cases of children, of course, but very few compared to adults and older age groups.

“The broader risk in terms of opening schools is that as soon as you introduce any contact, you put pressure on the R and you put pressure on numbers, and that’s true of anything we are going to do in terms of changes to contact.”

The main concern of parents is that there could be a knock on impact on social distancing, as families and parents also return to work.

In order to begin phasing the reopening of schools, scientists agree that it’s important to have the track and trace test in place.

A paper written for a SAGE subgroup on schools for April 16 has warned: “A cohort of children have experienced a shock to their education which will persist and affect their educational and work outcomes for the rest of their lives.

“Similarly, the current lockdown may lead to an increase in adverse childhood experiences… for example domestic violence, poor parental mental health, child neglect or abuse.”

The report was prepared by experts from University College London, King’s College London, the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, and the University of Exeter.

It detailed how said such experiences were “associated with worse long-term health outcomes, and will likely exacerbate existing societal inequalities”.

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