Poll reveals half of parents unconvinced that school is safe for their children’s return

Teachers’ union leader warns situation ‘untenable’ as health officials say track and trace system has been left too late

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Parents are divided over the prospect of sending their children back to school, a new poll has revealed, as parent groups warned that mixed messages and poor communication had caused widespread anxiety about returning.

With school leaders still grappling with the practicalities of reopening primary schools for some year groups in just a week’s time in England, an Opinium poll for the Observer found that 43 per cent of primary school parents and 54 per cent of secondary school parents feel anxious about the prospects of returning.

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