The MP for Dursley Siobhan Baillie called on the Government today to reopen primary schools after half term, arguing that remote learning was affecting children’s mental health.

UK schools remain closed to most pupils during lockdown 3, offering remote learning instead to all but the vulnerable and the children of key workers.

With the UK exceeding 100,000 Covid deaths for the first time, the Government has indicated its schools policy will not change before the easter half term, but Mrs Baillie said she wanted kids back in school after the break.

“It is more important than ever and we need to hear about my Stroud dad who contacted me because he is so desperately worried about the mental health of his children being at home all day and parents that are contacting me on Instagram,” Mrs Baillie told parliament.

She added that Instagram should be for pictures of cats, not for parents who are “absolutely at their wits end, juggling childcare and work as well."

“Will my right honourable friend reassure Stroud’s parents that the reopening of schools is being treated as a national emergency and, taking his point about evidence, will he work with the six Gloucestershire MP’s to see if our falling Covid case rates and the low transmission in schools mean that our primaries can reopen after half term?” She asked the Education Minister, Nick Gibb.

In the week ending January 21, the rate of cases in Gloucestershire stood at 203.1 per 100,000, according to the Government.

A dozen new coronavirus deaths were recorded at Gloucestershire Hospitals Trust over the weekend, the latest official figures show.

Mr Gibb said the mental health of pupils, parents and school staff is taken "very seriously" and responded that the government is convening “a mental health action group to look at the effects on children and young people and staff in the education system.”

“We’ll confirm the next steps about that as soon as we can but at every step we will be led by the scientific advice about when it is safe to reopen schools,” he said.