A Bucks MP believes that pupils should return to the classroom “as fast as possible” following the Prime Minister’s announcement that schools are to reopen on March 8.

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With the UK in its third national lockdown due to the coronavirus pandemic schools across the country have been shut since the beginning of January.

Joy Morrissey, who represents Beaconsfield and Marlow, worries that delaying the reopening of schools could damage children’s mental health as well as their education.

She said: “I believe it is imperative that we get our schools open again as soon as we possibly can.

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“As I said in my question to the Prime Minister today, we are potentially storing up a life time of problems relating to anxiety, mental health, obesity and attainment.”

The date set by the PM for the reopening of schools is on the basis that the case and death rate would have to drop significantly, following a rapid increase in both a couple of weeks ago.

She continued: “As everyone from the Chief Medical Officer to the Prime Minister himself have made clear, schools themselves are safe for children and staff.

“ONS data clearly shows that teachers and other educational professionals are not at higher mortality risk from Covid-19.

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“I welcome the commitment from the Government to work to re-open schools as fast as possible and hope we see movement in this direction in the coming weeks.”

Pupils will miss at least one more month of school and with the date for reopening being dependent on the number of cases and death rate, it is still unclear how long children will be out of the classroom for.