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Leaders of eight London boroughs have written to Education Secretary Gavin Williamson formally asking him to reverse the decision to reopen primary schools in some areas.
In the letter, the leaders said they were “struggling to understand the rationale” for a movement that ignored “the interdependence of our city”.
They pointed out that Covid-19 infection rates were higher in some boroughs called upon to reopen schools than in others where schools will remain closed.
In their letter, council leaders also said they had received legal opinions that omitting certain advice from the list of areas in which online education is sought “is illegal on several grounds and can be challenged in court. courts”.
The leaders of the Boroughs of Islington, Camden, Hackney, Lambeth, Lewisham, Greenwich, Haringey and Harrow all signed the letter.
Schools in the City of London and Kingston will also reopen under current plans, but schools in 22 other London boroughs will remain closed.
Danny Thorpe, leader of Labor-controlled Greenwich, who was threatened with legal action by the government before Christmas after advising schools to switch to e-learning for the last days of the term, said: “In a comparison to case by case, there does not seem to be any logic as to how this list was put together. “
He pointed out that Tory-controlled Kensington and Chelsea “have one of the lowest infection rates in the entire capital, but their children and young people receive the extra protection that Royal Greenwich students do not have. apparently no need ”.
London Mayor Sadiq Khan said it was “insane” that some primary school students were told to come back next week and revealed that he wrote to the Prime Minister about his anger that the leaders premises had not been consulted.
“This is not the way to run schools in our city or our country and it is another example of the chaotic and chaotic way the government has dealt with this pandemic,” he said.
Many staff in districts where schools are reopening are concerned about their own safety with infection rates so high.
Kevin Courtney, co-leader of the National Education Union, said: “Gavin Williamson has to listen to community leaders, he has to listen to school staff and he has to listen to the general public who are all telling him that it is not safe to reopen schools on Monday. “
According to Covid rates compiled by the PA news agency, Greenwich registered 2,176 new cases in the seven days leading up to December 26, Hackney and the City of London have 2,217 and Islington 1,499.
By comparison, the areas on the list included Kensington and Chelsea, which had 768 new cases during the same period.
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