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Gavin Williamson says he hopes schools in England reopen before Easter

Education secretary promises teachers and pupils will be given two weeks’ notice to prepare
The education secretary has said he “certainly hopes” schools will reopen before Easter, and said parents, teachers and pupils would be given two weeks’ notice before reopening.
But Gavin Williamson said he could not guarantee schools would reopen at Easter, saying any decision would be made on scientific advice. The government is due to review the national lockdown on 15 February, but schools could remain closed after the half-term break.
“I would certainly hope that that would be certainly before Easter,” he told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme.
“Any decision to open schools to all children is based on the best health advice and the best scientific advice. The reason that we were placed in the position to close schools to all but the children of critical workers and vulnerable children was down to the mounting pressure on the NHS.”
He told Sky News in an earlier interview: “My real focus is making sure that children get back into school at the earliest possible opportunity. Schools were the last to close and schools will very much be the first to reopen.”
Williamson said an improvement in the pressure on the NHS was a “key criteria” for reopening.
He added that the government wanted to give two weeks’ notice before schools reopened. “We want to give all schools and teachers the opportunity to prepare and get ready to welcome all children back, as well allowing the children to get ready,” he said.
The children’s commissioner for England said she was pleased the government had adopted a “last to close, first to open” approach to schools, but said they needed help with reopening.
“Schools don’t just open by themselves magically when infection rates get to a certain level,” Anne Longfield told Sky News.
“We need to make sure schools have all the measures in place to make sure they are safe to reopen and my hope is that certainly primary schools will be able to open after half-term when we believe the risks to children ... and adults are much lower.”
She added that a third of youngsters could be living in poverty by the middle of the decade. “That means a third of our population growing up and entering adulthood with serious hardships day to day but also limitations on their life chances,” she said.
Longfield added that she wanted politicians to “take poverty out of that ‘too difficult’ box” and commit to plans to “turn around the life chances for much of the population”.
On Wednesday schools were told to pause the daily coronavirus testing of students and staff in England, five weeks after it was announced as a “milestone moment” by Williamson, who on Thursday insisted mass testing was “going to be really important part of bringing schools back”.
On the Today programme, the presenter Nick Robinson challenged Williamson by saying many people had decided the minister was not showing enough leadership” and asked the education secretary what grade he would give himself.
He replied: “My focus is just about getting out there doing a job. I’ll let other people do the grading, but my focus is just trying to make sure that at every stage, we deliver as much as we can do for children.”
source: Alexandra Topping
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BENEFIT Sponsors BuildHer...
- April 23, 2025
BENEFIT, the Kingdom’s innovator and leading company in Fintech and electronic financial transactions service, has sponsored the BuildHer CityHack 2025 Hackathon, a two-day event spearheaded by the College of Engineering and Technology at the Royal University for Women (RUW).
Aimed at secondary school students, the event brought together a distinguished group of academic professionals and technology experts to mentor and inspire young participants.
More than 100 high school students from across the Kingdom of Bahrain took part in the hackathon, which featured an intensive programme of training workshops and hands-on sessions. These activities were tailored to enhance participants’ critical thinking, collaborative problem-solving, and team-building capabilities, while also encouraging the development of practical and sustainable solutions to contemporary challenges using modern technological tools.
BENEFIT’s Chief Executive Mr. Abdulwahed AlJanahi, commented: “Our support for this educational hackathon reflects our long-term strategic vision to nurture the talents of emerging national youth and empower the next generation of accomplished female leaders in technology. By fostering creativity and innovation, we aim to contribute meaningfully to Bahrain’s comprehensive development goals and align with the aspirations outlined in the Kingdom’s Vision 2030—an ambition in which BENEFIT plays a central role.”
Professor Riyadh Yousif Hamzah, President of the Royal University for Women, commented: “This initiative reflects our commitment to advancing women in STEM fields. We're cultivating a generation of creative, solution-driven female leaders who will drive national development. Our partnership with BENEFIT exemplifies the powerful synergy between academia and private sector in supporting educational innovation.”
Hanan Abdulla Hasan, Senior Manager, PR & Communication at BENEFIT, said: “We are honoured to collaborate with RUW in supporting this remarkable technology-focused event. It highlights our commitment to social responsibility, and our ongoing efforts to enhance the digital and innovation capabilities of young Bahraini women and foster their ability to harness technological tools in the service of a smarter, more sustainable future.”
For his part, Dr. Humam ElAgha, Acting Dean of the College of Engineering and Technology at the University, said: “BuildHer CityHack 2025 embodies our hands-on approach to education. By tackling real-world problems through creative thinking and sustainable solutions, we're preparing women to thrive in the knowledge economy – a cornerstone of the University's vision.”
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