Section:OBS 2N PaGe:6 Edition Date:190804 Edition:01 Zone: Sent at 3/8/2019 18:57 cYanmaGentaYellowblac
- The Observer
6 04.08.19 News Brexit aftermath
‘There is a risk that any communication
in this area could spark undue alarm’
menu standards flexib ly. DfE may
make exceptional payments – or sub-
mit a prepared bid to HM Treasury for
additional funding. Worst case sce-
nario estimate of the increased costs- £40 to £85m a year for schools in
relation to free school meal provision
based on price increases of 10-20%.”
Under a heading School Travel, the
analysis makes clear that the poten-
tial problems are “not countrywide”,
and cites Dover in Kent as at the high-
est risk of disruption, stating: “Risk
of travel disruption could result in
school and early years settings clo-
sures, pupil and staff absence and
exam disruption (though to a lesser
extent in Oct due to limited exams
being sat).”
that schools and nurseries need. Boris
Johnson must abandon his irrespon-
sible and expensive obsession with
no deal,” she said.
The analysis ranks the level of risks
under a colour-cod ed system: green
(where the department is confi dent
the risks can be dealt with and deliv-
ery of services maintained as normal);
amber (where delivery is “feasible but
signifi cant issues already exist requir-
ing management attention”); and red
(where delivery of normal services
“appears to be undeliverable”).
The issues relating to school food
and travel disruption that could lead
to school closures and exam disrup-
tion are given amber warnings.
The document mentions a risk of
shortages of medical supplies and
equipment, particularly to special
educational needs schools, but clas-
sifi es the risk as green.
With Johnson insisting he will
take the UK out of the EU “deal or no
deal” on 31 October , the government
announced plans last week to set aside
an extra £2.1bn for no-deal prepara-
tions, including stockpiling of med-icines, an extra 500 border offi cials
and a public awareness campaign
about possible disruption to travel
and services. The prime minister is
ramping up preparations for a no-deal
Brexit, although he insists he still
wants to leave the EU with a new
agreement.
A DfE spokesperson said: “While
we don’t comment on leaked doc-
uments, our ... guidance to schools
and other stakeholders already pro-
vides advice on EU exit preparations
for schools, including food provision,
medical supplies and guidance for EU
nationals. We are confi dent provision
for schools will be protected in the
event of the UK having to leave the
EU without an agreement .”
Ian Watts, area education offi cer at
Kent county council, said: “ We have a
duty to families to ensure schools do
all they can to ensure provision, even
in times of emergency. ”
Other government documents
obtained by Sky News last week
warned of “consumer panic” and gaps
in security within weeks of leaving
the EU without a deal.Entitled “DfE No Deal Programme- Schools”, the document was drawn
up by Lord Agnew, reappointed by
Boris Johnson as parliamentary
under-secretary for schools last week.
It appears to have been written very
recently as it refers to “short lead in
time due to new PM”.
The leak was seized on last night by
the Labour party. Shadow education
secretary Angela Rayner called on
Johnson to rule out a no-deal Brexit,
which she said would pile more
misery on a school system that had
already suffered from years of Tory
austerity cuts.
“This document lays bare the
potential consequences of a disas-
trous no-deal Brexit for our schools
and nurseries, and the parents and
children who rely on them. By the
government’s own admission, head
teachers may be left unable to feed
their pupils or forced to close their
doors entirely.
“With our education system already
at breaking point after years of Tory
budget cuts, being forced to prepare
for this kind of chaos is the last thing
No deal could
force schools
to close down
Continued from page 1The leaked document not only
raises the prospect of food
shortages affecting the provision
of school meals, but also says
that making this public could
lead to panic food buying in
shops where prices could rise
by between 10 and 20%. Border
problems at Dover could trigger
travel disruption and lead to
school closures. The amber
warnings mean the DfE believes
it is “feasible” for it to avert
these problems, but “signifi cant
issues already exist requiring
management attention”.The document shows the DfE
is taking seriously a wide
range of risks to schools. These
include potential shortages of
medical supplies (although it
appears confi dent it can avoid
problems in this area). It also has
responsibility for UK nationals in
education in the EU and British
teachers in the European schools
system who it says are “at risk of
redundancy”. It also highlights a
potential problem with data held
on servers located in the EU.Department for Education’s analysis warns it may have ‘limited levers’ to address threats of crashing out of the EU
The dossier
Labour’s Angela
Rayner urged
Boris Johnson to
rule out no deal.РЕЛИЗ
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