WHEN the Government say that they care about the children’s education, especially those from a poorer background, they are being extremely disingenuous.

Let’s remember what was happening before the Covid-19 virus struck – 5.1m children in this country living in poverty, 280 000 people, including many children, homeless on Christmas Day last year, 1.6m foodbank users, including many children, in 2018 and 1,000 SureStart Centres closed since 2010.

This government do not want schools open because they care about children’s education – except their own of course.

They want schools reopened, so that often very low-paid workers can continue to make the profits of their wealthy friends and donors.

We all want schools reopened – when it’s safe. The doctors’ organisation, the BMA, have made it clear that it will not be safe to reopen schools on June 1, while the R rate is nearly back up to one.

We are a long way from defeating this terrible virus. Reopening schools too early could turn a national crisis into a national catastrophe.

Peter Sagar, Newcastle upon Tyne