Schoolchildren’s education
Many of England's pupils are set to miss six months of lessons. There is a call for the Government to organise a task force to prevent the potential inequality around children's education. Pray for practical, workable plans to ensure that children can continue to reach their full potential. English schools and colleges must submit their estimated grades for GCSE and A-levels by 12 June. Pupils will be ranked from highest to lowest in achievement. Exam regulators have issued guidance on how to make the process as fair and accurate as possible. Many pupils are nervous about their estimated grades. Pray for those unsure of achieving the grade 4 or above needed in maths and English. May peace replace panic. Plans for all primary children to return before the summer have been dropped. The education secretary said there was a cautious, phased return to school: ‘if schools had the capacity, they could take more pupils if they chose.’
Police: ‘We are not punchbags’
Home Office figures show 5,000 attacks on Met Police officers, almost half of which resulted in injury. There is concern that during the Black Lives Matter demonstrations that number will rise. A video showing officers being attacked in north London on 10 June is circulating on social media. A member of the public flagged down two police officers, a man and a woman, saying he had been assaulted and directed them to the alleged attacker. As an officer attempted to speak with those involved, one of them became aggressive, and a struggle ensued. A number of others became involved whilst the officer was on the ground, and passers-by filmed the attack - but did not step in to support the overwhelmed policewoman, who was attempting to keep people away. She was injured in the process before more officers arrived to assist and arrest the two men. Both officers suffered injuries that did not require hospital treatment. The Metropolitan Police Federation said, ‘We are not society's punchbags.’
Christians in Westminster
During lockdown written answers were given to various bishops’ questions on free school meals, on coal and renewable energy in India, on modern-day slavery and the two-child benefit limit. Parliament met in Westminster and online from 2 June. The Bishop of Chelmsford began each virtual sitting day in the Lords with prayers, spoke in a debate on the economic challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic, and asked the Government about reducing poverty by raising universal credit payments. The Bishop of St Albans entered the debate on Hong Kong protests and supported regulations on direct payments to UK farmers; while the Bishop of Winchester asked the Government about the impact of Covid-19 on apprenticeship schemes. Also, 2020’s national parliamentary prayer breakfast will be live-streamed this year on Tuesday 30 June from 8.30am. The Rt Revd Dr Graham Tomlin will address the theme of ‘Hope and peace in a time of fear and suffering’. See
Trust church leaders on reopening
Christian Concern recently urged the Government to trust pastors to reopen churches, as churches are more than Sunday services. They are food banks, restore people's mental and spiritual wellbeing, and offer many other vital services. If workplaces throughout Britain are trusted to make wise decisions around reopening, why not the church? The one-size-fits-all ban treats gathered church worship as a luxury and wrongly stops responsible pastors from making the decision themselves. The government has asked for more time to respond to the reopening request, saying collective worship could take place next month. See
