At first sight, it seems strange that the classroom has become a battleground for Covid-19 policy in the UK.
Schools offer safe spaces for children, providing education, protection and childcare while parents work. Fortunately, aside from rare cases where coronavirus seems to trigger a serious but treatable condition known as Kawasaki disease, children are generally spared the worst symptoms. That is why the UK government wants a phased reopening of schools in England from June 1.
Yet the plan has met resistance from some teachers and parents. The reason is neither obstinacy nor cowardice; it simply reflects a loss of confidence in how politicians and scientists have handled the pandemic. There is confusion and suspicion about how scientific advice feeds into policy; how those policies are presented to the public; and who is accountable for them. Early decisions touted as science-led, such as scaling back testing and contact tracing in mid-March, turned out to be wrong and contrary to World Health Organization advice. Testing was key to Germany and South Korea keeping death rates low and partially lifting their lockdowns.