COUNCIL bosses are expecting some parents not to send their children back to school after the summer holidays as one councillor claims a “significant” number of parents have told him they have no confidence in the system.

Bolton Council director Bernie Brown, told councillors this week that the local authority is expecting there to be some “school refusers” in September.

But she said the education sector is thinking “very carefully” about how to encourage children back to the classroom as the coronavirus crisis continues.

The comments came after the director of people services was asked to explain how her team is helping boost parents’ faith in the council’s plans to make schools safe enough for children to return after the summer holidays.

Labour councillor Martin Donaghy told the children’s services scrutiny committee on Monday that concerned parents have contacted him.

He said: “Significant numbers of parents have contacted me and said they have no confidence whatsoever in any system in getting children back to school at this moment in time and a significant number will not be returning their children in September – even under the penalty of fines.

“Will we be doing some sort of survey to find out if parents have faith in the veracity of our argument that we have a plan in place that can work and is sustainable for getting these kids safely back to school?”

Ms Brown said there are “extensive” plans in place in the borough’s schools.

She told the committee that headteachers have put “a lot of effort” into supporting parents who are anxious about the prospect of sending their children back to school after the summer holidays due to COVID-19.

But she said the local authority is expecting that some parents will still refuse to send their children back to school in September because of these anxieties.

She said: “I think it’s fair to say that we are expecting there to be some school refusers and that we’re going to have to think very carefully as a system about our strategies to encourage those children and their families back into education and learning.

“This is new for everybody, but I think we’ve done a lot of talking, a lot of thinking, a lot of reflecting and a lot of planning for that event.”

Cllr Donaghy praised the local authority for keeping children safe during the coronavirus crisis, but said he “utterly deplored” the government’s response.

Bolton is one of the only local authorities in the region to stick with the government guidance by encouraging schools to reopen for pupils in Reception, Year One and Year Six in June, as long as it was safe to do so.

Executive cabinet member for children’s services Anne Galloway explained why.

She said: “It’s the balance of risks at the moment and the fact that there are children out there that have not had any schooling for months is very concerning.

“If the school felt confident enough, we felt, as a local authority, that they should be allowed to open and to increase their offer to different year groups.”