| Good evening, While the political row continues over Covid testing, one sensible point has been made at least. School pupils SHOULD have rapid access to testing to avoid mass absences. Schools in Lancashire have worked incredibly hard to enable the full reopening of schools so youngsters do not miss out on their education and the socialisation and human contact that comes along with that. We need to build on that work. School children, teachers and staff must have reliable, rapid, access to tests if it is to continue. The Health Secretary Matt Hancock says this will happen. Let’s hope it does. Because the impact of having children off school is much higher than simply their missing classes. It impacts families and therefore their workplaces and from there the economy. But most importantly, having children off school erratically puts them at risk from developing social skills and even a risk from food and other poverty. Every one of us had a childhood and whether we enjoyed school or not it forms us now as adults and we owe our youngsters at least that. All the latest on Covid-19 in Lancashire is continually updated by our local teams online. Wishing you a relaxing evening, Nicola Adam Deputy Editor You can contact me by email at [email protected] and I'm on Twitter - @jabberingjourno | 
