SCHOOLS could re-open after Easter holidays if the lockdown continues to work, a minister has claimed.
The Government is currently planning for the next stage of Britain’s battle against the coronavirus.
Speaking to the Times, the unnamed senior Minister claimed sending kids back to school would help the nation get back to normal.
They said: “We need to be led by the science, of course.
“But if we can reopen schools after the Easter holidays things could begin to get back to normal. It could kick-start the economy.”
Several ministers are said to believe schools should reopen two weeks after the Easter holidays.
Denmark’s government has already announced plans to reopen schools for children aged 11 and under, and say most of this will take place outside.
It comes as a review claimed closing schools has a tiny impact on the spread of coronavirus but a harmful effect on kids and society.
Researchers found school closures alone could reduce UK deaths during the Covid-19 outbreak by as little as 2 per cent.
But the University College London experts warn the costs are “high”, with children’s health and education damaged and family finances hit.
They reviewed 16 studies on the impact of school closures and other social distancing measures in previous epidemics.
They say schools will need to consider how they can protect pupils when they reopen – perhaps staggering start and break times.
Nine in ten students worldwide – more than 1.5billion youngsters – are currently out of school because of coronavirus.
