Kent primary pupils are returning to lessons this morning amid growing uncertainty over how long schools will remain open for.

Schools in Thanet, Canterbury, Folkestone, Dover and Hythe have been told to re-open - despite Kent Council Council writing to the government to oppose the decision and more than 80% of KentOnline readers also saying they should stay closed.

And it comes amid speculation that Boris Johnson is set to plunge the entire country into even more extreme coronavirus restrictions as early as this week - which could see ALL schools closed again.

The government’s key “Covid-O” committee that oversees restrictions is expected to meet on today to decide changes to the coronavirus regime.

Ministers are reported to be looking to put even more areas of England into the toughest Tier 4 restrictions with the other 78% of the population.

Plans for a return of shielding for vulnerable people in England are also reportedly being drawn up by the government.

Pressure has been put on the Prime Minister after Sir Keir Starmer demanded a lockdown should be put in to place quickly.

Sir Keir told reporters the Prime Minister should not hint at new restrictions within weeks but, instead, act now.

The Labour leader said: “The virus is clearly out of control. We can’t allow the Prime Minister to use up the next two or three weeks and then bring in a national lockdown which is inevitable.

“Do it now. That’s the necessary first step to get the virus back under control.”

Speaking on Sunday as controversy raged over whether more schools should be shut, Sir Keir said further closures of classrooms were “inevitable”.

Last week Education Secretary Gavin Williamson announced some primary schools in Kent would close today for at least a week until January 18.

Medway and Swale - who have had among the highest number of cases in recent weeks - were among those to close. But areas who rely on the East Kent Hospitals Trust - including Canterbury, Thanet and Folkestone - will remain open despite the trust reporting the highest number of deaths with Covid in the country.

Ignoring the Prime Minister's claim that 'schools are safe', some headteachers have decided to keep the majority of pupils home despite being expected back in the morning for the start of term.

Yesterday leader of Kent County Council, Roger Gough, announced he had written to Mr Williamson urging him to allow primary schools to remain shut.

He tweeted to say he had supported Kent schools in staying open.

But he added: "Yet most schools in #Kent will under government rules have a delayed start; the public health justification for treating 4 Districts (with still high infection rates) differently does not stack up."

"We therefore urge that all Kent primary schools are given the same breathing space before reopening that is currently proposed for schools in some two-thirds of the County."

In Brighton, the council wrote to schools saying they should close but a KCC spokesman stressed KCC does not have any statutory powers to order schools to close.

Cllr Gough's letter, co-signed by cabinet member for education and skills, Cllr Richard Long (Con), read: "We recognise and share the strong arguments about the damaging impact of learning loss and social isolation on children from not being in school, as well as the impact on families.

"It is therefore with considerable regret that we urge that the deferral of primary school opening that government has already decided for much of the County be applied to the remaining four Districts – Thanet, Canterbury, Dover and Folkestone and Hythe – where primary schools are currently scheduled to reopen on Monday.

"We have, in discussion with our Director of Public Health, reviewed current and recent data on infection rates and it is very hard to justify the differential treatment of these particular Districts at this time.

"It is true that some have shown some decline recently, but rates remain very high and in many cases were under strong upward pressure very recently.

"Kent as a whole now has a fairly even spread of high levels of infection.

"We are also very aware of the severe pressures on the NHS in Kent, including the three acute hospitals within the East Kent Hospitals University Foundation Trust (EKHUFT) that serve the four Districts in question.

"It is possible but far from certain that these pressures are close to a near-term peak but, with a system that has been under severe pressure for many weeks there is an urgent need to ensure that infections and hospital admissions are eased.

"With growing and conflicting pressures on their staff, we know that many heads now face an exceptionally difficult situation.

"We have had a number of representations made to us by head teachers in the County, and in the affected areas, a number of whom have, we know, also contacted their Members of Parliament.

"With growing and conflicting pressures on their staff, we know that many heads now face an exceptionally difficult situation.

"We therefore urge that all Kent primary schools are given the same breathing space before reopening that is currently proposed for schools in some two-thirds of the County..."

"We note further the Department’s decision regarding primary school reopening in London; we appreciate the logic of this decision, but believe that in the light of this, it makes sense to apply the same approach to Kent, which remains a high infection Tier 4 area.

"We therefore urge that all Kent primary schools are given the same breathing space before reopening that is currently proposed for schools in some two-thirds of the County, and that this is communicated to schools and parents as quickly as possible."

MP for Folkestone and Hythe said last night that a decision on whether to keep them open could arrive in days - but his position would depend on local infection rates.

Headteachers in his constituency had written to him to ask for more information on the new term..

He said: "I have been told that the decision about which schools will be required to stay open will be reviewed in the next few days by the Department for Education.

"Should the local infection rates from Coronavirus continue to increase I would certainly support a switch to remote learning and have those views known to the minister."

He said the decision was made last weeks when infection rates for the Folkestone district appeared to be declining.

He added: "However the point I have made to Nick Gibb is that over the last few days the infection rate has been rising and is above those in other districts where schools will be closed next week."

The National Association of Head Teachers is now starting legal action against the government in a bid to force ministers to reveal why they think it is safe for schools to reopen.

The union says it has "commenced preliminary steps in legal proceedings against the Department for Education" and is calling upon the government to "remove people in schools from the physical harm caused by the current progress of the disease".

It contradicts Boris Johnson's message that schools remain safe. Speaking on the Andrew Marr show on BBC One this morning, he said: "Schools are safe.

"The risk to young people is very, very small indeed. The risk to staff is very small."

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