Cllr Ketan Sheth calls for councils to work closely with community on school re-openings

Cllr Ketan Sheth, the Chair of Brent's Community and Wellbeing Scrutiny Committee, has become the first senior councillor to speak out on the wider re-opening of schools. LINK

Extract from the interview:

In Brent, according to the 2011 Census, the BAME population is as high as 63.73%, with 18.64% Indians and 34.06% Asians.

Cllr Ketan Sheth, Brent Council’s Chair of Community and Wellbeing Scrutiny Committee highlighted that effective management mechanisms between national and local government are critical, “The role of education in daily life as well as society is very important and leaves a great impact on our progress as a community,” he said.

“Now, we have started discussions to ease our coronavirus lockdown, by re-opening schools in a bid to restart our economy. However concerns this might become a breeding ground for a second wave of Covid-19 cases may convince parents to keep their children at home.

“The role of local government is the key to unlocking, as it knows its people, communities and children. Daily local government delivers services to their local residents. Therefore, it only stands to reason that local government are a vital ingredient to a community solution.

“As Covid-19 shows, pandemics are complex social and behavioural challenges and not just technocratic issues. Parents, teachers, children are grappling with the threat of contracting the infection or dealing with personal loss. Effective management mechanisms between national and local government are critical.

“Anxiety will linger over infection rates, but if we work together, at a local level, in the communities where we live, we can be agile, and creative, in our services: together we can do it locally.”

Cllr Judith Blake, Chair of the Local Government Assoications s Children and Young People Board, told Asian Times:

 “We know parents are anxious about sending their children back to school or nursery.

“Plans to re-open schools and early years settings must focus on reassuring parents that it will be safe for children to return to school. Publication of the scientific advice is vital to help provide that reassurance.The safety of staff, parents and families is absolutely paramount.

“Councils need to be able to close provision where testing indicates clusters of new Covid-19 cases and it is vital that schools have the resources to provide staff with necessary protective equipment, as well as soap and hand sanitiser for cleaning.”