Telford MP: Prolonged school closures risks entrenching inequality for a lifetime

Ms Allan made the comments after two of her party colleagues accused teaching unions of obstructing plans to reopen schools in England – and said it was inconsistent that it was safe to visit Primark but not to access school

Currently proposals to fully reopen schools are still up in the air.

Ms Allan said she was concerned that a prolonged closure of schools will create more disadvantage and inequality for pupils. She warned that the damage could last for a lifetime.

"Disadvantage becomes entrenched at very early age. Education is the best means of tackling inequality and it gives all young people, no matter what their background, an opportunity to build a successful future," she said.

"Therefore, as the lockdown is eased, the priority must be to enable children to return to school, even if they cannot yet access the full timetable.

"Teachers and schools offer support to children and young people and this is vital to protect their mental health and wellbeing. Studies have shown that children from low-income households are disproportionately impacted by staying at home."

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She added: "I echo the sentiments of the chair of the Education Select Committee, who has noted the inconsistency of people being allowed to return to shops but children not able to return to their schools.

"There is a very real risk that if schooling is disrupted for much longer, a whole generation will suffer long-term detriment to their education and future prospects. This Government cannot let this happen.”

Ms Allan's comments came after education unions were pressed on their attitude to reopening schools at a meeting of the select committee.

Robert Halfon, Tory MP for Harlow and chairman of committee, asked union representatives: "Why is it that children and parents can have access to Primark over the next few months, but many of them won't have access to schools according to your risk assessments?"

Union leaders told MPs that they wanted children back in school as soon as possible, but they raised concerns about schools leaders' ability to do so in the autumn term under the current social distancing rules.

Dr Mary Bousted, joint general secretary of the National Education Union (NEU), said schools would not be able to fully reopen in September if social distancing rules remain in place.

Addressing the committee, Dr Bousted said: "The problem we have in England in particular is that we have some of the highest pupil-teacher ratios.

"We've got more pupils in classes and the footprint on the classes is smaller so if you're going to continue with social distancing, it puts the pressure on the school site to be very great."

When asked whether schools will be able to open fully in September under current restrictions, Dr Bousted told MPs: "If the Government retains its social distancing rules then they can't.

"So that's why we then need to look at an education recovery plan, which is focused on more than school buildings."

Addressing bosses of education unions, Conservative MP Jonathan Gullis, a former teacher, said their actions in warning against rushing to open schools more widely were "utterly disgraceful".

Mr Gullis, MP for Stoke-on-Trent North, asked: "Why is it that every time I see a teaching union on TV they're saying 'schools aren't safe to open, schools aren't safe to open'?

"A campaign has been run, whether you like or not, to breathe fear into parents about the idea of sending their kids back to school. It has come across to parents that these schools are death traps and that is just not the case and there are thousands of children not getting an education."