SCHOOLCHILDREN and college students in Basildon are set to remain at home until at least March after the government announced this afternoon "it will not be possible" to reopen schools in England after the half-term break next month.

It is a move endorses by Basildon Council leader Gavin Callaghan, who publicly called for schools to shut earlier for Christmas, and has since called for schools to remain shut to help prevent the spread of the virus in such a crucial time.

Cllr Callaghan said: "Education is the topic I get the most questions about at the moment, so it's good to finally have clarity on this. Schools can now prepare for the provision of continuing remote learning, and parents can now prepare for home-schooling until at least 8 March.

"I've said before that no school in Basildon should reopen until all the critically vulnerable have been vaccinated and had their cooling off period. We need to reduce the interactions between the younger age groups to lower the risk of vulnerable people getting infected before they are protected against the virus.

"Learning from home isn't the ideal situation, but it's necessary in the period we are currently in with the virus. Hopefully by the time 8 March comes around, things will have progressed and students can return to the classroom.

"I am enormously grateful to all teachers for their hard work through such a testing time, and I believe they should be prioritised for vaccinations before schools return."

"I'm also grateful that the government hasn't forgotten about children who are receiving free school meals, that these children will still receive these important meals whilst remote learning continues."

Prime Minister Boris Johnson said a final decision would depend on meeting vaccination targets and schools would get two weeks' notice but it was now anticipated that schools would not open their doors for young people other than those who are vulnerable or children of key workers until 8 March.

It would be "frustrating" for pupils, teachers and parents, he acknowledged.