School Closures Challenge
KRW LAW have issued correspondence to the Minister for Education in order to extract the reasons and scientific basis for his decision not to close the schools.
The Applicant is the father of an immunocompromised child who is recovering from acute lymphoblastic leukaemia. As a concerned parent, the Applicant’s father has watched with alarm as the rest of the European nations close their schools. That alarm is further intensified by the criticism that is being directed towards the United Kingdom and its decision to gamble with the lives of millions of its citizens by also failing to act.
We therefore anticipate that the Minister will set out in detail the exact science behind his decision, if any, and we also expect a detailed set of reasons to justify his approach. The Minister has been asked to explain why pre-existing scientific studies after past pandemics are being ignored. In particular, an American study was presented to the Minister which analyses school closures during the Spanish flu in 1918. In a comparison of two cities that acted differently the study demonstrates that the death rate was two thirds less in the city that acted promptly and decisively by closing schools.
It is hoped that the Minister will respond to this correspondence by closing the schools and as a result no challenge will be necessary.