Andy Burnham has joined calls to shut schools in England as part of the second national lockdown – claiming that a temporary closure could bring casesdown enough for Greater Manchester to enjoy “some kind of Christmas.”
The Mayor of Greater Manchester suggested that sending children home during the final two weeks of November may help prevent lockdown being dragged on into the festive holidays.
Over the weekend, Prime Minister Boris Johnsons announced that England would re-enter lockdown for a four-week period beginning on November 5.
A key difference between this ‘stay at home’ order and the one enforced in March is that education facilities remain open this time around.
Schools, colleges and universities have all been encouraged to operate as normal, whilst many other premises close.
But Mayor Burnham said he wanted to see schools shut for a “period” in order to “create the conditions” for Christmas.
Pixabay
“I remain of the view a circuit break needs to be a true circuit break if it’s to have the effect it needs to have to re-set things,” Burnham said at a press conference on Sunday,
“It’s my view we do need to have a period of closure in our schools if we are to get those cases right down and avoid a scenario where large parts of the North West are simply put back into Tier 3.”
The Mayor added: “I would suggest a period of two weeks’ closure towards the second half of November so that schools have time to prepare online learning, but that would create the conditions for the biggest drop in cases that we could achieve and it would then create the conditions for some kind of Christmas for more families because they need it right now.”
The National Education Union (NEU), the biggest teaching union in the UK, has also called for the nationwide closure of schools (with exceptions for the “vulnerable” pupils with key workers parents).
We are calling for the bill presented to Parliament this week to be amended to include the closure of schools and colleges in the lockdown.
NEU joint general secretary Kevin Courtney said: “We are worried this will just lead to another lockdown later. We think it will not work if schools are not included.”
The new lockdown rules for England, which come into effect on Thursday and will be in place until at least December 2, state that:
There will be no mixing of households anywhere in the country, except for in cases where childcare and other forms of support are necessary.
Pubs, bars and restaurants must close
Non-essential shops must also close
All outbound international travel is banned, except for work
Gyms must close
Travel within the UK is discouraged
Schools, however, are set to remain open until the Christmas holidays.
News
Bob Vylan dropped from Manchester music festival following Glastonbury controversy
Danny Jones
English punk rap duo Bob Vylan have been dropped from an upcoming music festival in Manchester following the recent controversy surrounding their set at Glastonbury 2025.
The media storm surrounding their much-talked-about and heavily televised Glasto appearance has seen them reportedly dropped by their agency and their US Visas cancelled, along with multiple concerts – one of those being right here in Greater Manchester.
Bob Vylan were scheduled to play RADAR Fest at Victoria Warehouse in Stretford this weekend, but now the organisers have informed gig-goers that the artists will not be performing in their planned slot on Saturday.
The alternative music event did provide any additional details, posting nothing but this image:
For anyone unaware, Vylan were heavily criticised for the pro-Palestine chants, which Glastonbury itself has deemed as having “crossed a line”, labelling the chants against the Israel Defence Forces (IDF) as antisemitic.
Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has also commented on the situation.
In addition to RADAR, Vylan were also due to appear at Kave Fest in France the following Sunday, 6 July, but the music event has also decided not to host them.
The BBC also opted not to broadcast Northern Irish band Kneecap as part of their coverage this year, as the Belfast rap trio have also been outspoken on the issue, among many other musicians of late.
Responding to the decision on social media not long after the news broke, the act simply shared the post on their Instagram story along with the caption: “Silence is not an option. We will be fine, the people of Palestine are hurting. Manchester, we will be back.”
Trafford Centre launches school uniform drive to help disadvantaged Manchester families
Emily Sergeant
A school uniform drive has been launched at the Trafford Centre to support local families ahead of the new school year.
With schools across Greater Manchester soon set to be out for the summer holidays, many parents, guardians, and carers in the region may be looking ahead to the new school year in September, concerned about how they may be able to provide their children with the necessary uniform items needed.
According to a 2020 survey by The Children’s Society, 23% of parents reported that the cost of school uniforms led to their children wearing ‘ill-fitting, unclean, or incorrect’ items.
It’s these statistic that highlight the ongoing pressure faced by families.
This is why the Trafford Centre has partnered with both Manchester South Central Foodbank and local charity, Bridging the Gap, to launch a school uniform donation drive aimed at supporting more than 700 children across Manchester this summer.
The Trafford Centre launches a school uniform drive to help disadvantaged Manchester families / Credit: Trafford Centre
From now up until the 15 August, anyone heading to the region’s largest shopping centre is encouraged to donate new or pre-loved school uniforms.
“The cost of living crisis has deeply impacted our community, with more and more families unable to afford the essentials,” commented Emily Jeremy, who is the Assistant Project Manager at Manchester South Central Foodbank.
“As an anti-poverty charity, we recognised the need for school uniform support years ago. Though costs vary between schools, a full set of branded secondary school uniform can total around £150, which is a significant burden for many households.”
All items can be donated at the shopping centre’s Guest Services point / Credit: Darren Robinson Photography | Trafford Centre (Supplied)
Simon Layton, Centre Director at the Trafford Centre, added: “We’re proud to be working alongside Bridging the Gap and Manchester South Central Foodbank to support local families during these challenging times.
“School uniforms shouldn’t be a barrier to education, and we hope this initiative will ease some of the pressure many parents face as the new school year approaches.”
The school uniform donation drive is running up until 15 August.
All items can be taken to the Trafford Centre’s Guest Services Lounge, which is located on Lower Regent Crescent next to M&S, and they must be clean and free from stains or damage.
The Manc -
2nd November 2020 
