The science on school re-opening is reassuring, but it is not immutable. In the end, it is a judgement call and schools must be given the flexibility to do what is in the best interests of their communities, says Geoff Barton

We are hearing a lot about “the science” at the moment. This is because we all want the certainty we hope science can offer us that it is safe to go back to school.

But one of the most useful interventions on this subject came from Dr Hilary Jones on Good Morning Britain, when he said the public must get used to living without scientific clarity.

This is not because there is any fault with the science or the scientists, but because Covid-19 is, as we know, a “novel” virus, a new strain of coronavirus, and so knowledge about exactly how it works is limited and evolving.

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