MP Andrew Bridgen welcomes PM Boris Johnson for a school reopening in North West Leicestershire, a constituency in the UK with the lowest new infection rate of COVID 19.
PM Johnson, welcomed by MP for North West Leicestershire Andrew Bridgen, made an appearance at Coalville’s Castle Rock School on Wednesday to speak to students and congratulate the staff for a safe reopening.
Yesterday, Bridgen announced that “North West Leicestershire has the lowest new infection rate of COVID 19 in the County of Leicestershire with only 2.9 people infected per 100,000. I am very proud of our self-discipline and observance of the Government guidelines. We are beating the virus together.”
Johnson toured the school and had the opportunity to speak to several students in Year 7 and Year 11 about how they feel going back to school.
“I was delighted to visit Castle Rock High School today and see the extensive preparations Julia [Patrick], Michael [Gamble], and their staff have put in place to make the school safe,” said Prime Minister Johnson.
“I am clear it is our moral duty to get all children back in the classroom again”, he added highlighting that the Year 7 and Year 11 classes he met were “eager and excited to return to school, and I am clear it is our moral duty to get all children back in the classroom again.”
According to MP Bridgen, Johnson was pleased to hear that among the concerns students have about the next school year, the risk of coronavirus was not one of them.
Bridgen said, “I am delighted that the Prime Minister chose North West Leicestershire to see the pupils returning to school. Our district has the lowest new infection rate of COVID 19 in the County of Leicestershire and with this, parents can have confidence that it is safe for their children to return to school with the guidelines set out by the Government.’
Johnson spoke at the assembly, thanking students for their “patience” and “sacrifice” when the pandemic disrupted their classes and exams.
“I’m afraid I do know what you did over the summer, or roughly what you did over the summer because you, like millions of pupils all over the county, made a huge sacrifice and you did something that no previous generation of pupils has ever done because it is now 159 days since this school closed, as a result of a global pandemic, to the vast majority of its pupils,” he continued.
However, Johnson was not just there to talk about coronavirus, he used his time at the assembly to ask thought-provoking questions: Is Harry Potter sexist? Is it okay to sing Rule Britannia?
The visit to Castle Rock School left an impression on Johnson, who said afterward, “I am clear it is our moral duty to get all children back in the classroom again.”
“Parents have been brilliant educating their kids at home — but school is the best place for them to learn, and where the risks from COVID are extremely low,” Johnson continued.
“I wish all teachers, staff, and pupils the very best on their return, as they begin a new term back with their friends and colleagues,” the Prime Minister concluded.