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Evening Standard comment: Parents must help schools reopen

The government campaign to ensure that schools reopen next month and pupils are no longer deprived of vital teaching, is stepped up today with a declaration in this newspaper by Education Secretary Gavin Williamson that there is a “moral imperative” on all those involved to deliver this. Mr Williamson, whose credibility has been battered by the A-levels fiasco, might not be the most convincing messenger, but his words must be heeded all the same, not only by teachers and particularly by parents.

That’s because, as the chief medical officer Chris Whitty, made clear, there’s an “incredibly small” risk of children suffering lasting harm from Covid-19 , whereas they can sustain significant damage from being absent from class. Those problems include lack of social interaction and too much screen time at home, as well as depression, exposure to domestic violence, or poor diet.

Parents therefore have a duty to ensure their children return to class to avoid further such damage. There are important life lessons, too, that justify sending pupils back because teaching young people to be fearful and defensive, particularly when the danger to them is so low, is the wrong approach when normal existence is all about balancing risk and developing resilience. Schools must reopen and parents must do their bit by sending their children when they do.

Tackling drug threat

Conservative mayoral candidate Shaun Bailey wants employers to organise drug tests for staff to deter the cocaine use that he blames for fuelling London’s violent crime. The idea itself is impractical, but Mr Bailey should be praised for his attempt at fresh thinking and for the motivation behind his proposal. He’s right, for example, to warn cocaine users that their habit is not a “victimless” crime and leads to gang conflict, and right to argue that changing cultural attitudes to drug use will ultimately be the best way to suppress the violence it produces.

He’s also correct that tackling the links between violent crime and drugs must be about more than just extra police and stop-and-search or grumbling, as Mayor Sadiq Khan has often done, focused on deficient funding. Indeed, Mr Khan would do well to engage in some imaginative thinking of his own on this issue with violence on our streets disappointingly resurfacing after lockdown. Even though his proposal this time won’t fly, it’s good to see Mr Bailey at least striving to find innovative solutions.

All hail our museums

Bow down, mortals, at the Tomb of the Unknown Craftsman. That’s the title of an artwork by Grayson Perry, unveiled at the British Museum ahead of its reopening this Thursday, but it’s not a bad description for the place itself. The work of anonymous artisans spanning two million years fills that treasure house — the last of London’s great museums to reopen. They epitomise our identity — that they are all now open is symbolic of our intention to move forward. Get your tickets now.