Parents ‘extremely unlikely’ to be fined for refusing to send their kids to school after lockdown, Ofsted chief says
PARENTS are unlikely to get fined for keeping their kids at home after the lockdown measures are lifted and schools reopen, Ofsted's chief said today.
Amanda Speilman said that there will still be some children who will likely be schooled at home if they have family members who are vulnerable.
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Kids are being home-schooled during the lockdown as part of moves to stop the spread of the virus.
Last week Matt Hancock refused to comment on whether those who decide not to send their children in may face fines.
But the head of Ofsted, told Sky News' Sophy Ridge show that it was "extraordinarily unlikely" ministers would push fines.
She added: "Given that there will be substantial numbers of children in households where somebody is at high risk, I think it is extraordinarily unlikely that anybody would start at the stick end of the spectrum rather than the carrot.
The Sun revealed last week ministers want to get kids back before the end of the summer term.
Earlier Welsh First Minister Make Drakeford confirmed that they were looking to give schools three weeks' notice before reopening them in June.
And primary school kids will be first to go back, with schools staging a slow return to normal.
The Government has stressed they won't do that until it's safe to do so, but no date has yet been set.
Schools have been shut nationwide since March 18 - three days before the full lockdown was revealed by Boris Johnson.
Nicola Sturgeon suggested last week that school
The PM is set to outline his plan for how to open up the country again later this week.
He will discuss how to get kids back to school, adults back to work and how to restart the economy again.
However, any tweaks to the lockdown are likely to be small this week, if anything.