Boris Johnson pens open letter thanking parents for homeschooling children amid pandemic

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson penned an open letter to parents, who have "magnificently" handled the hardships of homeschooling amid the coronavirus pandemic, which sent the UK schools into virtual learning last year.

Earlier this week, Johnson government decided to postpone reopening the schools due to the latest surge in coronavirus in the country following the identification of a new variant of COVID-19.

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As per the Prime Minister, the reopening of schools will not be possible due to the "perilous" COVID-19 situation, which means the remote teaching will be extended by a few more weeks — a decision which has attracted criticism from few locals. 

In the open letter, Johnson said that he was “in awe” of British parents, carers and guardians of children, who “have risen to the unique challenges” of the epidemic.

"You have been dealt the trickiest of hands yet played it magnificently," he wrote. "It is especially true of the way millions of you have coped with the pressures of home schooling while also doing your daily jobs."

Thanking parents for their patience, he added, "you are paving the way back to normalcy and you are, quite literally, saving lives." 

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He also acknowledged the difficulty the parents have had to face in keeping their children's lives on tracks while making sure their own jobs do not suffer, as many parents have been working from home too. "Millions of you have coped with the pressures of home schooling and childcare while also doing your day jobs. And by staying at home you are, quite literally, saving lives," he tweeted.

Johnson went on to talk about his government's initiatives to help the needy families by launching a program to provide free meals and laptops for online education and pledged to invest “hundreds of millions of pounds” into many such programs.