I UNDERSTAND how important the start of each school year is for families across this country.
So no one should be under any illusions over how carefully we took the decision to close even a small number of classrooms.
The simple fact is we had no choice.
As Secretary of State for Education, my first duty is to protect the safety of pupils, teachers and school workers.
But I want to reassure families that this is not a return to the dark days of school lockdowns.