Petition · past parliament · Department for Education

Introduce Covid-19 testing in primary schools in England for all staff & pupils.

Closed 34 signatures

What the petition asks

The Government must urgently introduce rapid tests in primary schools to pick up infections ASAP to help prevent entire year bubbles being sent home to isolate because one person has tested positive. Testing has been introduced in secondary schools and colleges already to help keep schools open.
The government says, "Primary school children will not be regularly asymptomatically tested due to low levels of transmission between younger aged children but will continue to need to come forward for tests if they have symptoms."

But the fact remains that they are transmitting the virus, as evidenced by the thousands of pupils who have been sent home – from primary school – to isolate over the past year. Money allocated for summer school would be better spent on keeping children in school.

Timeline

12 Mar 2021 Petition opened for signatures
12 Sep 2021 Closed to new signatures

Key facts

Signatures 34
Status Closed
Department Department for Education
Opened 12 Mar 2021
Closed 12 Sep 2021

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Source: the official petition page. Last checked 15 Jul 2026.